[FPSPACE] RESEND: Leading Space Groups Agree -- It's Time For The Moon, Mar s And Beyond THIS JULY 11-13, 2004 in Washington, DC

Tue Jun 1 18:44:47 EDT 2004

Had a formatting error on the first go-around to this list.  Hopefully it
will be easier to read the second time in plain text. . .

~JS~

Greetings -

As some of you may know, in my "day job," I am the public affairs director
of the David Grant USAF Medical Center at Travis AFB.  I am also a volunteer
chapter officer and member of the National Space Society (www.nss.org
<http://www.nss.org> ), a nonprofit, educational space advocacy group
headquartered in Washington, DC.

I just returned from attending the 23rd annual International Space
Development Conference (www.isdc2004.org <http://www.isdc2004.org> ) which
was held for the first time in Oklahoma City.  I am also writing on behalf
of George Whitesides, our newly appointed executive director of NSS, who has
been on the job for roughly the past two months now.

I have taken on the responsibility at the ISDC of sending the enclosed
background material on an upcoming July event in Washington, DC of
particular interest to you and your friends who wish to see the dreams of
future spaceflight portrayed by "The Next Generation" become a reality in
this generation.  

My purpose here is to invite you to help support a recruiting initiative to
get you and your friends to join with our members and 18 other space
organizations July 11-13th, 2004 for our "Moon-Mars Blitz."  We are really
excited to get the general public ACTIVATED and taking part in this exciting
time for space research, development and exploration.  

Dr. Robert Zubrin of the Mars Society and George Whitesides of NSS are
confirmed to be there -- we hope some of your members will be able to join
us as well.  

If many of you in the U.S. find this to be logistically/financially
impossible to do on less than two months notice, I ask that you consider
joining us by another means that is no less important:  you can participate
in the July 11-13 event by calling, writing and physically visiting your
respective elected representatives (and/or staff members) back home in your
local district offices.  You'll find their addresses listed in your local
community phone books under the "Government" heading.

For our "international" friends, it wouldn't hurt to pattern similar
activities with your local officials and have them apply pressure on the
U.S. Congress. . .

I would appreciate if you can also direct your friends to visit the NSS
website at www.nss.org <http://www.nss.org/>  and get to know a little more
about us and our latest activities -- and of course to consider attending
the Moon-Mars Blitz on Washington -- after you have reviewed the
accompanying articles and documents at the provided links listed below:

http://www.nss.org/legislative/2004Exploration/
<http://www.nss.org/legislative/2004Exploration/> 

http://www.nss.org/legislative/2004Exploration/2004ExplorationPacket.pdf
<http://www.nss.org/legislative/2004Exploration/2004ExplorationPacket.pdf> 

http://www.nss.org/docs/102003_NSS_Hill_pitch.pdf
<http://www.nss.org/docs/102003_NSS_Hill_pitch.pdf> 

http://www.space.com/goformars/ <http://www.space.com/goformars/> 

http://www.spacecoalition.com/vision_kit.html
<http://www.spacecoalition.com/vision_kit.html> 

We had a good ISDC: momentum is building and we want you to help us get you
and your friends into space by becoming involved in this effort.  It is,
after all, your space program, which means this should be a bipartisan
effort that crosses all political boundries.  

I can not emphasize this point enough: the Vision for Space Exploration is
NOT president Bush's space progam, nor is it the exclusive domain of
Republicans or Democrats -- it is the people's space program.

As if you didn't already know this, the budget for U.S. space exploration
amounts to .7% (7/10ths of one percent) of the federal budget -- or less
than a penny of every tax dollar.  Divided equally among the U.S. population
of 292 million-plus people, space exploration costs just $1.06 per person,
per week. That's the same as a double cheeseburger with tax at your local
McDonald's.

Contrary to what the general public may have heard, this new vision for
space exploration will not cost a trillion dollars, nor will it cost $400
billion - both often-misquoted figures seen, heard or reported by the news
media.  Just as there is no single, final destination for this exploration
vision, there is no final, total cost defined.  This is a "go as you pay"
program.

