Ad Astra, Vol. 32.2 (Spring 2020)

the magazine of the National Space Society
DEDICATED TO THE CREATION OF A SPACEFARING CIVILIZATION
COSMOS:
POSSIBLE
WORLDS
AN INTERVIEW WITH
NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON
THE
HUBBLE
SPACE
TELESCOPE
THIRTY YEARS OF
LIFTING OUR SPIRITS
FRAU
IM MOND
A WOMAN
ON THE MOON
A SUCCESSFUL
FAILURE
REMEMBERING
APOLLO 13,
50 YEARS ON 2020-2 || space.nss.org
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COVER ILLUSTRATION:
“Pillars of Creation,” the Eagle Nebula,
Hubble Space Telescope image.
Credit: NASA
PUBLISHER
National Space Society
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Rod Pyle
MANAGING EDITOR
Aggie Kobrin
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Volume 32 • Issue 2
Nancy Atkinson
Joseph M. Rauscher
[email protected]
Emily Carney
Ben Evans
Francis French
Loretta Hall
Karlton Johnson Ad Astra, ISSN 1041-102X, is published
quarterly by the National Space Society
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Contents
FEATURES
COSMOS:
18
POSSIBLE WORLDS
OFFERS AN ANTIDOTE TO
A PLANET GONE AWRY
BY SUSAN KARLIN
28
A DRAGON
IN THE SKY
BY JOHN F. KROSS
42
36
FRAU IM MOND
OUT IN SPACE
A HISTORY OF GAY
ASTRONAUTS
BY FRANCIS FRENCH
A WOMAN ON
THE MOON
51
BY JOHN F. KROSS “A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE”
REMEMBERING APOLLO 13
50 YEARS ON
47
THE HUBBLE SPACE BY BEN EVANS
TELESCOPE
30 YEARS OF LIFTING
OUR SPIRITS
BY NANCY ATKINSON
DEPARTMENTS
COMMS NEW TECH
60
9 THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE 22 DIVING AND DRIVING
IN SPACE ON ICY MOONS
By Rod Pyle By Rod Pyle
11 UNITY IN THE SKIES 38 A DRAGONFLY ON TITAN
By Karlton Johnson By Jordan Strickler
15 SAMPLE SPACE LIKE COSTCO
By Anthony Paustian
SETTLEMENT
C O U N T D OW N 34 GAMING SPACE SETTLEMENT:
TERRAGENESIS
By Melissa Silva
12 GANGWAY
13 BACK TO THE FUTURE
13 SPACE RANGERS
14 NEW FOR CHINA 22
14 COSMOS IS BACK
N S S LO U N G E
56 NSS GOING VIRTUAL
DURING COVID-19
By Melissa Silva
58 FOR ALL MANKIND

[TV REVIEW]
By Emily Carney
59 FIGHTING FOR SPACE

TWO PILOTS AND THEIR
HISTORIC BATTLE FOR
FEMALE SPACEFLIGHT
[BOOK REVIEW]
By Francis French
62 60 URBAN LEGENDS FROM SPACE:

THE BIGGEST MYTHS ABOUT
SPACE DEMYSTIFIED
[BOOK REVIEW]
13
By Loretta Hall
61 FIRST ON THE MOON:

THE APOLLO 11 50TH
ANNIVERSARY EXPERIENCE
[BOOK REVIEW]
By Martin Lollar
62 IN MEMORIAM
ALFRED M. WORDEN
By Rod Pyle
63 LOCAL AND SPECIAL

INTEREST CHAPTERS
65 BOARD OF DIRECTORS,
BOARD OF GOVERNORS,
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE,
NSS ADVISORS,
NSS COMMITTEES
66 BUZZ ALDRIN COUNCIL,
MAJOR DONORS
34 Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 7

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COMMS
THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE
IN SPACE
Rod Pyle, Ad Astra Editor-in-Chief
here’s power in persistence. In this issue,
we celebrate two space missions that
demonstrated this trait in very different
ways, as well as some future ones that will be the
result of great tenacity. First up, his year marks the
50th anniversary of the flight of Apollo 13. Shortly
after launch in April 1970, the spacecraft experienced
a nearly catastrophic explosion of an oxygen tank
on the Service Module. It was only through the calm
responses of the crew and heroic levels of effort on the
part of Mission Control that the astronauts were able
to return to Earth alive despite the staggering odds
against them. This was persistence in the extreme:
focused determination to save the flight from disaster.
Ben Evans’ tale of the rescue follows in these pages.
A second anniversary celebrated in this issue is
the Hubble Space Telescope’s 30th birthday. Launched
on April 24, 1990, aboard the space shuttle Discovery,
the telescope met misfortune immediately. Within
weeks of its arrival in orbit, it became clear that the
optics were flawed—the 8-foot (2.4-meter) mirror
had been incorrectly formed (it was off by just 2,200
nanometers and only on the outer edge, but that was all
it took), and the images were distorted. A solution was
devised, and another shuttle mission in 1993 allowed
astronauts to implant corrective optical elements into Finally, we see the persistence of the individual. These are the women
the telescope, correcting the flaw. As Nancy Atkinson fighting for their proper place in spaceflight, whether in the past (see this
tells us in her feature article, that mission resulted in a issue’s review of the new book Fighting for Space by Amy Shira Teitel) or in
magnificent, decades-long program that changed how the upcoming lunar landing of the Artemis program.
scientists understand the cosmos, and how the average On a sad note, the world has been beset by a tragic pandemic of
citizen looks at (and appreciates) the heavens. unforeseen proportions. Accordingly, the International Space Development
Next, in a rare look inside China’s human Conference® for 2020 will not be held, but plans are underway for a one-day
spaceflight program, John Kross examines the history, online event called A Day in Space, and we are planning for a robust ISDC
and likely future, of human spaceflight in that country. 2021 in Los Angeles. This is a final case of persistence—the NSS will continue
The West does not get a lot of advance information to strive for the development and settlement of space; a goal which is now
about Chinese space efforts, but Beijing has been a more urgent than ever. Ad Astra.
bit more forthcoming of late, and if we’ve learned

anything, it’s that the country has big plans that are
well-funded. It is a consistent approach that America
has not enjoyed since the 1960s, and can today only
admire from a distance.
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 9

COMMS
UNITY IN THE SKIES

Karlton Johnson, Chairman of the National Space Society’s Board of Governors
ears ago, I had an experience that impacted me

profoundly and reinforced my belief that the wondering what it was—then a young
future of humanity is truly written in the stars. soldier smiled with realization and
I was an officer serving in the U.S. military, said, “I know what that is. I look for it
stationed in Iraq supporting Operation IRAQI sometimes at home, but never saw it
FREEDOM. Our team was responsible for assisting like this! That’s the International Space
the Iraqi Ministries of Defense and Interior and the Station.” I had never seen it either,
Counter Terrorism Service to improve the Iraqi Security except in pictures. But it now rose
Force’s institutional performance. That support would peacefully in the skies above us, and
help them to assume full responsibility for population was strikingly beautiful. I asked one of
protection, leading them toward the goal of becoming a the linguists to translate what we were
self-sufficient nation. seeing to our partners there, and they
This was very important but dangerous work. called to each other to come and look. Soon, soldiers of several nations marveled
On a near-daily basis, our coalition of multinational at this spectacular moment: Americans, Iraqis, Britons, Ugandans, and others.
partners was subjected to a number of threats: sniper We could make out the solar panels, and even some of the individual modules,
fire, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and mortar and for a long while we just stood there, watching that marvel of human
and rocket attacks. The weather was often arid, with ingenuity and sharing our wonder. As it glided overhead towards the horizon,
dust storms arising with little notice that would block someone translated, “One day, all of us, to the stars ... together.” In truth, the
our vision, and we were often able to see just a few dream of the stars was with us that night.
feet. Many of us were there on tours ranging from six That amazing, powerful moment still inspires me today. There I was,
to fifteen months, and just about everyone was on their thousands of miles away from home and in a combat zone, and the passion that
second or third tour, having left family and friends back drives humanity upward was still able to touch us. It brought nations together
home. The days were long and filled with challenges, but in a moment of unity, and gave us all something in common. That’s why it is
despite knowing that at any time we could be called upon important to continue advocating for space settlement whenever possible. Space
to make the ultimate sacrifice, we took each one as a gift, programs benefit us in many ways: they give us something to strive for, they
holding firm to the knowledge that we were making a ignite our creativity, they bring us together for a common cause (the survival,
difference in the lives of others. and future, of humanity), and they have the potential to solve many of the
I remember one night in particular. We were challenges we face here on Earth. If simply watching the majestic transit of the
experiencing a lull in incoming fire during one of the ISS could inspire nations, we as a society focused on advancing human presence
few evenings with a clear sky. Things became very quiet, skyward can inspire the world.
which in itself was somewhat disquieting as this often I want to thank each and every one of you for your ongoing support of the
meant that something violent was about to happen, so NSS and its mission. Looking forward, I hope to see many of you at future March
I mentally prepared as my training kicked in. Then I Storm events, and at the ISDC® 2021 in Los Angeles. Until then, let’s keep the
heard several of our Iraqi partners repeating something dream alive for all of us.
over and over. At first, I could not make it out, so I
approached a group of Iraqis who were looking skyward, Ad Astra and Yours in Success,
pointing and saying, “ma hdha?” (which translates to
“what is that?”).
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, we saw a very
bright light arching upward from the horizon. Initially, Karlton D. Johnson
we thought it might be an incoming rocket attack, Chairman, Board of Governors
but it was moving too slowly for that. We stood there, National Space Society
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 11

