From ota Tue Jun 7 03:07:33 1988 Received: by angband.s1.gov id AA08368; Tue, 7 Jun 88 03:07:18 PDT id AA08368; Tue, 7 Jun 88 03:07:18 PDT Date: Tue, 7 Jun 88 03:07:18 PDT From: Ted Anderson Message-Id: <8806071007.AA08368@angband.s1.gov> To: Space@angband.s1.gov Reply-To: Space@angband.s1.gov Subject: SPACE Digest V8 #246 SPACE Digest Volume 8 : Issue 246 Today's Topics: Ad hominum attacks, summary of NSS board Re: Night launch Re: Non-sexist language (was:Space Station Names) Re: Space Station Names :-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 15 May 1988 13:47-EDT From: Dale.Amon@h.gp.cs.cmu.edu Subject: Ad hominum attacks, summary of NSS board I will respond once and only once on the personal attacks that I have seen recently in this magazine. Scott Pace and I are both available to defend ourselves, some of the others named are not. Several individuals have been slandered who are not present to defend themselves. I cannot hope to handle a defense for them, but just so that these good people do not have their reputations impugned simply because the thousands of readers out there do not know anything about them, I will give a brief summary bio: Sandy Adamson was instrumental in the founding of the Portland L5 chapter. Her background was in anthropology, but her first love was space colonies. She moved to Tucson and was a major activist with the Tucson chapter for many years. She became an officer within L5 and traveled to conferences, both national and regional on her own resources for many years. And her own resources were based on freelancing work around Tucson. A major part of her income went into society activities. She was a major force in political activities in the society. In 1984 she did a great deal of work and got society volunteers behind the short lived Glenn campaign. A few years ago, she went to Washington to help lobby for the space station funding for L5. She was paid only part time because that was all that could be afforded, and what was available to pay her came mostly from individual donations in special fund raisers. She had to share space in someone else's apartment because she wasn't paid enough to afford her own place. To survive she started picking up some small jobs, and was finally pointed to a consulting position by an old friend. She has for the last year and half held a real paying job in space policy. She has thus advanced one more step towards her life dream of living and working in space after spending 10 years donating her life, her income and just about her soul to the society. She also finds time to be a very caring individual. Mark Hopkins is more controversial in society circles but no one, even his most avowed 'enemy' (sic) will claim that he is anything less than one of the initiators of the space movement and one of it's hardest workers. Mark was involved with the initial summer study group run by Dr. O'Neill and along with Eric Drexler (also present at that session) and some others, was one of the founders of L5. He was working on a Phd in Economics at Harvard(?) at the time. He took a job at Rand doing non-space type work. The think-tank type atmosphere gave him the time to dedicate to the society. Many of us have wondered if he ever actually did ANY Rand work, or if so whether he'd invented the 30 hour day. He had not finished his Phd thesis due to society work, and in fact is only now finishing it, over TEN YEARS late. We once gave his wife an "ignored spouse" award. It actually wasn't so funny. Mark has totally dedicated his life to the space movement, and as far as I can tell has gotten nothing out of it except getting burned out, burned and maybe a bit paranoid. But he keeps at it, no matter what the personal cost. Since our organizational watch word is "I WANT TO GO!!!!!" I would suggest that most of our more energetic members will eventually work professionally in some facit of space. We are processing grass roots activists into professionals committed to the dream. Those professionals will dominate the government, military and private space efforts because they CARE. Hardworking activists are going to drive out the 9-5 put-in-40 schleps. If we aren't in it to go ourselves, then why would any of us be such utter fools as to endanger our careers, relationships, finances and sanity for the movement? (Last year cost me nearly a third of my GROSS) I want to go, and I work with other people who also want to go. Anyone who doesn't had better get out of my way. I will also note that "aerospace" money does not dominate the organization. Such monies are received through the AIAC (Aerospace Industries Association Council), but are used only for special projects, NOT for operating expenses. This is intentionally done to keep them at a safe arms length. At least one incident occured in which they did try to throw some weight. And they got quite a few people very angry (myself included). I doubt they will try it again soon. It is easy to attack particular goals of the