Mars Society Steering Committee Statement on NASA’s SLS-HLV

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On September 14, 2011, NASA announced plans to develop the Space Launch System — an exploration-class, advanced heavy-lift launch vehicle (HLV) designed to carry the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, as well as cargo and equipment to the International Space Station, and ultimately to deep space.  The SLS rocket will use a liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propulsion system with an initial lift capacity of 70 tonnes evolvable to 130 tonnes. The first flight is targeted for late 2017.

The Mars Society believes that NASA should develop an HLV, because an HLV is a critical system for enabling human exploration beyond LEO.  The Space Launch System HLV as currently designed is fine.  However, NASA’s human spaceflight program needs a mission.

The proposed plan is to spend $3 billion per year to get the HLV flying by 2017, without anything for it to launch until a putative asteroid mission in 2025. The Mars Society believes that this plan will almost guarantee program cancellation. NASA should not develop an HLV for 4th of July displays. It has to be developed as part of a plan to support a defined mission, with other necessary flight elements developed in parallel.

NASA’s proposed SLS-HLV budget of $3 billion per year is much higher than is actually needed to fund an HLV, and appears to be an effort to spend the former Shuttle program funds for political purposes. If this much funding is available, NASA should use the funds to develop the full spectrum of flight elements needed for human missions beyond LEO in parallel, enabling the near Earth asteroid mission by 2017, with Mars missions to follow a few years later.

NASA needs a deep space mission. From the mission comes the plan; from the plan comes the things necessary for its implementation. NASA needs to fund missions, not things. The mission comes first.

The Steering Committee of the Mars Society ratified this policy statement on NASA’s SLS-HLV by a vote of 12 yes, with 8 abstentions.

Minutes from our August 2011 meeting

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There were 8 persons in attendance at our meeting.  We welcomed Lucas who joined us as a guest.

The meeting opened with a discussion of upcoming events.  Events discussed included astronomy day Oct 22nd at the UTA planetarium http://www.uta.edu/planetarium/events/ and the upcoming Fencom convention which is scheduled in Dallas Sept 23rd-25th http://www.fencon.org/.  We also talked about International Space Week Oct 4th -10th http://www.worldspaceweek.org/.

We agreed to look into adding an upcoming events section to the chapter webpage.  We also talked about potential chapter activities which included science and technology related volunteer opportunities and  inviting guest speakers to our meetings.  During our upcoming Sept meeting, we planned to have chapter elections.

NASA on the Block

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By Robert Zubrin, Washington Times, August 24, 2011

America’s human spaceflight program is adrift. The space shuttle has made its final flight, and the Obama administration has no coherent plan what to do next. Instead, it has proposed that the United States waste the next decade spending $100 billion to support a goalless human spaceflight effort that goes nowhere and accomplishes nothing. In the face of a mounting imperative to find ways to cut the federal deficit, this has set up the nation’s space program for the ax.

In order for NASA’s human-exploration effort to be defensible, it needs a concrete goal and one that is truly worth pursuing. That goal should be sending humans to Mars.

As a result of a string of successful probes sent to the Red Planet over the past 15 years, we know for certain that Mars was once a warm and wet planet and continued to have an active hydrosphere for a period on the order of a billion years – a span five times as long as the time it took for life to appear on Earth after there was liquid water here. Findings released by NASA last week indicate that underground water seeps are reaching the surface of the Red Planet periodically. Thus, if the theory is correct that life is a natural phenomenon emerging from chemistry wherever there is liquid water, various minerals and a sufficient period of time, life must have appeared on Mars and may still be there.

For full article please click here.

Robert Zubrin is president of Pioneer Astronautics and of the Mars Society (www.marssociety.org). An updated edition of his book “The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must,” has just been published by the Free Press.

Case for Mars Cover

Quick Recap of our August 14th Meeting

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All:

I just wanted to give a quick recap of our August 14th meeting.  We had a relaxed celebration of the conference: it was great to just gather and enjoy each other’s company without the pressure of the convention planning, and to relish the memories of the 14th Annual Mars Society convention!   We had a brief awards ceremony for all those who worked on the convention.

And I do believe that we set an attendance record!  We had 14 or 15 folks (I wasn’t taking notes!), including Josh, a new prospective member who dropped in and regaled us with tales of arguing in front of the Supreme Court, no less (welcome Josh!).

It was great to see James H and family: we know that the long drive from Hillsboro on the busiest day of the week is a real sacrifice.

And thanks to Kris for arranging for the awards, they were very eye catching, and well earned by a great team!

With that, Juno is on its way to Jupiter, Opportunity has arrived at Endeavour Crater, and Curiosity is getting ready at the Cape, and it is getting late and I have to go…..

See you Sunday!

Kurt

Convention Followup

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The convention just finished and it was a great experience! The convention went smoothly, the speakers were great, and we met and made friends and engaged on many exciting topics and side discussions.

Talks covered topics ranging from the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory and proposed Geological Monitoring System (GEMS) Discovery mission, the latest from SpaceX and the Kepler mission, as well subjects as varied as power systems, navigation, and growing food on Mars.  Panel discussions and track talks led to many side discussions and exchange of new ideas.

On a more somber note, Robert Zubrin, president of the Mars Society, warned of the dire straights NASA’s manned space program faces given its current rudderless direction in today’s budget environment, and gave us all a call to action.

We had attendees from around the country as well as several from overseas, and got to meet old friends, make new ones, and meet many locals interesting in our chapter.  Thanks again to everyone in the local chapter and national whose efforts, dedication, time, and patience made this not only a success full, but fun experience!

See you on the 14th!

Kurt

July 31 Meeting Postponed

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After consulting folks I’ve decided to cancel our regular July 31 meeting.

Several folks will be unavailable or busy with last minute convention preparations, and it is really too close to the convention to be useful.

Instead, let’s get together on August 14 to relax and reflect and celebrate on our hosting of the convention.. same location and time (spaghetti warehouse, 6:30 pm, etc) as usual. See you at the convention!

Kurt

Moon Day outreach a big success!

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All:

Just a quick note that the Moon Day outreach went swimmingly well. On July 16 the local chapter showed up in force at the Frontiers of Flight museum, and set up a table with our materials, a Mars globe kindly loaned to us by the NSS (thanks Curtis!) and our convention poster, as well as the cool signs that Tom had printed up.

Literally hundreds of space interested locals came up and we got a chance to meet and talk to many, as well as make what we hope and expect to be lasting contacts with like minded organizations like the Dallas Area Rocket Society, Fort Worth Astronomical Society, and of course, the Moon Society and Ken Murphy, whom we thank for his inviting us and the tireless work he put into organizing Moon day. We also took many notes of what the ‘competition’ were doing with their presentations and how to make our presentation and presence even better and more compelling next time (let’s not forget the black table cloths!)

The Moon Day was a great success, and we discussed having an even bigger presence next year. This would be a great time to organize the ‘Mars 101′ community outreach we thought of but were unable to bring to fruition at this year’s convention. Thanks to everyone, and see you at the Mars Society convention, now only DAYS away!!!!

Kurt