Artist’s impression of the
Infrared Astronomical
Telescope, or IRAS
Credit: NASA
COUNTDOWN
GANGWAY!
5
On January 29, two satellites narrowly missed colliding in orbit. One was a
defunct one-ton space telescope called the Infrared Astronomical Satellite,
launched in 1983, and the other a 1967 research satellite called the Gravity
Gradient Stabilization Experiment, also long dead but still in orbit. The
potential for a collision was reported a few days beforehand, and had it
occurred would have added to the vast cloud of dangerous debris already
in Earth orbit. They missed each other—but not by much—and this near-
impact should serve as a wake-up call to governments around the world
to take the threat of orbital debris seriously, and to develop a cooperative
plan to deal with it effectively.
Artist’s concept of a Mars
sample return spacecraft
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
4
BACK TO THE
FUTURE
The notion of bringing a little bit of Mars back to Earth has been a part of mission planning since the 1960s. The Soviet
Union planned an early mission, revised those plans, and then revised them again, but never mounted the mission. Similar
robotic programs have been pondered in the United States, but to date none have gained much traction. Now, NASA’s
2021 budget request includes a plan to bring home some of the core samples that will be obtained by the Mars 2020
rover’s drill, sealed inside small tubes, and left on the Martian surface until another spacecraft can be sent to the Red
Planet to arrange a pickup. If NASA’s budget is passed as requested, a substantial sum—tens of millions of dollars—will be
allocated to bringing us a bit of Mars for careful examination on Earth.
3 SPACE
RANGERS
The United States Space Force is finally a reality within the U.S.
military, having been officially established last December. Space
Force subsumes the Air Force’s Space Command, which was founded
in the early 1980s, and will operate with the Air Force in a fashion
similar to how the Marine Corps works with the Navy. Shortly after
the announcement, a uniform for the new service branch made its
debut—but to the consternation of some, it is not some exotic regalia
out of Star Wars, but the same woodland-camo pattern used by
other U.S. forces with a unique patch design. As pointed out by one
Air Force official, “Space Force members control/protect assets in
The new Space Command patch
space but are not in space,” so the choice clearly makes sense (though Credit: U.S. Space Command
something exotic might have been fun).
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 13

COUNTDOWN
2
NEW FOR CHINA
China quietly inaugurated a new version of its long-
serving Long March rocket family, called the Long
March 7A, which failed in a March 2020 launch
attempt. The booster is part of the large family of Long
March rockets, which have become increasingly large
and powerful in order to better serve the needs of the
increasingly ambitious Chinese space program. Future
variants include the Long March 8, which may be
reusable, and the Long March 9, a heavy booster-class A Long March 7 rocket
suited for large lunar payloads. Credit: K.C. Lee
Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts

the new season of Cosmos
Credit: National Geographic/Disney
COSMOS
IS BACK
After a hiatus since 2014, a new season of
National Geographic’s Cosmos (hosted by Neil
deGrasse Tyson) has arrived. The popular series
is modeled after the 13-episode show helmed
by Carl Sagan that debuted in 1980. The new
show is overseen by Ann Druyan, Sagan’s
widow and a producer on the original series,
along with Brannon Braga, a writer from the
1
Star Trek franchise who is currently working
on The Orville, and Jason Clark, a noted movie
producer. The show contains many messages,
including the importance of expanding the
human presence in space. As Tyson put it, “It’s
an appeal for all of us to gather together, and
imagine the future as a community—not as a
country, not as a faction, but as a species.”
COMMS
SAMPLE SPACE LIKE COSTCO

Anthony Paustian, Ph.D.
ach year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

in Las Vegas, Nevada offers a chance to see the
most promising and impactful technologies
on the on the horizon, and to reflect on past shows to
understand the trajectories technology has followed. It
is at once inspiring and overwhelming. When I attended
CES in 2000, many of the technologies we take for
granted today—flash drives, Internet gaming, Bluetooth
wireless technology, smartphones, and even cell phones
with built-in cameras—didn’t exist.
Many products on display now incorporate artificial
intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality
(AR), automation, and robotics. This year’s line-up
included voice-activated automatic frying pans, “bionic”
floor cleaning machines that simultaneously sweep,
mop, and dry floors, golf balls with Bluetooth trackers
to make them easier to find, baby beds that monitor an
infant’s vitals while rocking it to sleep, and wearable
technology to monitor and quantify just about every
metric of health.
The most obvious message is that of rapid
change. Advances in computing power have made of listening to music, talking on the phone, and browsing the web, but as
devices smarter and more connected, and the rise in Jobs said, “You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back
AI and automation is making technology increasingly toward the technology, not the other way around.”
invisible to the user. Advances in consumer electronics The iPod and iPhone were both revolutionary designs that disrupted
aren’t so different from those in space exploration, entire markets, radically changed human behavior, and completely
and I saw plenty of consumer applications for robotics infatuated people. Yet research into infatuation and perception routinely
and AI. I watched people lose at ping-pong against an shows that over time, people get less excited about ongoing advances
AI-driven robotic opponent and autonomous vehicles (like better cameras, longer battery life, or faster wireless). The emotional
and robots performing functions once exclusive to connection they once had with new technology wanes over time; that is,
humans. But as I marveled at the ingenuity, I thought until the next big disruption comes along to capture people’s hearts again.
about how these technologies might change the way It comes as no surprise that we see the same cycle of infatuation
people experience space travel and exploration. during the life of our human spaceflight program. The Mercury Seven,
In his January 15th Disruption Hub article “Driving America’s first astronauts, were treated like rock stars and the public
Emotional Transformation,” futurist Gabor George was completely infatuated with them. Science fiction became fact as men
Burt argued that “digital transformation should not be left Earth to explore the heavens. Over time, interest in the program
regarded as an end goal in itself, but as a means to the (including the Gemini and Apollo missions) would frequently cycle high
goal of perfecting human experiences.” The late Steve and then low as each new success fascinated the public only to wear off
Jobs also knew the importance of perfecting human shortly afterward. After the program reached its highest point during the
experiences, and he had a reputation for disrupting first lunar landing, the remaining few peaks were offset by many longer
markets with products that did not fit into an existing lull periods until most people lost interest. This pattern has continued
category. No one had ever combined the experiences despite current commercial successes such as landing boosters for reuse or
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 15

The AI-driven, robotic ping-pong
player from CES 2020
Credit: Anthony Paustian
An autonomous systems monitoring an AI-driven robot from CES 2020