Annual expenditures on the exploration vision slowly grow to about $10
billion by 2016 and remain at about that level through 2020, the farthest
out NASA's long-range budget projections are detailed.  At the rate of $10
billion a year, it would take 100 years to spend the trillion dollar figure
critics often cite as the cost of this program. . .and often erroneously
quoted by them as being for just one landing on Mars.

However, we all have an opportunity to see an effort that actually goes
somewhere.

Now is the time to have your voice be heard in the matter, for this
represents the one best chance we'll see in our generation to change the
direction and purpose that needs to be taken in opening up the space
frontier for everyone to directly participate in.

Finally, please consider personally joining the National Space Society as a
member.  You can access and print out a temporary application form while our
IT team is transitioning the secure ordering portions of the website to a
new server at:

http://www.nss.org/membership/membership-form2.html
<http://www.nss.org/membership/membership-form2.html>  

Should you need any further assistance or guidance, please don't hesitate to
contact me during business hours starting this Tuesday, June 1 at
707-423-3534, or via my office e-mail account at
james.spellman at 60mdg.travis.af.mil
<http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/ym/Compose?To=james.spellman@60mdg.trav
is.af.mil>  -- or my primary home/personal e-mail account at
WSpaceport at aol.com <mailto:WSpaceport at aol.com> 

Thank you, in advance, for your time and consideration in this matter. 

Ad Astra ("To the Stars"),

Jim Spellman
NSS-Western Spaceport Chapter

707-423-3534 (Work)

707-688-7024 (Cell)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2004

Leading Space Groups Agree: It's Time For The Moon, Mars And Beyond

In an unprecedented show of unity, thirteen of the nation's premier space
advocacy groups, industry associations and space policy organizations have
teamed up to support the effort to refocus NASA's human space activities
toward exploration, including a return to the Moon and moving on to Mars and
beyond. 

The organizations involved include: Aerospace Industries Association,
Aerospace States Association, American Astronautical Society, American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, California Space Authority,
Florida Space Authority, The Mars Society, National Coalition of Spaceport
States, National Space Society, The Planetary Society, ProSpace, Space
Access Society and Space Frontier Foundation. 

Collectively these groups can count almost one million Americans as members
or as employees of member companies. Their first goal as a group is to work
for broad Congressional support of the new national vision for space
exploration outside of low earth orbit, which they refer to as Moon, Mars
and Beyond. To begin they will work to secure first year funding for the
initiative, which they view as a necessary first step for in-depth planning
of the exploration program to commence in earnest. 

In addition they intend to aggressively refute the false impression that
Moon, Mars and Beyond is too expensive for this country to take on. They
will demonstrate how modest but steady growth in our national expenditures
on space can move the nation toward these important goals, and the benefits
those expenditures will provide. 

As space activity becomes increasingly integrated with every aspect of life
here on earth, this new focus on exploration will provide myriad advances in
science and technology, untold economic opportunity and serve as an
inspiration to our nation's youth. Given those benefits and the many more
that lie in store, this new program of human space exploration beyond low
earth orbit is a vital link to the future of the United States and the
world. 

# # #

For further information about this effort, please contact:
George Whitesides
Executive Director
National Space Society
(202) 429-1600
george at nss.org
<http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/ym/Compose?To=george@nss.org> 

1620 I Street NW, Suite 615, Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 429-1600 -- FAX: (202) 463-8497 -- E-mail: nsshq at nss.org
<http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/ym/Compose?To=nsshq@nss.org>  
Direct all questions about membership matters to members at nss.org
<http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/ym/Compose?To=members@nss.org>  

Space groups promote moon, Mars mission
Friday, May 7, 2004 Posted: 9:26 PM EDT (0126 GMT) 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thirteen advocacy groups, industry associations and space
policy organizations announced their support Friday for President Bush's
vision to send astronauts to the moon and Mars.

The show of unity was unusual in a field where scientists and industry
officials have often clashed over space mission priorities such as equipment
types and destination points. The move reflected concern about the need to
promote a revitalized U.S. space program, the groups said.

"It is critically important for this nation to delineate and execute a
clearly defined federally supported space exploration agenda," said Marc
Schlather, president of ProSpace, a space policy organization.