society. And the larger the organization grows, the more likely it is that some group will be dissatisfied. I suggest that the vote on the name change tells us something about the stand of the average member. I will also state (having been one of the people who voluntarily worked for severals days to encode last fall's survey) that a vast majority of the membership places strong support of the space station in the context of going for a lunar base and then to Mars. The policy stands of the organization follow this. I'm personally in favor of Space Industries/WESPACE, External Tank Company, etc INSTEAD of the station. But so long as I am a representative of a membership that feels otherwise, I will bow to their wishes while occasionally pointing out the alternatives and working to insure they are noticed. I will also note the copy of the Space Cause voters guide in front of me has Dukakis as the first entry and gives him nearly a full page. My candidate, Ron Paul was left out entirely. I expressed my disappointment to Mr. Pace. Within a week he responded to me with a hardcopy draft on Ron Paul. Ron will be fairly treated in the next edition. I can hardly call this non-responsiveness to minority views. I will not respond furthur on this topic. I will work with anyone who wants to make the society bigger and better. I will also attempt to educate people about non-statist viewpoints while not ramming it down their throats. And I will ignore the existance of any of the tiny minority who want to do nothing but bicker over internalities. It is a waste of my time. SUBJECT CLOSED, Dale Amon National Space Society, Board of Directors Current Board of Directors: Dale Amon founder PghL5, chair NE84 regional conference and 6th national conference. Michael Collins Apollo 11 astronaut Tom Doherty New York chapter K Eric Drexler author Engines of Creation, founding member of L5, chapter activist in Massachusetts area a few years back. Worked on the very first mass driver. He's the long haired one in the picture you always see of MD-I with Gerard O'Neill in front. Founder of Foresite Institute Art Dula Chairman of 2nd national conference. Active in Space Foundation (Space Business Roundtables). Well known space lawyer, involved with marketing the Proton to US customers. Frederick Durant III (I don't know him well) Nancy Feldman (Don't know her. Regional board member from Kansas) Edward Finch space lawyer, author of Astrobusiness. Helped carry our fight against the Moon Treaty to the UN. Georgia Franklin Housewife, does lectures with hundereds of schools in Washington state every year. A tireless activist. Peter Glaser inventor of the Solar Power Satellite William Gunn long time activist in South Carolina chapters. Joe Hopkins spark plug behind most of the Seattle chapters. Worked on "glass cockpit' of 767 for Boeing. Chairman of 5th national conference. Another tireless worker. Maxwell Hunter Long time aerospace engineer. Currently retired and designing single stage to orbit craft for Society Expeditions. Margaret Jordon Ran the Astronaut Memorial Foundation for L5 until the bill died in congress. Worked with TRW for awhile, currently a student again. Long time activist in the OASIS chapter. Irving Kahn (Don't know him) George Koopman Activist who is doing something about it. Was involved with Starstruck water launch of solid-fuel/liquid oxidizer test vehicle. President of AMROC, a compnay he founded to furthur develop private launch vehicles. John Logsdon VERY well known space policy and history expert at George Washington University. An insider. Jim Muncy Worked for Newt Gingritch, parleyed into a job as space policy advisor to George Keyworth. Left when Keyworth did. Did some work for Geostar, some staff work for NSS and SSI. An absolutely dedicated activist. Not yet 30. Florence Nelson I know little about her except she started a town in Arizona and seems to be a very good person. Frederick Ordway III Know very little except that he is an insider. Warren Overton Was the phone tree chairman until a few months ago. I believe he founded the Birmingham Alabama chapter. Chris Peterson Was a chapter activist when she and Eric Drexler were in school. Later became chapters coordinator for L5, the editor of L5 News, an officer in the society for a few years. Ken Poe Kansas chapter activist. Became L5 chapters coordinator after Chris Peterson. Gene Roddenberry Star Trek. Neil Ruzic (Don't know him) Charles Sheffield SF author. VP of company involved in remote sensing. Co-chairman of 4th national conference. Jill Steele Denver area chapter activist. Chair of the next national conference (7th) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Ben Bova (president) Well known SF author Gordon Woodcock Long time Boeing employee. Along with (Chairman of the Joe Hopkins, one of the founders of Executive Committee) Seattle L5 chapters. Co-chair of 5th national conference. Was President of L5 at time of merger. Gives papers on leading edge space missions, propulsion