Credit: Anthony Paustian
sending Elon Musk’s red Tesla Roadster into space with Starman people. It definitely doesn’t inspire like Neil Armstrong’s first
behind the wheel. steps on the Moon.
One might ask why the public needs to buy into this Rod Pyle, the Editor-in-Chief of Ad Astra (who was at CES for
incredibly expensive endeavor when we’ve already been to the a stage discussion to promote the NSS co-published book Space
Moon several times and seen high-resolution pictures of the 2.0), said during his presentation, “Everything about space tries
Martian surface. As we watch SpaceX, Blue Origin, United Launch to kill you.” Working and living in space carries a high level of risk
Alliance, NASA, and others continue to perfect their rockets to along with a big price tag. Many people support constructing and
successfully and more efficiently lift people and resources into maintaining roads, bridges, and other infrastructure because they
orbit, it begs the question: is the primary focus on the technology often interact with those things and understand their value. While
itself or the experience people will have while using it (especially if there will certainly be a need to send people to the Moon and Mars
they end up traveling to and living on both the Moon and Mars)? for research, maintenance, and other reasons, there will always
This matters because technology is unlikely to be a limiting be risk and it’s our job to show people the value proposition that
factor. Having seen the successes of the Apollo missions in the offsets those risks.
1960s and the incredible advances in engineering and technology I keep thinking of what I saw at CES: based on the rapid
in the decades since, I know we can overcome the technical advances in AI, VR, and all the other two-initial technologies,
barriers. We aren’t fighting our ability to innovate, but the I realized that working and living in space could actually be
public’s apathy toward space. With so many problems here on sampled to inspire excitement and create a general understanding
Earth, it makes sense that many have trouble seeing why funding of why it’s important to push the boundaries of technology and
extraterrestrial projects is important. We could argue that there’s human capability. Whether it’s the burgeoning space tourism
been a massive return on investment from space-related research business, companies like Proctor & Gamble and IKEA giving
and innovation, but that’s neither tangible nor obvious to most serious thought to future space experiences and designing
COMMS
products for habitats on the Moon and Mars, or Hollywood’s Providing these regular, interactive space-related samples may
increased emphasis on space-related movies and television, the be enough to encourage the public to care more about human
desire exists to craft space into a human experience. spaceflight and other endeavors, regardless of who’s in office or
Maybe the answer isn’t another peak in popularity, though which political party is driving the agenda. This would let people
I believe it will come eventually (perhaps when we land the first know what’s out there and hopefully keep them wanting more.
people on Mars); I don’t think that’s the solution. Peaks are Paustian will chair the “Science Fiction to Fact” track at
followed by lulls, and successes by letdowns. Perhaps the answer ISDC 2021.
is to keep interest gradually rising, lifting the industry, and
building excitement a little bit at a time. Costco, the incredibly A Great Big Thank You
As chair of this year’s International Space Development
successful warehouse store, is well-known for offering samples
Conference, I’ve had the honor of working with some
to whet their customers’ appetites, encouraging them to buy amazing people. While they may not always be seen front
products they wouldn’t otherwise know about. This not only and center, these “doers” are truly passionate and put forth
drives up sales in the short term, it also keeps those customers the majority of the effort to make it the great conference
coming back for leisurely strolls through the store in search of it is each year. I’d like to thank the leadership of the NSS
for providing me the opportunity to get to know and work
new offers on any given day.
alongside these people. Like the workers handing out
It may be that the secret to gaining support for future
samples at Costco, they are part of the solution when it
space exploration and settlement is to provide “a taste of space” comes to inspiring people about our future in space.
using AI, virtual and augmented reality, and other technologies.
Author and NSS member Rod Pyle speaks with Kira Blackwell, who heads NASA’s iTech initiative,
at CES 2020 Credit: Anthony Paustian
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 17
FEATURE
COSMOS:
POSSIBLE WORLDS
OFFERS
AN ANTIDOTE
TO A PLANET
GONE AWRY
Susan Karlin

cience has been a polarizing subject for hundreds of Credit: National Geographic/Disney
years. From Galileo ruffling 17th century papal feathers
by advocating a heliocentric model of the solar system
to modern-day creationist, anti-vaccine, and climate change
denial movements, those advancing scientific evidence have long
struggled against even the most unsubstantiated beliefs.
This tension is what fuels the latest iteration of National
Geographic’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Cosmos series,
Cosmos: Possible Worlds, which is hosted by astrophysicist Neil
deGrasse Tyson. The new season debuted globally on March
9, but is slated to return on the Fox television network this
summer. Earlier this year, Tyson joined executive producers
Ann Druyan, Jason Clark, and Brannon Braga at the Television
Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California to discuss
the current offering, which focuses on many of the exciting
possibilities in the future—if humanity can get its act together.
“Our planet is at this moment going horribly awry,” says
Druyan. “The urgency of this season is that every story is in the
service of this idea. ‘We humans,’ as Carl says in the beginning,
‘are capable of greatness.’ We’ve had our backs to the wall before.
We can do this, but we can’t do it unless we begin to take what the
scientists have been telling us to heart.” Carl is the late astronomer
Carl Sagan, Druyan’s husband and creative partner, who hosted
the original Cosmos in the late 1970s, and although Tyson has
brought his own charisma to the new version, Sagan’s spirit still
runs through it.

FEATURE
The World’s Fair of 2037, as seen in the new season

“When the original series was made, Carl and I had many
differences with our government, but we felt tremendous pride in
the achievements of the space program and what it was doing,”
explains Druyan. “Now something has really changed in the
government’s attitude towards science, which was once its shining
jewel. It’s hostile and cynical. When anybody is hostile and cynical
about our most powerful tool for apprehending reality, you know
they’re up to no good. Cosmos is our way of standing up for the
awesome power of science.”
The program explains why science is needed to move our
civilization forward. “We make the point that the methods and
tools of science are the most effective means to establish what is
objectively true,” says Tyson. “Rather than hit people over the head An animated sequence from the new season
for their beliefs, we present the notion that if we’re going to survive Credit: National Geographic/Disney
ourselves, at some point we have to establish what is true and what

is not. If you understand that, you’ll be in a much better position
to make decisions that affect the survival of our species. It’s an
appeal for all of us to gather together and imagine the future as a Future space tourists in orbit above Mars
community—not as a country, not as a faction, but as a species.” Credit: National Geographic/Disney
COMMUNICATING SCIENCE
Cosmos delivers its lessons through powerful storytelling,, enhanced
by lush visual effects and animation, exotic locations, and sweeping
musical scoring and cinematography. The Spaceship of Imagination
transports viewers to the farthest reaches of the universe, the Cosmic
Calendar compresses the history of the world into a single year, and
historical reenactments show pioneering scientists embarking on
their discoveries. This season, Seth MacFarlane (another Cosmos
executive producer), Sir Patrick Stewart, Viggo Mortensen, and Judd
Hirsch have all contributed. The show looks at early scientific ideas,
considers their impact on today’s thinking, creationists,” says Tyson, to the surprise images as reference and extrapolating
and imagines the effect they might have in and bemusement of the other producers based on known distances to stars to
the future. (Ad Astra was unable to locate the produce plausible views of the galaxy from
The show will go out to 172 countries magazine Tyson mentioned.) vantage points other than Earth.
in 43 languages. “It’s a really unique voice “I’m less worried about the next “Every star field was vetted by
because it informs in a way that’s not generations, because they tend to be a little scientists,” says Clark. “I know what it
condescending, that’s straightforward more woke than the older generations,” he looks like from here on earth. But what
and uncompromising scientifically, but adds. “I’m a little more unorthodox here, would it look like if we were looking back
inspires and moves you,” says Druyan. but I think the older folks are the ones that from deep space? So we put every ounce
“If things emotionally move you—which need to be hit with this. The younger ones of scientific knowledge to work. We used
seems counterintuitive to a science show— will embrace it and it will empower them to every image that we could find, and science
they’re going to have a bigger impact and do even more of what they’re already doing is always evolving. A lot of what we’re
help you understand them on a visceral, to make sure the world they inherit from telling you here are discoveries we made
cellular level.” us becomes something they’d be proud to since our last season.”
Of course, the team is aware that not say their parents were good caretakers of.” Another Cosmos series is planned
everyone will be swayed, considering that after this one, and with each the team
the 2014 season (however benign) still SCIENTIFIC VETTING intends the same overarching message:
managed to push some buttons. “There’s A team of scientific advisors, helmed “The idea that science matters, that truth
an entire website that was established after by Tyson (who also serves as executive matters, and that science gets you to the
2014 to rebut everything that happened in science editor), ensured the accuracy of the objective truth,” says Tyson. “That science
the 13 episodes of Cosmos from a religious series. The show even bases its universe- may be our only hope to save us from our
point of view. They have a magazine traveling visuals on what Clark refers to shortsighted decisions that we are all part
that’s anti-Cosmos that’s appealing to as “informed speculation,” using Hubble of today.”
Dramatic computer-generated
graphic visualizations are a highlight
of the new season of Cosmos
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 21

