This is our third issue. Frontlines is a formatted monthly Moon Society news report that comes out monthly just after the first (of two) Management Council meetings each month. These report will be archived, so members and visitors can check past reports.

Frontlines reports on Society activities, efforts, and projects. You pay your dues, and have a right to know what we are doing to make your membership worthwhile and to address your interests in a place for humans on the Moon.

We have been making steady progress on a wide variety of fronts. We want you to hold us accountable for continuing to do so!

 At the June 4th Meeting, we discussed future follow up on our success in exhibiting a finished Solar Power Beaming Desk-top Demonstration Unit. See below

Questionnaire - We discussed putting together a Questionnaire to be sent to all new members, asking them to tell us how they first heard about the Moon Society. The results as they come in will indicate what means of reaching out are most effective, and in what areas we need to try harder. This Questionnaire is still a work in progress

We are discussing a proposed “Game Plan” to promote the idea of Solar Power Satellite systems constructed of lunar materials. The draft plan addresses the issue of advancing the “readiness state” of key technologies (Lunar Building Materials) and Systems (transportation to/from the Moon) and other elements necessary to make this dream a reality. If you would like to read a copy of this proposal, email president@moonsociety.org and we will send you a pdf file attachment. Our success in designing and building a solar power beaming demonstration unit is a good start.

We are also discussing various action items in a Draft Strategy report on how to grow the Society both in numbers, in name recognition, and in effectiveness in advancing towards our goal, the opening of the Moon to civilian pioneers.  If you would like to read a copy of this proposal, email president@moonsociety.org and we will send you a pdf file attachment.

We managed to find one volunteer per available slot. Fortunately, each of these members are highly qualified. More than a dozen other nominations were solicited. Ben Nault (Tucson) and Fred Hills (Virginia) will run for both 2-year board of directors slots. David Dunlop (Green Bay, WI) and our Director of Project Development (unpaid staff position) will run for the remaining year of the director slot vacated by Randall Severy who has been overburdened. Peter Kokh (Milwaukee) is willing to run for a third term as President. We did not have a volunteer for Secretary that met the length of membership requirement for election, but we did have an otherwise qualified volunteer. Chuck Lesher (Phoenix) has been appointed to the post by the Board. His name will not appear on the ballot.

While we do not have any contests, we urge members to show their support by returning their ballot. An email ballot will be sent to all members with valid email addresses in our database. You may, however, copy the ballot printed in the May issue of MMM and return it to the Plano, TX PO Box indicated. Thank you in advance for your support.

Please vote for all three board candidates, as their are three openings.

MMM #216 - June 2008 was published to the pdf file directory on June 13th. Hardcopies should be in the mail in another week. Hardcopies are mailed second class and delivery sometime takes two weeks or more. This is the only affordable mailing option. Members can download MMM #216 here (username password required)

Photos from the conference:


The idea was to create a working demonstration of how Solar power Satellites would work, with the aim of boosting public support for this initiative. Solar Power Satellites have been receiving renewed interest since the release of the National Space Security Office report [http://www.moonsociety.org/reports/space_solar_alliance.html] on October 10, 2007. We could not have tackled this project without the expertise of two persons: Vice-president Charles F. Radley, and Board Chairman R. Scotty Gammenthaler. The Board has given them full support including needed funds, to carry this project through to completion.

The enthused response from ISDC attendees was very gratifying, and earned us several new memberships.

We are now working to find ways to help other organizations replicate our working model based on our parts list, list of parts sources, blueprints, and procedures for building and testing the working parts - the transmitter and rectifier - and the procedures for getting these approved by the FCC so that they can be operated in public.

Leadership Council member James Rogers has produced a trifold brochure on the project [http://www.moonsociety.org/projects/spb-demo/spb-brochure.pdf]

Ways to tie in to Google Lunar Rover X-Prize. We have dropped this idea after finding out that even if our hitchhiker thingamajig would be inexpensive to produce, we would have to pay big bucks to fly it aboard any contender, as such services are how the various contenders are raising money.

We are seeking your ideas for another Great Project. It can be a hands on project. If it costs over a thousand dollars to complete, not including labor which we expect will be donated, we must include in the project description, ways to raise whatever additional funds may be needed. As we showed with our Solar Power Beaming Demonstrator, a project does not have to be expensive to have a major positive effect. Send your project ideas to kokhmmm@aol.com or, if  you have paper documents and illustrations, mail them to:
 

Design Competition: a Fuel Depot in orbit  - this is a proposed collaboration with LunarWire.com. We’ve learned the hard way that few participate in contests and competitions unless attractive prizes are at stake. If we get past that hurdle, we will be making a joint announcement.