He cited the benefits of achieving greater technological advancements and
inspiring a younger generation to pursue careers in the space industry at a
time when NASA is seeing a "graying" of its workers.

"We all wanted to put our institutional egos in a box for awhile and
understand this is an important opportunity for all of us to see some or all
of our goals achieved," Schlather said.

One goal will be to lobby Congress for additional funding for Bush's space
program by allaying concerns that the project is too expensive and
impractical to pursue.

In January, Bush announced his plan to retire the space shuttle by 2010 and
to send astronauts back to the moon by 2020 and ultimately on to Mars. Some
lawmakers have questioned proposed costs and risks.

A presidential commission will advise Bush next month on how to best
implement his space vision. Members have said they support NASA's
"pay-as-you go" approach and noted the space agency's overall budget in the
near future will be roughly $15 billion to $17 billion a year.

The organizations announcing their support include: Aerospace Industries
Association, Aerospace States Association; American Astronautical Society;
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, California Space
Authority, Florida Space Authority, The Mars Society, National Coalition of
Spaceport States, National Space Society, The Planetary Society, ProSpace,
Space Access Society and Space Frontier Foundation.

Space Advocacy Groups Unite to Back Moon, Mars and Beyond Vision
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 03:45 pm ET
07 May 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- NASA's vision of revisiting the Moon, stepping onto Mars
and trekking to other destinations received a major boost today from leading
civilian space support groups.

In an unprecedented show of unity, thirteen of the nation's premier space
advocacy groups, industry associations and space policy organizations have
teamed up to support the new space exploration effort.

"These organizations are coming together in a common cause," said Tim
Huddleston, Executive Director of the Aerospace States Association during a
briefing held here at the National Press Club today.

Speaking on behalf of the cadre of organizations -- tentatively calling
themselves the Space Exploration Alliance (SEA) -- Huddleston said the
groups are focused on redirecting NASA's human program in space toward space
exploration. "And that includes going to the Moon, and then from the Moon to
Mars...and beyond."

Collective view

Marc Schlather, President of ProSpace, said that the alliance of groups is
somewhat unprecedented. For the most part, space groups have carried
individual banners of support for a varying list of projects. Different goal
sets has precluded, in many cases, cooperation between groups, he noted.

"In our collective view it is critically important for this nation to
delineate and execute a clearly defined, steadily supported space
exploration agenda," Schlather said.

The organizations involved include:  Aerospace Industries Association,
Aerospace States Association, American Astronautical Society, American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, California Space Authority,
Florida Space Authority, The Mars Society, National Coalition of Spaceport
States, National Space Society, The Planetary Society, ProSpace, Space
Access Society and Space Frontier Foundation.

In total, the groups standing behind a new space exploration agenda total
almost one million Americans as members or as employees of member companies.

United cause

"We're delighted to partner with so many wonderful organizations," said
Bruce Mahone, Director, Space Policy for the Aerospace Industries
Association. "This exploration initiative is so broad and so
all-encompassing that every single group can benefit from it," he said.

Mahone said a key component of moving forward on a new space vision is
maintaining the country's industrial base. Other pluses include inspiring
students to help reenergize the country's space workforce, as well as
stimulating the American economy, he said.

"This is one initiative where we are united," Mahone said.

Wanted: political and public support

The first goal as a group is to work for broad Congressional support of the
new national vision for space exploration outside of low earth orbit.

One early objective of the confab of groups is to "aggressively refute" the
impression that any Moon, Mars and beyond agenda is too expensive for this
country to take on. In a group statement today, the alliance said: "Modest
but steady growth in our national expenditures on space can move the nation
toward these important goals, and the benefits those expenditures will
provide."

Moreover, the groups are already at work to secure first year funding for
the initiative, which they view as a necessary first step for in-depth
planning of the exploration program to commence in earnest.

Huddleston said there is work to do -- not only on Capitol Hill, but in
gaining support from the taxpaying voter.

"America does believe in this. But what we have to do is to make sure that
the American people understand what it is that's being proposed and how it
will impact them as a society...and I believe they will come onboard,"
Huddleston concluded.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/attachments/20040601/b73d52e9/attachment.htm