NEW TECH
DIVING
AND
DRIVING
ON ICY MOONS
Rod Pyle
ONE STRATEGY
FOR THE
EXPLORATION
OF ENCELADUS
AND EUROPA
ver the past 60 years, NASA has explored the solar system
from the sun to the Kuiper belt. While many of these
missions, especially those beyond Saturn, have been one-
shot flybys (such as the Voyagers and recently New Horizons),
others have charted many of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn
extensively by repeated orbital passes. The sole landing on these
icy worlds was the Huygens probe, which parachuted to the surface
of Saturn’s moon Titan in early 2005 as part of NASA’s Cassini
mission, and which operated for about 90 minutes after touchdown.
The data gathered from a few of these moons has provided
compelling evidence of possible warm oceans beneath their
frozen surfaces, Saturn’s Enceladus and Jupiter’s Europa in
particular. NASA would like to explore these subsurface seas, as
they appear to offer promise for the potential of life. Between their
internal geological activity, spurred by the tortuous gravitational
A diver tests BRUIE complexities of Jupiter and Saturn’s many moons that heat these
in a water tank at the cold worlds, and the watery plumes spouting from both, they are
Aquarium of the Pacific in very compelling to planetary scientists (especially exobiologists).
Long Beach, California There are a variety of missions under consideration for these
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech moons, the most immediate of which is the Europa Clipper,
currently slated for launch in 2025. But this mission, to be managed
by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Johns Hopkins
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 23

NEW TECH
BRUIE prepares for an underwater test in an icy environment

University, is another orbiter and designs are being

will not be sporting a lander. investigated, but when
Most current plans call for one of one is sending a small
two approaches to learn more about probe down a hole tens
the water within such a moon. The first of miles deep, simplicity
is by sampling the geyser-like plumes and flexibility are
that erupt from fissures and cracks on get through the ice to the water below. important assets. Once
these moons, as the Europa Clipper will A number of technologies are being you do reach that warm ocean, reliability
do, while the second involves landing considered for this role, including exotic and autonomy will be critical.
on their icy surfaces and taking small nuclear-powered “melters,” but all face Andrew Klesh, who recently oversaw
samples aboard the lander for analysis. significant challenges. Europa’s ice shell the MarCo cubesat program (the two
The latter approach of landing there is thought to be as much as six to 19 tiny probes that flew to Mars with the
presents much greater challenges than an miles (10 to 30 kilometers) thick, and InSight lander, providing a radio link
orbiter collecting water from a plume. Enceladus’s between 19 and 25 miles during the landing process), has been
More challenging still, however, (30 and 40 km) thick, so reaching the working on a project that combines
would be the direct exploration of the ocean below will likely be difficult. both simplicity and flexibility to design
oceans themselves. JPL is working on One alternate possibility is to let “buoyant rovers.” The rover is called
a variety of approaches to accomplish nature do most of the work, by using BRUIE, for Bouyant Rover for Under-Ice
this. All of them hold some promise, the fissures that already allow bits of Exploration, and is specifically designed
but each approach requires a way to the ocean to escape via plumes. A few to not only work while submerged,
but also to do so with a high degree of a network of underwater passages. were lowered into the frigid channels,
autonomy. “To get under the surface of This is one thing that makes allowing them to sink using controllable
Europa or Enceladus, we need to find BRUIE special. Rather than using a buoyancy while being maneuvered
the quickest way in,” says Klesh. He’s brute-force method to punch through by small thrusters. While designed to
currently looking for ways to use natural a miles-thick ice shell, an evolution of operate autonomously when possible,
points-of-entry to sub-ice oceans. this technology could navigate natural the prototype probes were tethered to
BRUIE is a submersible that is being fissures that lead to the warm seas below. a surface control unit from which they
tested in icy oceans on Earth. It has been It might even use the channels marked could be manually navigated, and which
autonomously probing underwater ice by the plumes seen on Enceladus and recorded detailed measurements and
caves in Alaska with scanning LIDAR Europa. As Klesh asks: “Can we map data as they traversed the ice tunnels.
and visual imaging to prepare for more and navigate these subglacial lakes with This allowed Klesh and his colleagues to
complex exploration of the gas giant robots? Are there accessible passageways map these complex passageways with a
moons. These test runs have taken hidden just beneath the surface?” compact LIDAR unit as they twisted and
place in watery holes called moulins— The BRUIE test robots are built turned through the mass of the glacier.
labyrinthine melt paths that can extend with both commercially available A second robotic design has been
thousands of feet through glaciers into components and custom 3-D printed developed by Klesh’s team to explore
sub-ice ocean water. Melted water at the parts, allowing for rapid-prototyping and the bodies of water beyond the channel
surface of the glacier is warmer than the quick revisions. Once the early prototypes through the ice. It is a buoyant three-
ice and melts into it, carving different were complete, Klesh and his colleagues wheeled rover designed to operate
formations. Some moulins extend all took them to the Matanuska Glacier completely autonomously that looks like
the way through the glacier, creating in Alaska for early tests. The robots a small paddle-wheeled tricycle. When
Andrew Klesh lowers a BRUIE

prototype into a lake in Alaska
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 25

NEW TECH
A digital map of an underwater ice cavern,

reconstructed from data provided by BRUIE
as it navigated the tunnel
dropped through a hole in the ice (in this the first time an under-ice vehicle had to the extreme cold and high radiation
case, sawed by Klesh and his colleagues), been operated via satellite,” Klesh said— found in the outer solar system. But early
it actually drives along the underside of researchers at JPL, over 3,000 miles experiments such as BRUIE are critical
the ice sheet, like an inverted Mars rover, (4,830 kilometers) away, were actually to developing, testing, and improving
recording visual and other data as it goes. using a satellite to control the rover, adding such technologies. “A lot of what we do
Some of these field tests were more off-planet fidelity to the testing. in deep space is applicable to the ocean,”
controlled using a tether, with Klesh and Current iterations of BRUIE can be Klesh said. “This is an early prototype for
others operating joystick control units, operated at depths beyond 700 feet (over vehicles that could one day go to Europa
while others were autonomous. Still 200 meters), and with ever-increasing and other planetary bodies with a liquid
others were controlled remotely from autonomy. More work remains to improve ocean covered by ice. It’s ideal for traveling
JPL in Pasadena, California. “This was autonomous operation and resistance under the frozen crust of an icy world.”
AVA I L A B L E W H E R E B O O K S A R E S O L D
S PA C E 2 . 0
FOREWORD BY BUZZ ALDRIN
“...an engaging and expertly-informed explanation of how

we got this far, along with a factual yet inspiring intro
to our around-the-corner new adventures in space.
Strap yourself in tight. It’s a fascinating ride!
Have spacesuit, will travel.”
—GEOFFREY NOTKIN, member of the board of
governors for the National Space
Society and Emmy Award-winning host of
Meteorite Men and STEM Journals
“...a great read for those who already excited

about our new future in space and a must read for
those who do not yet get it. Buy one for yourself
and two for loaning to your friends.”
—GREG AUTRY, director of the University of Southern
California’s Commercial Spaceflight
Initiative and former NASA White House Liaison
“Optimistic, but not over-the-top so. Comprehensive,

from accurate history to clearly outlined future prospects.
Sensitive to the emerging realities of the global space
enterprise. Well-written and nicely illustrated. In Space 2.0,
Rod Pyle has given us an extremely useful overview
of what he calls ‘a new space age’.”
—JOHN LOGSDON, professor emeritus at Space Policy
Institute, George Washington University
IN SPACE 2.0, SPACE HISTORIAN ROD PYLE, in collaboration with the National Space Society, will
give you an inside look at the next few decades of spaceflight and long-term plans for exploration,
utilization, and settlement. Speaking with key leaders of the latest space programs and innovations,
Pyle shares the excitement and promise of this new era of exploration and economic development.
From NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos, to emerging leaders in the private sector such as
SpaceX, Blue Origin, Moon Express, Virgin Galactic, and many others, Space 2.0 examines the new
partnerships that are revolutionizing spaceflight and changing the way we reach for the stars.
LEARN MORE: BIT.LY/RODPYLEBOOK

