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We gave tentative approval to the idea of running an essay contest with the theme "Manned Space Exploration is worth the risk" to commemorate the 2009-11.html#top in the face of almost certain disaster.
Total prize money of $1,000 was given tentative approval. We needed to find cosponsors and ways to get the word out effectively. Given whatever measure of success in this latter effort we could reach by the December 16th meeting, a "go" or "no go" vote would be taken. As of this report, a final decison is awaiting on a decision by a potential major sponsor.
The "3 years for the price of 2" renewal offer has yet to be coded into the registration page. The person who will do this has several other things on his plate that must be dispatched first.
We have identified another English-Spanish translator, Brenda Pulido, in Monterey, Mexico who will help get us started in the direction of a Spanish version of our website and outreach documents. This effort will take some time. We have given her a list of documents and web pages that are on our priority list for translation.The next Management Committee Meetings will be held on January 6th and 20th
If you would like the Management Committee to consider a new initiative or idea, contact president@moonsociety.org
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We have decided that a quarterly Town Meeting would be more productive. Attendance at the monthly meetings was sinking. So Town Meetings will be held the week before the Board Meetings in February, May, and August - that is, three times a year
The most active Team by far has been LUNAX - Lunar National Agricultural Experiment
moderated by James Rogers and led by David A. Dunlop.
This forum discussion activity mirrors actual lines of experimentation going on at our campus chapter at the College of Menominee Nation in Green Bay, WI. CMN is endeavoring to interest other Native American Colleges and is collaborating with colleges in El Paso and Colorado Springs. They have an experiment package all set to fly at Wallops Island, VA this July!
This issue begins MMM's 24th year of uninterrupted, continuous publication, ten issues a year, since MMM #1 in December 1986.Members can download MMM pdf files here (username password required) If you have no username and password, or have forgotten it, please contact us as soon as possible and we'll get you up and running
In preparation for ISDC 2009, we put together MMM Classic #20 ahead of schedule so that it could be included in a CD on “MMM’s first Twenty Years” which the National Space Society then produced in quantity (1,000) so that a CD could go into the registration packet for each ISDC attendee. You can freely download this issue and all previous classic issues from:An Introductory version of the new MMM Glossary, was published May 19th. The illustrated introductory version lists over 300 terms, some new words, some old words given no meaning. Many more entries are "under construction" or at least on the "to enter" list.
http://www.moonsociety.org/publications/mmm_classics/
Ahead of the game, we decided to launch some-thing new this semi-annual “break” – July – when the MMM editor has a month off. The idea is to collect in PDF volumes all the non-time sensitive articles from the 1st 20 years, on specific themes.
MMM Classic "Eden on Luna" 1 (years 1-10) and 2 (years 11-20) are now online, along with two Mars theme issues. The Eden on Luna issues gather all the articles on Lunar mini-biosphere systems, recycling, and other environmental issues - a core focus theme of MMM from day one.
During our January MMM Break, we hope to publish two more theme issuesThese Theme Issues are, like the Classics, free access pdf files, no member username and password needed.
- Select Editorials from MMM's first Twenty Years (those still relevant)
- Economics of the Lunar Frontier (exact title TBD)
To download them, go to:
http://www.moonsociety.org/publications/mmm_themes/
Over time special Classics issues will focus on the following topics, one topic per issue. In cases where there is a lot of material, as with “Mars” there will be 2 or more issues as needed.
• Lunar Resources & IndustriesThese publications will appear as we find time to put them together. A fringe benefit of organizing all past articles by theme, is that it can serve as preparation for an eventual “MMM the Book.” That is a project title, not the book title, which will be determined later.
• The Lunar Economy
• The Lunar Homestead
• Arts & Crafts, Performing Arts
• Health, Sports and Exercise
• Other Destinations: Mercury, Venus, Ceres, asteroids, Europa, and other Solar System Destinations
If you have a "high frontier" tale in you, work it out and email it to moonbeams@moonsociety.org2010 1-sheet Meetings Calendars have been published, in 7 artwork versions, 4 horizontal, 3 vertical
To download the first issue, go to the archive site. Moonbeams issues are freely available in pdf file format, and members and visitors are welcome to circulate them freely and widely. The purpose is to provide fictional illustrations of what life could like on the Lunar Frontier and elsewhere within the Solar System.
Just print on card stock and frame
LATIN AMERICAEvents: Annual Events, ISDCs and more.The Moon Society is assisting the Space Renaissance Initiative in organizing a conference to be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which will be the latter's first international conference. It will also endeavor to advance ongoing sputtering efforts to create a Latin American Space Agency. Initially, we were aiming at an October 2010 time frame, but realizing that does not give us enough lead time, we are now looking at a 2011 date.Several Latin American countries already have their own space agencies. Brazil's is by far the most advanced and that country indicates that it will continue to work on its own, and would not be party to a regional Space Agency.
Mexico has just created a Space Agency, and Chile may soon follow suite.
Our decision to spin off a Spanish Language Moon Society website and to create a number of papers and flyers in Spanish, should help promote this effort, as well as to promote the creation of Spanish-language Moon Society chapters in Mexico and in Chile, the two nations in which our efforts are currently concentrated.
