Thursday
I thought I would let all of you be the first to know I have won my election bid to the National Space Society Board of Directors.
The last time I served on the board it was still called the L5 Society :-)
That sounds good, but what will you be doing, and are there any perks? (Like a free trip in virgin's spaceship when it launches.)
Posted by nick g. at September 11, 2008 03:35 AM
Perks? Well, I get to put in as many volunteer hours as physically possible and donate as much cash as can be extracted from me at board fund raisers; then for real fun I get to pore over pages of society financial projections....
Posted by Dale Amon at September 11, 2008 03:42 AM
Why not also volunteer for the physically impossible? What are you, a piker?
And why did the change the name? Was it typical buraeucracy at work? Or political correctness?
Posted by nick g. at September 11, 2008 03:50 AM
Wow, congrats! I just met George Whitesides earlier tonight.
Posted by Edward O'Connor at September 11, 2008 07:05 AM
Nah. We merged with/assimilated Von Braun's National Space Institute and changed the name to NSS at that time (1987).
Posted by Dale Amon at September 11, 2008 11:11 AM
Edward: Small world. Given the timing, did your meeting have anything to do with the run up to our big event in the National Press Club (along with the Discovery Channel) tomorrow, ie Friday?
I will probably be on a telecon with George and/or Brett tonight (I have chaired the NSS Conferences Committee since 2002) so should I say you said hello again?
And yes, folks, I will post something about it after the event. I'd love to be there in person but just dropping work and making an international flight is not possible for me right now.
Posted by Dale Amon at September 11, 2008 11:17 AM
I notice that a press release on the Solar Power Satellite technology test has been placed on the NSS web page so if you go there you can see what I was talking about.
I will still see if I can get any more info after the event.
Taylor: Are you going to be there? I know Coyote got an invite but I have no idea if he will be able to hitch a ride on a C-130 going that way or not.
Posted by Dale Amon at September 11, 2008 12:52 PM
Congrats Dale
Keep it up.
In a few years the asteroids may be the only place available where we can hide from the bureaucrats.
Posted by Taylor at September 11, 2008 01:22 PM
Congratulations, Dale.
Maybe you can help me here. Several years ago I let my NSS membership lapse. Every article in Ad Astra seemed to be promoting NASA and Big Government space policy. I got so disgusted reading it that I left. Was I wrong, or has the organization's policy changed? I am strongly in favor of private space development, and abolishing NASA. Should I consider re-joining the NSS?
Posted by Laird at September 11, 2008 01:51 PM
First off, NSS is not associated with the ideals of any particular party. It is the big tent of the space movement and a place where libertarian, republican and democrat space policy geeks sit together in the bar trading stories. In NSS friendships run deeper than party politics.
Second, NSS is very, very pro-commercial space and if you look at the magazine over the years you will also see a great deal about commercial space.
NSS is not, and cannot be an anti-NASA organization. NASA is part of the space scene (not to mention there are many old friends in high places there) and cannot be ignored.
Besides which, I have so much fun teasing a high NASA official about whether he has made their room reservation for the Bigelow hotel so that the returning NASA astronauts have a place to stay.
If you want other stats, the society membership has been about 15% self labeled libertarian for a very long time; most of the commercial space folk are members and are to be met at our conferences.
It's really a good bunch of people. Even the NASA guys & gals. ;-)
Posted by Dale Amon at September 11, 2008 02:16 PM
Taylor... that might be too close. We may have to head for the Oort cloud.
Are you going to the National Press Club tomorrow?
Posted by Dale Amon at September 11, 2008 02:19 PM
Sorry I hate to miss that event. Mankins presentaion on the Hawaii experiment should be great.
This evening though Will Watson and the Space Frontier Foundation are throwing a party (Its my Birthday) at the champange bar Flute in Midtown, so if any stray samizdatists are in New York hopefully they can show up at 7.
Again Congrats , the NSS has been and still is, an amazing organization. Its done a good job holding a bipartisan/ triparisan group together with the basic goal of creating a 'spacefaring civilization'
Posted by Taylor at September 11, 2008 03:40 PM
Give my regards to Will. He lives not far from the Whisky Park and is the very fellow I wanted to come along on one of our forays there.
And you can tease him about leaving the tab for Arlene in DC... ;-)
Posted by Dale Amon at September 11, 2008 04:20 PM
re: timing
He was in town (San Diego) for a conference, and got together with the local NSS chapter (including me) last night.
Posted by Edward O'Connor at September 11, 2008 04:44 PM