FEATURE
A
in the
Cislunar Space
China’s Rise and America’s Challenge
John F. Kross
ompeting powers have sought the high
ground for strategic and commercial
advantage from the beginning of
recorded history, and for good reason—those
who controlled it have often set the rules and
benefited accordingly. In the 20th century, the
high ground migrated from the land to the air, and
ultimately into space. During that time, the United
States largely dominated the air and near-space
environment, and no single nation could rival their
hold on those realms.
However, a new competitor is emerging in the
21st century, and the high ground is expanding to
include cislunar space (the region from low-Earth
orbit to the Moon). The country preeminent in that
sphere will wield enormous power and influence,
so the stakes could not be higher, politically,
militarily, and economically.
Sky
THE STAKES
Analysts have recognized the propaganda potential
of space achievements for decades. Standing
before a crowd of 40,000 at Rice Stadium in 1962,
President John F. Kennedy proclaimed, “the eyes
of the world now look into space, to the Moon and
to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that
we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of
conquest.” A major justification for the Space Race
between the United States and the Soviet Union
was its propaganda potential. The military value of
space extends back even further, as modern rockets
stem from missiles developed by Nazi Germany
during World War Two. Today’s soldiers rely on
space-based assets for command-and-control,
communication, reconnaissance, and navigation.
Commercially, the global space economy
exceeds the gross national product of many
countries. Estimates vary, but the Satellite
Industry Association values it at nearly 360
billion dollars. The Space Foundation reckons
the world’s space economy exceeds 410 billion
dollars, with the satellite industry accounting for
three-quarters of the total. Currently, there are
nearly 500 satellites in geosynchronous Earth
orbit, mostly relaying data and communications.
In medium-Earth orbit, navigation constellations
Credit: Rod Pyle
(such as GPS, Galileo, and the recently
completed Chinese BeiDou, or “Big Dipper,”
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 29

FEATURE
China’s Long March 5 rocket

Credit: Wei Junghua
system) circle Earth. Below these

are observation and reconnaissance
satellites, and constellations of
internet telecommunications satellites,
including SpaceX’s Starlink system.
The International Space Station (ISS)
is there as well, and NASA has signaled
its intent to partially commercialize the
orbiting outpost.
In the coming decades,
geosynchronous Earth orbit will continue
to be a prized location, and the number
of satellites in lower Earth orbits will
expand into the tens of thousands as the
quantity and scale of space operations
increase. New applications may also
arise beyond familiar communications,
navigation, and remote sensing. Cislunar
space, including the lunar surface, could
well become a hub for new applications,
such as harvesting and processing “taikonaut” (Chinese astronaut) in 2003, probes, lunar sample return missions,
materials and energy, and locating making it the third country to send people a space station, and a solar polar orbit
propellant storage depots. Given these into low Earth orbit. Since then, China telescope. The 187-foot (57-meter) tall
trends, officials at the Department of has become a space juggernaut. In the vehicle is powered by four kerosene/
Commerce have projected the space previous two years, China has launched liquid oxygen-fueled boosters and
economy will be worth at least one more orbital missions than any other high-energy cryogenic hydrogen engines
trillion dollars by 2040. nation, including the United States, and in the first and second stages, with an
promises at least 40 orbital launches in optional hypergolic third stage. It has
CHINA ASCENDANT 2020. The Chang Zheng (“Long March”) a payload capability of nearly 31,000
There is little question that, at present, family of launch vehicles has been the pounds (14 metric tons) to geostationary
the United States is well positioned to country’s workhorses, but future plans by transfer orbit (GTO) and 18,100 pounds
exploit the potential of cislunar space. It the China National Space Administration (8.2 mT) to translunar injection (TLI).
is the only country to have made crewed (CNSA) and its main contractor, the The Long March 5B variant will be able
forays to this region, albeit only briefly China Aerospace Science and Technology to deliver 55,000 pounds (25 mT) to
during the Apollo era, and possesses an Corporation (CAST), depend upon a new low-Earth orbit (LEO) and is slated to
unmatched stable of launch vehicle and generation of rockets. loft the 44,000 pound (20 mT) Tianhe
satellite suppliers. China is catching up The new Long March 5 rocket is (“Heavenly Harmony”) central module of
rapidly, however. roughly equivalent to United Launch a Chinese space station in 2021.
China’s space program dates back Alliance’s Delta IV Heavy in payload Development of the Long March 5
60 years and its entry into human capacity and is crucial to China’s plans hasn’t been easy, but Chinese engineers
spaceflight started with the launch of a over the next decade. These include Mars have doggedly pursued their space
ambitions. The rocket’s second launch in July
The Chang’e 4 lander 2017 failed due to a faulty engine oxidizer
Credit: CNSA
turbopump. However, it was redesigned—
at least twice—by adding guide vanes and nickel
superalloys, and with the fixes, the rocket successfully
returned to flight in December 2019, lofting the
experimental Shijian-20 communications satellite.
The country’s launch vehicle ambitions haven’t
stopped there. Responding to the American-led
revolution in rocket reusability, China will debut the
Long March 8 this year employing vertical landing
techniques pioneered by SpaceX. The launcher can
deliver 17,000 pounds (7.7 mT) to LEO and 6,200
pounds (2.8 mT) to GTO. Like the Falcon 9 and
Falcon Heavy, the first stage of the Long March 8 will
burn residual propellant to land vertically with the aid
of grid fins—boosters on the rocket will detach and
land by parachute. Such reusable capability will make
China more competitive in the commercial launch
market and avoid spent stages falling on populated
areas (as has happened on several occasions). The
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
intends to extend reusability to all its rockets by 2035.
The Long March 8 shares its first stage with the
Long March 7, a kerosene/LOX-fueled vehicle, which
debuted in 2016. This rocket and its variants are
slated to become the backbone of China’s rocket fleet,
Taikonauts Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and eventually comprising about 70 percent of all Chinese
Wang Yapin preparing to fly aboard Shenzhou 10 launches, including human missions. The vehicle has
Credit: CNSA
already launched the Tianzhou (“Heavenly Ship”)
cargo carrier and will ultimately supplant the Long
March 2F as a crew-rated launch vehicle. Using up to
four boosters, the Long March 7 is roughly equivalent
to the Atlas V or Delta IV, with a payload capacity of
29,800 pounds (13.5 mT) to LEO and 12,100 pounds
(5.5 mT) to GTO. A modified version will feature
a cryogenic hydrogen/oxygen third stage to boost
heavier payloads.
The United States’ vibrant commercial space
sector—particularly NewSpace players like SpaceX
and Blue Origin—provides a significant competitive
edge, and consequently, China has tried to copy that
model. In fact, the number of “private” companies
working in China’s space industry has nearly tripled
over the past three years. (many are private in
name only, as most of these companies appear to
have close ties to the Chinese military). “The truly
commercial Chinese space program has been taking
off ... [and could] make this a transformational era
in China’s space,” predicted Jonathan McDowell, an
astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for
Comparative lineup of modern rocket boosters, Astrophysics. Commercial players include LandSpace,
with the Long March 9 fourth from left OneSpace, LinkSpace, and iSpace, which became the
Credit: CNSA first private Chinese firm to achieve orbit in 2019.
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 31

