Ben Huset, Crew Astronomer/Assistant Engineer

Ben Huset Spends much of his efforts giving hands on multimedia presentations to K-12 school groups, home schools, science fiction conventions, including Marscon, Convergence and MiniCon and civic groups on various space topics. Helped staff and then trained and managed staff for space education displays in planetariums, malls, theater lobbies and conventions.

Past Director of MN Spaceweek. Helped coordinate display materials, manage display sites and trained and scheduled staffing. Helped staff NASA International Space Station display at MN State fair assisting visitors with hands on computer simulation displays. Created panel displays for Space Shuttle flights and ISS missions for local planetarium lobby and other venues , STS- 26 to current, often with realtime audio and computer world map displays.

Staff writer/photographer for L-5 chapter newsletter L-5 Points. Later moved up to editor/publisher of Downrange. Wrote a syndicated monthly news and commentary column on Soviet Space Activity - Mirwatch. Co-authored article for Final Frontier magazine. Became board member, assistant director then executive director of MN Space Frontier Society. Elected regional board member of National Space Society. Campaigned for Presidential Candidate John Glenn. Founding Member of the Mars Society attended many of its conferences including the founding conference.

Judge for Twin Cities Regional Science fair. Awarded certificates and prizes for outstanding space related projects. Videographer / producer at many Space Development conferences for cable access programs and chapter use.

President of the MN Astronomical Society, during his 4 yrs in office, doubled membership to over 400+ members and brought two observatories on-line each with 16" telescopes.

Established and managed an electronic bulletin board system for the easy exchange of information and electronic mail for the Space development community. Set up a desk top publishing system for a non-profit organization's daily operations and monthly newsletter. Set up a presentation computer graphics system for the organization. Currently developing World Wide Web pages for the many organizations that I’m a member of.
Private pilot and General Class Amateur Radio operator KA0PSQ!

Currently living with a wife, two teen-age kids and 5 cats and lots of computers.