Why the diversity of Projects? That's an easy question to answer. Not only is there so much that needs attention, but we know that our members have a diversity of interests, and as we want to deserve your renewals year after year, we are seeking a wide variety of practical projects. It is important for members to let us know what types of projects would gain their support, and better yet, their involvement. We will be polling members to get a better handle on their interests and abilities. At the same time, we are limited to projects that are financially doable, either from membership dues alone, or from successful fundraising efforts. If you are in a position to do so, your special donations for projects that interest you will be most helpful.

On the drive back to Wisconsin from ISDC, Dave Dunlop (Green Bay) and Peter Kokh (Milwaukee) began brainstorming a whole new concept for a Lunar Analog Research Station. Lately, we have been discussing the advisability of an International Lunar Campus as opposed to a stand alone NASA moon base (and other unconnected national lunar outposts.) In this paradigm, all spacefaring nations would be invited to contribute whatever they wished, and private enterprise would be welcome to establish facilities for providing services to the various national complexes: power generation, power storage, managed warehousing, LOX production, biological life support system maintenance services etc.

Our new idea for a Lunar Analog Research Complex here on Earth would be similar. The Moon Society could develop its own complex at the chosen site. NASA and other agencies would be welcome to do likewise, as would prospective contractors wanting a place to develop and demonstrate the services they could offer on the Moon.

This idea goes way beyond what the Mars Society tried to do with some real success, all by itself.
Our goal is to prepare for a fully functional moon base with continuous buildout in the direction of a first genuine settlement.

Now all this is easier said than done! But we wanted to share with you our excitement about this major escalation in our planning. More to come, as we make progress towards making it real.

MarsDrive: Google Group: Railroading on Moon and Mars - In the past month, with our attention preoccupied with preparations for a major presence at ISDC 2008 at the end of May, this project languished for lack of attention. We have not forgotten, and will get back to it. Peter Kokh had a chance to meet MarsDrive's vice-president Hal Fulton at ISDC.

LunarWire.com: A Design Competition for an Orbital Fuel Depot. Both parties are now working to identify funding and sponsors for attractive prizes as well as to pin down the design entry constraints.

American Lunar Society: We have been collaborating for years, sharing publications, sharing articles, and sharing ALS’ Lunar Study and Observation Certificate Program. Now with 2009 being named International Space Astronomy Year, we have proposed a joint effort to put together a definitive Position Paper on Astronomy from the Moon.

To do something, that is to conduct a project, means someone has to step up to the plate and take charge. Most active persons in the Society already have their plates full. There is so much more we could be doing, but it won’t happen without "take charge" volunteers.

Our #1 priority is a volunteer PR Person.

We also need volunteer  Fund Raisers, Writers, Modelers, Artists, Project Managers, and more. Tell us about your talents, areas of expertise, and available free time. Then we’ll see how we can match you up with a need. volunteer@moonsociety.org

International Space Development Conference: ISDC 2009 will be held May 7-10 in Orlando, Florida.
Our David Dunlop is already signed up as chair of the Moon Track.

There are many other space conferences where it would be good to have a real presence. See Conferences List 2008. But the Society is unable to provide travel and other conference cost subsidies, which makes it difficult for Society leaders to attend. We had several members present at the recent Lunar & Planetary Institute conference in Houston, and at least one at the Space Access conference in the Phoenix area. If you are going to a conference or even to a science fiction convention and are willing to put out flyers, let us know! president@moonsociety.org.

St. Louis, Houston, and Phoenix report meetings and other activities.

Outpost Formation Plug - take a look at our Chapters & Outposts map [http://www.moonsociety.org/chapters/chapter_outpost_map.html]

Outposts are active local support groups of 1 or more members not yet organized as a chapter. We have active outposts in the South San Francisco Bay Area (Silicon Valley / San Jose), Tucson, Longview/Kilgore TX.

As a result of our presence at ISDC in Washington, DC, we recruited at least four new members in Washington-Baltimore Metroplex area. We are hoping to be able to resurrect the former Mid-Atlantic Chapter, under that or another name.

Partner Groups - We are also represented by three NSS chapters and one Canadian independent chapter in Calgary AB who partner with us, in Portland OR, the Twin Cities, and Milwaukee. We hope to add San Diego, Seattle, and Chicago to that list. Several other NSS chapters get MMM and can read the Moon Society Journal section: Sheboygan WI, Denver, and Philadelphia. All these chapters will welcome you if you live in their area.

If you live in an area where the Society is not represented, please consider serving as a local contact person, whether or not you are willing to try and start an outpost in your area (two or more members not yet organized and functioning as a chapter.)

Write: chapters-coordinator@moonsociety.org