November 2005
From RmmsWiki
General Meeting - November, 2005
In attendance: Tony M., Brian E., Ray Mc., Brad J., Dewey A., Ryan K., Don H., Bill M., Mike Mc., Bob B., Jim W.
The Board meeting to determine new officers will be carried over to next month to give time for names and candidates to be proposed. Though our 501 (c)3 status has lapsed we are continuing to follow the by-laws as originally approved and will discuss officers in the next meeting. The chairman and secretary are limited to two consecutive terms and the secretary position needs to be replaced, pending a rule change; otherwise a minimum of three Board members are required which we currently have in place, though more are welcome of course.
Tony had an update about the Lunar Exploration Group's Mark III space suits which featured much enhanced mobility and ease of use through a bearing system at the waist and hips, hard upper-torso shell and flexible gloves and uses liquid air for both cooling and breathing purposes. The need for mechanical counter-pressure (MCP) suits was discussed as were the differences between lunar and Martian dust, and especially the Martian variety appearing to be highly magnetized.
The MDRS (with retrofitted battery banks and wiring, GreenHab and grey water recycling for the toilets) season starts at the beginning of the New Year with a total of nine crews, most of which are already filled and with the usual variety of mixed and single genders, national and international, school-based as well as program-based and a first-ever Moon Society's sim. As usual, CapComs and other volunteers are needed for Mission Control and may apply through the Mars Society website. SBS 1281 is mandating that NASA start lunar and Martian sims and could considering using the MDRS and Flashline for those missions. The Air Force Academy is asking for the Mars Society to give a talk to their cadets re: our and other Mars missions.
Discussion about Falcon 1's pending launch (later scrubbed and to happen 12-19-05) and how it as a model for privately-developed launch resources as a competitor to gov't based programs, along with NASA's call for private resupply of the ISS and the Centennial Challenges prize monies all are dovetailing towards encouraging the private and commercial development of space. Similarly Space Dev. Is proposing a privately-funded moon program for a tenth the cost of a similar gov't sponsored programs (10 billion$ in 5-10 years vs. 100 billion$ over 13 years) and how with the looming resource crunch and competition for the high-tech-needed titanium, palladium and other rare metals, asteroid mining may become a much more financially attractive and feasible opportunity sooner than expected to meet this growing need. This contrasted with NASA's recently passed budget which denigrates the human-space-based research and especially Mars-focused development which all agreed seemed fairly short-sighted. However New Horizons and the Phoenix to the Kuiper Belt and Mars pole are slated to launch next year.
Brian E. will be giving a talk to the Da Vinci Institute about Mars and the Mars Society. Ryan K., CU representative for the Students for Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) suggested that we might combine forces with the various other student space-interested groups in sharing presentations, talks, info and networking and websites to boost our collective bargaining powers and awareness and towards that goal, to encourage outside parties to attend RMMS meetings, it was suggested that we schedule our talks/guest speakers for the first part of our meetings to then be followed by the business and general interest portions of our meetings.