FEATURE Liftoff of a Long March 5 booster
Credit: K.C. Lee
Chinese media have reported there microsatellites, reusable rockets, and in halo orbit near the second Earth-
were 141 registered commercial space low-cost launches, leaving military and Moon Lagrange point.
companies in China in 2018, including high-profile missions to traditional However, Beijing’s lunar plans go
rocket and satellite manufacturers, state-run industries. much further. The country will launch
all bolstered by a dual “civil-military the Chang’e 5 sample-return mission
fusion” national strategy, a joint effort JADE RABBITS AND in 2020, retrieving two-to-four pounds
of commercial and military interests. TAIKONAUTS (one-to-two kilograms) of lunar material,
The authorities in Beijing have Robotic spacecraft bearing the Chinese with the aid of the powerful Long
carved out room for private firms— flag have already orbited the Moon and March 5 launch vehicle. More missions
within boundaries—by encouraging landed on the lunar surface. Last year, are slated to follow. “Experts are still
private investment and making Chang’e 4 (named after the Chinese discussing and verifying the feasibility of
government launch sites and facilities Moon goddess) made the first-ever soft subsequent projects, but it’s confirmed
available. However, the precise landing on the far side of the Moon. that there will be another three missions
relationship between the central It carried the Yutu-2 (“Jade Rabbit”) after Chang’e 5,” noted Wu Yanhua,
authorities and these ostensibly lunar rover, which was deployed about deputy head of the China National Space
private companies is blurred. “The line 12 hours after touchdown. Since then, Administration.
between civil and military is markedly Yutu-2 has traversed 6.5 miles (10.5 According to these proposals, the
different in China than the United kilometers) and become the longest- Chang’e 6 mission will return samples
States or the rest of the Western world,” operating Moon rover ever. To facilitate from the south polar region of the Moon,
acknowledged John Horack, the Neil communication with Earth, the Chinese while Chang’e 7 will survey the terrain
Armstrong Chair in Aerospace Policy also launched the Queqiao (“Magpie and physical composition of the regolith
at Ohio State University. The private Bridge”) relay satellite, which became the there. The aims of the Chang’e 8 mission
Chinese space startups are focused on first communication satellite operating hint at China’s grander ambitions—in
addition to science experiments, the orbiting missions. However, Shenzhou Western defense procurement
mission will assess technologies central is not designed for the radiation in which government agencies
to a sustained human presence on the environment of deep space nor high- set policy but contract operational
Moon. “For example, can we build houses speed reentry. To analyze reentry and requirements to non-government-
on the Moon with lunar soil using 3D landing, an as-yet-unnamed deep space managed entities. Chinese space officials
printing technology?” posited Wu. “We crew module is slated for launch aboard also recognize the benefit of affiliated
hope that Chang’e 8 will help test some the Long March 5B into an elliptical science and technology centers analogous
technologies and do some exploring for orbit with apogee of 5,000 miles (8,000 to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
the building of a joint lunar base.” kilometers). Preliminary development and Johns Hopkin’s Applied Physics
These ongoing series is also in progress for a super-heavy-lift Laboratory (APL). Recently, for example,
of robotic lunar missions represent a rocket, the Long March 9, with thrust the University of Macau’s Space
logical progression meant to pave the similar to the Saturn V or Space Launch Exploration and Science Center was
way for human missions to the Moon. A System (SLS). Several variants have been created to aid deep space exploration.
blueprint released by Beijing in January proposed, with the largest featuring four China’s space efforts are championed
underlines the country’s lunar plans liquid-fuel boosters and payload capacity by a unified political structure that sets
for the 2020s. In addition to orbiting, of 309,000 pounds (140 mT) to LEO and single-mindedly pursues long-
landing, and returning samples, China and 110,000 pounds (50 mT) to Lunar term goals, compared to the short-term
is planning a fourth phase of lunar Transfer Orbit. In 2018, a Chinese outlook that has beset American space
exploration according to Peng Jing, aerospace official confirmed testing of a efforts for many decades. Partisan
deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-5 scaled first-stage Long March 9 engine. transitions in Congress and the White
probe with the China Academy of Space House have all too often led to radical
Technology. “We temporarily [identify] THE EAGLE AND THE resets in policy and cancellation of
the follow-up mission as the fourth phase DRAGON existing projects (e.g., the cancelled
of the lunar exploration program. The China’s meteoric rise as a space power Constellation program and Asteroid
preliminary goal we set is to establish a reflects the ambition of the central Redirect Mission) causing delays and
lunar research base through two-to-three authorities in Beijing to reap the benefits wasted effort. However, the United States
missions. In the foreseeable future, it will of cislunar space and become the United has a mature space industry and level
be an unmanned scientific research base States’ peer militarily, diplomatically, and of entrepreneurship that is unrivaled
for the long term where people would commercially. Wu Yanhua asserted that by any current competitor, and it is not
make a short visit,” Peng said. CNSA Beijing’s aim is to become a major global clear if China can match extraordinary
head Zhang Kejian has promised that space power by 2030, and official white NewSpace enterprises such as SpaceX
the country will land taikonauts on the papers produced by China’s State Council and Blue Origin.
Moon’s south pole “within the next 10 have detailed the country’s strategic For now, the United States leads
years” (by 2030). plan to establish China as a leading in space, but China’s ascent raises
In support of that effort, Beijing is space power. Chinese officials have also questions about the relationship
developing a next-generation spacecraft compared the Moon and Mars to nearby between these space powers.
capable of deep-space travel. A recent strategic islands in the South China Sea, Congressional prohibitions on space
video from the China Academy of Space revealing how geopolitically important cooperation with China—as stipulated
Technology showed a two-element these destinations are in the context of by the 2011 Wolf Amendment to a NASA
spacecraft consisting of a crew module China’s territorial “core interests.” appropriations bill—is a legal constraint
and service module 30 feet (9 meters) Beijing has both the financial to cooperation. The International Traffic
long and weighing about 47,620 pounds resources and, importantly, the political in Arms Regulations (ITAR) also restrict
(21.6 mT). This is slightly less than the will to assume a powerful position in NASA’s ability to cooperate directly with
mass of NASA’s Orion spacecraft and cislunar space. To achieve this end, the China on space exploration. Despite
the European Service Module (ESM). As country has implemented a civil-military these limitations, the next few years will
with Orion, the unnamed Chinese crew fusion strategy that leverages key dual- witness the rapid expansion of human
module is shaped like truncated cone use industries, such as aerospace, to activity into cislunar space. Whether it
with blunt spherical aft end. The service give China a competitive edge against will be in the spirit of competition or
module will supply power, propulsion, the United States. They have also cooperation is unknown. More certain
and life support for up to six taikonauts. adroitly adapted organizational models is that the nation that spearheads that
Until now, China has relied upon that historically underlie American drive and occupies the “high ground”
the Soyuz-inspired Shenzhou (“Divine space success. For example, China will profoundly shape the future of
Vessel”) spacecraft for low-Earth is creating a system that resembles space development.
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 33

SETTLEMENT
GAMING
SPACE SETTLEMENT
TERRAGENESIS
Melissa Silva
Key players in the new simulation game TerraGenesis