ideas, economic justifications,etc. Arthur Kantrowitz member of National Academy of Science (Chairman, Board of Directors) Hugh Downs Well known broadcaster at ABC netowrk (Chairman, Board of Governors) Gary Oleson Founder of Washington DC chapter. (Executive Vice Chairman of 4th national conference. President) Dedicated activist. Mark Chartrand Former exec director of NSI (Senior Vice President) Mark Hopkins A founder of L5, Spacepac, Spacecause (Vice President) Has been a key figure in L5 society operations and now NSS operations for over a decade. Robert F Allnutt (don't know him) (Vice President) Elisa Wynn Dominant force behind Niagara L5 for (Vice President) many years. Current chapters coordinator. Working on lots of committees and traveling to DC at regular intervals. A housewife with 2 kids. Leonard David Founder of one of the earliest (and (Vice President) short lived space organizations) about 15 years back, along with Alan Ladwig. Past and new editor of Space World. A 'professional' activist for 15 years. Also a damn fine auto-harp player and songwriter. Sandy Adamson Activist with Portland L5, Tucson L5 (Secretary) One of the founders of L5 political efforts going back to the Moon Treaty fight. Was society 'paid' lobbyist in DC during early space stations fights. Has been officer and board member off and on for nearly a decade. Currently working for a beltway bandit. Harry S Dawson (Don't know him) (treasurer) David Brandt Erichsen Was with Sandy Adamson as a Portland L5 (Assistant Secretary) and a Tucson L5 activist. Was a long time officer of L5. Ed Gray (don't know him) (Assistant Treasurer) S Neil HosenBall (don't know him) (General Council) Glen Wilson was involved with NASA educational (Executive Director) outreach for many years. Has been exec director of NSI and now NSS. Has put in loads of his own cash and taken no salary. David Webb This guy has done so much for so long (Chairman of the that I'm almost embarrased to Legislative Comm.) summarize. He was heavily involved with UNISPACE 82, was one of our activist reps on the National Commission on Space. Has helped on virtually every national conference. Founded a space studies program at University of North Dakota. And on, and on. He's also one of the nicest people you will ever deal with. Of course he is Irish... ------------------------------ Date: 15 May 88 16:47:58 GMT From: sonia!khayo@cs.ucla.edu (Eric Behr) Subject: Re: Night launch In article <12260@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> khayo@MATH.ucla.edu I wrote: >I just saw a fabulous sight - most likely a launch from >VAB. (...) ^^^ sorry for the typo; I'm sure VAFB is a little better suited for launching things than VAB is 8-) >I hope to read something about it in tomorrow's paper. Nothing in the papers, but a one-liner on NPR: it was a Trident test, launched from a sub off the coast... Eric ------------------------------ Date: 14 May 88 14:43:59 GMT From: cfa!cfa250!mcdowell@husc6.harvard.edu (Jonathan McDowell) Subject: Re: Non-sexist language (was:Space Station Names) >From article <8738@ames.arc.nasa.gov>, by eugene@pioneer.arpa (Eugene N. Miya): > They had Uncle Carl Sagan on the Morning Show. K.S. brought to topic > of Unmanned versus Manned space, and Carl politely noted the sexism in > the term and moved on the role of the person-ed and un-person-ed space. > --eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@aurora.arc.nasa.gov The NCOS report used 'piloted' and 'unpiloted' spaceflight which is pretty well what I'd settled on as the best term. One can also talk about 'automatic spacecraft' vs 'spaceships' (the latter being vessels with humans aboard'. The 'unpiloted' term runs into trouble when we have robot spaceships with human passengers. Maybe 'Astronautics' should include everything and 'Spaceflight' should be restricted to flight involving humans. But I just can't come up with a good gender-free word to replace exactly the sense of 'manned'! 'Person' is ugly, and potentially includes non-human intelligences (Martians or human-made AI) - we need a term which means specifically 'humanned' but sounds more natural. 'Crewed' is no good (see comment about passenger-only above), likewise 'staffed' (yuck) which doesnt have the right sense. Any constructive suggestions? Jonathan McDowell Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics ------------------------------ Date: 14 May 88 20:35:53 GMT From: elsie!ado@cvl.umd.edu (Arthur David Olson) Subject: Re: Space Station Names :-) > They had Uncle Carl Sagan on the Morning Show. K.S. brought to topic > of Unmanned versus Manned space, and Carl politely noted the sexism in > the term and moved on the role of the person-ed and un-person-ed space. Does this mean advocates of automated exploration will become unpersons? -- Canada is to spaceflight as the U.S.S.R. is to baseball. ado@ncifcrf.gov ADO is a trademark of Ampex. ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V8 #246 *******************