On December 17th, we put up a temporary Spanish Homepage placeholder
INDIA
See MMM-India Quarterly - a free access pdf file newsletterCHILE - Moon/Mars Atacama Research Station continues to advance. If you wish to be involved or just update, join our google group: http://groups.google.com/group/moonmars
MMM-India Quarterly #4 was due for publication in October, 2009, but the date has slipped. We hope to publish it in November. The following issue, #5, is still set for January, 2010.
Two Reports This Month:
(1) From Moon Society President Peter KokhThe Newly announced Moon Society India is moving swiftly to come into its own. Indian writers will contribute a major portion of the next, 5th issue of Moon Miners' Manifesto - India Quarterly - "M3IQ" as we have come to call it, with a January publication date.Eventually, M3IQ will either become an all-India publication or be replaced with a new publication put together inside India. This is as it should be, and we in the Moon Society look forward to the Moon Society India organization coming into its own, with pride and satisfaction.(2) From Moon Society India leader Pradeep Mohandas
The Moon Society India was announced to India and the world on November 14, 2009.We are now concentrating on organizational details as well as aiming at a major presence at the SEDS India Conference to be held in Chennai (formerly Madras) in Tamil Nadu state in February.Those interested in helping create Moon Society chapters in India should contact
Contact: pradeep.mohandas@gmail.com
Currently our focus is on firming up the organizational structure needed to build and operate this facility; to complete a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation to fund a team trip to Chile; and working with an independent NASA contractor who has offered to design and build a central facility (most likely the Command & Operations Center) that will function "off-grid, all as a donation.SPINNING OFF A Spanish version of the Moon Society Website, and a Spanish language edition of Moon Miners' Manifesto - "Sociedad Lunar" y "Manifesto de Mineros de Luna" (the editor's amateur translation attempt.)
This project promises to be much larger than first conceived, and much more difficult to launch. It is understandable, then, that dates are slipping. We hope that this does not cost us essential support locally and nationally, in Chile itself.
MMARS will not only be a research facility, it will be an anchor for involvement of students at all levels. From the ranks of students will come the future leaders who will return us to the Moon to Stay. We hope that the MMARS project will enthuse students the world over.
We have identified a very varied list of research opportunities. Which directions MMARS will take will depend on which support facilities (labs etc.) are funded and built first and which researchers join the team first.
Our time spent on brainstorming and designing MMARS is gaining us many great and improved ideas that will be applicable to a Lunar Analog Station in the US someday. Identification and acquisition of a precise site is the first hurdle to be vaulted. Then comes finding funding for a startup.
As to Chile itself, while this country does not have the population nor the economy to become a space-faring country, it does have the Atacama Desert, arguably the premier location for both Moon and Mars analog research, and already the host of a growing complex of world-class astronomical observatories. Given the importance of analog research to prepare the way to the Moon and Mars, this role is not an insignificant one
If the Moon Society's role in Chile is to expand beyond a merely advisory one, we need to develop a family of chapters within Chile to play a supporting role at MMARS. And we need to clone the Society "in Espaņol."
The Moon Society Management Committee has given its support to this proposal. But more than a vote is needed. We do not have the team to pursue this goal. Instead, we must recruit such a team. We have recruited Jesus Raygoza of Mexico City who has both a wide knowledge of and interest in Space affairs and is fluent in both English and Spanish to start the process as soon as we send him a list of web pages and documents needing translation. Jesus has been working in Mexico build a Moon Society presence there as well as campaign for the creation of AEXA, a Mexican Space Agency with a small but effective budget. (Espaņol)SWEDEN
We are looking for English to Spanish and Spanish to English translators, webmasters, and editors.
As we have also been involved in Mexico for some time, and now in Chile, it makes sense to prepare outreach materials for Spanish speaking countries, including the growing Spanish speaking population within the United States. The United States is now the 2nd largest Spanish Speaking Country in the Western Hemisphere (after Mexico), and soon worldwide (eclipsing Spain).
If you can help in any way or point us in the right direction, please contact us
Write: president@moonsociety.org
Subject line: Spanish
Subject line: Spanish "at large chapter" in the USA
Subject line: Mexico
Subject line: other Spanish-speaking nations
Subject line: etc.
The member-organized Moon-Mine Project in central Sweden which we support, is making major advances towards becoming a functioning research facility, thanks to Society Advisor and ISRU (in situ resource utilization) expert, Niklas Jarvstrat.AUSTRALIA
New Board member Shaun Moss of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia has helped organize a new NSS chapter there, the Victorian Space Alliance, that will represent the interests and work of NSS, the Moon Society, and the Mars Society. He thought that a coalition chapter would be the strongest option.
The Moon Society is looking more International every day.
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As Chicago is a 90 mile hour and a half commute from where most of the Moon Society (and Lunar Reclamation Society) exhibits are stored (in Milwaukee) we expect to provide a major contribution to the exhibit room. And as we have worked closely with the conference organizers for over twenty years, we expect a good chunk of presentation opportunities as well.
Hotel room rates and conference registration rates will be considerably lower than those in Orlando.
The hotel is brand new - The Intercontinental O'Hare. (map) (Hotel's in Chicago's downtown "Loop" have a very hight hotel tax.)
Chicago has excellent air connections to everywhere. (Flights to Midway will involve higher transit costs to the hotel which is near O'Hare.) Plan now on coming, or at least keep the dates open! Chicago 1989 was a super-ISDC and the same people are bringing us this one. We can only expect the biggest and best ever.