Credit: Edgeworks Entertainment
ilms like The Martian, is a controversial topic—a hypothetical immensely popular Halo 2 machinima
Interstellar, and television series process by which the surface temperature, series The Codex. Winn continued
like The Expanse piqued the atmosphere, topography, and ecology developing applications and games as
science fiction community’s interest for their of a celestial body is altered through a hobby until launching TerraGenesis,
supposed dedication to scientific accuracy. human engineering so it more closely which almost immediately went viral.
Alexander Winn, CEO of Edgeworks resembles Earth and becomes a more “TerraGenesis had the advantage of having
Entertainment, took this interest one step habitable environment. The concept is at almost no competition,” says Winn of the
further and developed a game based on a the heart of many science fiction stories, game’s success. “Every day, it was getting
premise he had yet to see in another venue: including Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars more downloads than the last.”
actually terraforming a planet. trilogy, which also served as the primary Newcomers to TerraGenesis will
The game, called TerraGenesis, inspiration for TerraGenesis. quickly notice the intricate level of detail
allows players to manipulate each factor Winn received a degree from the that went into the game’s development.
involved in terraforming to build and University of Southern California’s “A lot of the science I just knew, because
manage settlements on other worlds. prestigious film school, but his interest I geek out about this stuff. But there
“I wanted to make a game that I would in web development started in high were a lot of specific things I had to do
want to play,” laughs Winn. Terraforming school when he and a friend created the some research on ... and some of that
information is not readily available.” games. “That’s what the Mars trilogy necessary to terraform Mars, Winn
The challenges Winn encountered was all about: value systems and cultural believes we’ll get there eventually. “No
included determining how Venus’ surface influences.” In fact, Winn commented disrespect to Bill Nye. I mean, I grew up
temperature would change if a player were that the term “colonize” was completely with the guy, but I think the sheer distance
to strip away its atmosphere. In addition, dropped from the game. “Not only does will force human beings to become more
he found he had to account for some it have incredibly horrific and negative self-sustaining” (Nye has referred to
knowledge gaps, especially when it came connotations, but it doesn’t even make terraforming as “science fiction”). Winn
to surface maps of celestial bodies which sense in the context of the game. The is now working on new, exciting projects
haven’t been completely mapped yet, or term ‘colonize’ has a legal connotation, for his company and enjoying seeing the
remain to be mapped at all. Winn hired and if the victory condition is to establish popularity of TerraGenesis grow. “We
a cartographer who created fictionalized independence from Earth, then the term don’t need to dumb things down ... real
planets to develop the maps he’d really doesn’t make sense in that context.” science is exciting and it’s important to
eventually use in the game. “I love ‘Easter Instead, players aim to “homogenize” a keep it in fiction.” Thanks to Edgeworks
eggs,’ so that’s what the science in the planet, or make it suitable for humans. Entertainment’s focus on science,
game is to me. The people who get it think Winn recognizes that terraforming is TerraGenesis has even become a tool
it’s great, and the people who don’t, don’t a controversial topic, and some academics for the classroom; Winn says he receives
even miss it.” and researchers believe it would be un- messages constantly from students and
Winn’s company just released version ethical for humans to alter the chemistry educators alike. “The kids say, ‘I have to
5.0, the game’s largest update since its of a planet for our use. He’s accounted for play this game for a class, can you tell me
initial release. This version includes seven that in the game; one of the four factions how to beat it?’”
new playable worlds, including “Historical you can play as in it is “anti-terraforming,” TerraGenesis is available on Google
Earths” and “Natives,” where players where the objective is to prevent Play and Apple’s App Store. Be warned,
can establish diplomatic relations with contamination and preserve the balance however; the game is highly addicting
indigenous civilizations. These cultural of the planet’s natural chemistry as the and sure to stump even the most veteran
aspects of the game were incredibly player’s cities grow. strategy or world-building game players. It
important to Winn, who was frustrated As for terraforming, despite agreeing has educational value as well, so don’t be
with the static nature of civilizations with recent claims from researchers who surprised if you learn a thing or two along
in other strategy and world-building say we do not possess the technology the way.
Screen captures from TerraGenesis

Credit: Edgeworks Entertainment
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 35

FEATURE
Frau
im
Mond
A WOMAN
ON THE MOON
John F. Kross
welve people have walked on the Today, NASA has 17 female astronauts, woman. She spent 328 days on the orbiting
Moon. Virtually all were fighter including five from the newest astronaut outpost, breaking Peggy Whitson’s record
or test pilots, most were in the class. They range from a submariner, of 288 days. During her tour, Koch circled
military, and all were men. Fifty years later, to a geologist, and a test pilot, with the globe 5,248 times, conducted six space
NASA has pledged to make the next lunar specializations covering sea, land, and air. walks, and spent a total of 42 hours outside
foray more inclusive. Project Artemis— Advanced degrees are the norm (master’s the station.
named after the twin sister of Apollo—aims degrees and doctorates including M.D. A week after returning to Earth, Koch
to land the “first woman and the next man” and Ph.D.). All of them wear pilot’s told Ad Astra it is a “very exciting time to
on Earth’s satellite by 2024. wings. “If we’re going to make [the Moon be part of the NASA family when we are
The history of women in space is long landing] happen in 2024, we will need a looking to go back to the Moon ... to go to
but relatively exclusive. Of the nearly 600 highly skilled, already trained astronaut,” stay, to go for all and by all ... Of course, [I]
space travelers to date, slightly more than explained NASA administrator, Jim or anyone in my office would be honored
10 percent have been women. The Soviet Bridenstine. “I will tell you this, we have to be a part of that mission and ... carry
Union started early, sending 26-year old great women at NASA right now.” people’s dreams even farther into space
Valentina Tereshkova on a solo flight According to Bridenstine, prospective exploration ... to go even deeper ... I’m just
in June 1963. The United States waited women Moonwalkers already fill the excited that I’ll probably know the first
another 20 years before NASA astronaut agency’s ranks. “She is already in the woman and the next man to walk on the
Sally Ride boarded space shuttle Challenger astronaut corps,” he hinted. “Somebody surface of the Moon ... Any of us would be
to become the first American woman in who has been proven, somebody who ready and honored to accept that mission.”
space. Since then, American women have has flown, somebody who has been on As 2024 approaches, one or more women
dominated the ranks of female space the International Space Station already.” will be assigned seats on Artemis III, and
travelers with more than 50 making the NASA astronaut Christina Koch has logged will step onto the lunar surface. One of them
journey to orbit. more time aboard the ISS than any other will become the first woman on the Moon.
Biographical Sketches of Female NASA Astronauts
SERENA M. AUÑÓN- Expedition 61, where she participated in the in aeronautics and astronautics. As a
CHANCELLOR was selected first all-female spacewalk with fellow NASA student she participated in NASA’s KC-135
as a NASA astronaut in astronaut Jessica Meir. In February, Koch set Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities
2009. She was trained as a record for the longest single spaceflight by Program and the internship program at
a medical doctor and a woman with a total of 328 days in space. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She has
is board certified in both NICOLE AUNAPU MANN was selected been assigned duties as an ISS CAPCOM
Internal and Aerospace to be a NASA astronaut in June 2013. Her while awaiting a flight assignment.
Medicine. Auñón-Chancellor educational background includes a master’s KATHLEEN RUBINS became a NASA
served as a Flight Engineer on degree in mechanical engineering with astronaut in 2009. Her educational
the International Space Station (ISS) for a specialty in fluid mechanics. Mann was background includes a Ph.D. in cancer
Expedition 56/57 logging 197 days in space. commissioned as an officer in the United biology. She completed her first spaceflight
KAYLA BARRON was selected by NASA States Marine Corps in 1999 and earned naval on ISS Expedition 48/49, where she became
to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate class aviator wings in 2003. She is a graduate of the the first person to sequence DNA in space.
and graduated to active status in 2019. She United States Naval Test Pilot School and has Rubins also grew heart cells in cell culture,
is a graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours in 25 and performed quantitative, real-time
and subsequently earned a master’s types of aircraft. Mann is currently training for a microbiome experiments in orbit. She spent
degree in nuclear engineering. Barron was crew flight test of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. 115 days in space and conducted two
a member of the first class of women to K. MEGAN MCARTHUR became a spacewalks totaling almost 13 hours.
serve aboard submarines. She has been
NASA astronaut in 2000. She holds a Ph.D. in JESSICA WATKINS entered NASA’s
assigned technical duties in the Astronaut
oceanography and performed research Astronaut Candidate Class in 2017
office while awaiting a flight assignment.
activities at the Scripps Institution of and holds a Ph.D. in geology.
ZENA CARDMAN Oceanography. McArthur served She graduated to active
entered the Astronaut as a Mission Specialist aboard STS- astronaut status in 2019. Watkins
Candidate class in 2017 and 125, the final space shuttle mission previously worked at NASA’s
successfully completed two to the Hubble Space Telescope. In Ames Research Center and Jet
years of astronaut training completing her first space mission, Propulsion Laboratory and was a
in 2019. Cardman earned McArthur logged almost 13 days in collaborator on the Mars Science
a master’s degree in marine space. She currently provides support Laboratory rover Curiosity. She awaits
sciences and has multiple to crews in training and aboard the ISS. a flight assignment and is carrying out
field experiences on Antarctic technical duties in the Astronaut office.
expeditions and research vessels. She ANNE C. MCCLAIN was chosen as a
is eligible for a flight assignment and has been NASA astronaut in 2013. The Washington SHANNON WALKER was selected to
given technical duties in the Astronaut office. native attended West Point and be a NASA astronaut in 2004. Her
subsequently earned master’s degrees educational accomplishments
TRACY CALDWELL DYSON in aerospace engineering and include a Ph.D. in space
has been a NASA astronaut international relations. Lieutenant physics. Walker worked on
since 1998. The California Colonel McClain has more than 2,000 several space shuttle missions
native earned a Ph.D. in flight hours in 20 different aircraft. as a Flight Controller in the
physical chemistry and is She most recently served as a Flight Mission Control Center. In 2010,
a veteran of two space Engineer on the ISS for Expedition 58/59, the Texas native served as a
flights. In 2007, Caldwell where she logged 204 days in space and Flight Engineer for Expedition
Dyson flew aboard the conducted two spacewalks totaling 13 hours. 24/25, a long-duration mission
space shuttle Endeavor on aboard the ISS that lasted 163 days.
JESSICA U. MEIR has been a NASA
STS-118. In 2010, she served as a
astronaut since 2013. She holds a master’s STEPHANIE D. WILSON is a veteran of
Flight Engineer on ISS Expedition 23/24. She
degree in space studies and a Ph.D. in three spaceflights (STS-120, STS-121, and
has logged more than 188 days in space,
marine biology. From 2000 to 2003, Meir STS-131) and has logged more than 42 days
including over 22 hours on three spacewalks.
worked for Lockheed Martin’s Human in space. She earned a master’s degree in
JEANETTE J. EPPS was selected as Research Facility, where she also served aerospace engineering and worked at Martin
a NASA astronaut in 2009. The New York as an aquanaut in an underwater habitat Marietta for two years. Selected by NASA as
native received a Ph.D. in aerospace for NASA Extreme Environment Mission an astronaut in 1996, she flew her first space
engineering and was a NASA fellow during Operations (NEEMO). She is currently shuttle mission in 2006, and subsequent shuttle
graduate school. Prior to joining NASA, onboard the ISS on her first spaceflight as missions in 2007 and 2010. As a member
Epps was a Technical Intelligence Officer part of Expedition 61/62, during which she of the Astronaut office she is currently the
for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). took part in the first all-female spacewalk Mission Support Crew Branch Chief.
She currently serves in the ISS Operations with NASA astronaut Christina Koch.
SUNITA L. WILLIAMS was selected
Branch in support of space station crews. JASMIN MOGHBELI entered as an astronaut by NASA in 1998
Epps has no spaceflight experience. NASA’s 2017 Astronaut and is a veteran of two ISS
CHRISTINA H. KOCH Candidate class and missions (Expeditions 14/15 and
has been a NASA successfully finished two 32/33). She is currently training
astronaut since 2013. years of training. The for the first post-certification
She graduated New York native earned mission of Boeing’s Starliner
with a master’s a master’s degree in spacecraft—the second crewed
degree in electrical aerospace engineering flight for that vehicle—and her
engineering and worked from the Naval Postgraduate third long duration flight aboard
at NASA Goddard Space School. She is also a distinguished the ISS. Williams attended the U.S. Naval
Flight Center on missions studying graduate of the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School Academy and holds a master’s degree in
cosmology and astrophysics. After with more than 1,600 hours of flight time. She engineering management. She graduated
conducting research in the United States awaits a flight assignment while carrying out from the United States Naval Test Pilot School
Antarctic Program, Koch contributed to technical duties in the Astronaut office. and was later an instructor in the Rotary Wing
instruments studying radiation for NASA LORAL O’HARA was selected to join Department. Williams has spent a total of
missions, including the Juno and Van Allen NASA’s 2017 Astronaut Candidate class. 322 days in space and is second on the list of
probes. As an astronaut she flew onboard She graduated to active astronaut status total cumulative spacewalk time by a female
the ISS as part of Expedition 59/60 and in 2019. O’Hara holds a master’s degree astronaut (with 50 hours and 40 minutes).
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 37

NEW TECH
A
DRAGONFLY
ON TITAN Jordan Strickler
Landing sequence for NASA’s Dragonfly probe at Titan

Credit: NASA
he text was from Ken Hibbard’s was boarding a flight out of Los Angeles will hitch a ride with the Mars 2020 rover.
Johns Hopkins University International Airport. However, it will be the first time that a
Applied Physics Laboratory “Zibi said, ‘we won!’” laughs Adams flying rotorcraft will undertake detailed
colleague Elizabeth “Zibi” Turtle, Principle while recounting the call. “I said, ‘we scientific research.
Investigator on the Dragonfly mission. won what?’ It took five minutes of her Saturn’s largest moon has long
“Hey, when you have the chance, can convincing me that she wasn’t pulling my intrigued scientists with a chemical
you swing by my office?” As soon as leg.” Dragonfly was going to Titan. The composition that is believed to mirror that
Turtle, Mission Systems Engineer for one-billion-dollar mission, which is slated of a primordial Earth. Researchers hope
the project, reached her office, she was to rocket toward Saturn’s largest moon that the samples evaluated by Dragonfly
on the phone with NASA. Shortly after in 2026, will not be the first rotorcraft to will help them to understand the chemical
ending the conversation, she called Doug visit an alien world—that distinction will environment which gave rise to life on
Adams, Spacecraft Systems Engineer, who be going to the Mars Helicopter, which Earth, as well as determine the potential
Dragonfly will be able to lift, hover, and
relocate as it explores Titan’s surface
Credit: NASA
atmosphere. In more than 100 flybys, it mapped much of Titan’s

surface and was able to make detailed studies of its atmosphere,
as well as providing evidence of a global, salty ocean below the
moon’s icy crust. With Cassini came the European Space Agency’s
Huygens probe, which parachuted to Titan’s surface in 2005,
measured its winds and atmosphere, and imaged a small area of
the surface in close-up detail.
Cassini showed us that Titan’s surface has lakes, rivers, and
even seas of liquid ethane and methane, as well as vast expanses of
what appear to be sand dunes, but are probably composed largely
of granular organic particles. Its climate is such that methane
can form clouds and rain, as the moon’s atmosphere is four times
denser than Earth’s and its gravity is approximately one-seventh
that of our planet, which means Titan’s raindrops fall much
slower. Rainfall on Titan is rare, however—it may be hundreds of
years between showers at a given location. Due to the fact that it is
so far from the sun, Titan’s surface temperature hovers around a
chilly 290 degrees Fahrenheit (179 degrees Celsius below zero). Its
surface pressure is also 50 percent higher than Earth’s, perfect for
a rotorcraft such as Dragonfly.
Titan’s atmosphere is composed of around 95 percent
nitrogen with about five percent methane. When exposed to
sunlight, those methane and nitrogen molecules are split apart
by ultraviolet light and recombine to form a variety of complex
organic compounds. Organic molecules are the building blocks
for life as we know it, and their presence on Titan (and possible
habitability of Titan today. The probe will also search for any signs compounds they could form) is promising.
of microbial life. “Titan is a really fascinating place,” says Turtle. “It’s the only
Titan is located approximately 760,000 miles (1,223,100 moon that has a dense atmosphere. It’s surprisingly Earth-like,
kilometers) from Saturn and is the planet’s largest satellite. which is intriguing. [Titan] was always this really mysterious
The Dragonfly mission will be the most detailed exploration place and one of the things that was fascinating is that it was
ever undertaken there. The moon was previously visited by the revealed to have very Earth-like processes in the atmosphere and
two Voyager spacecraft in 1979 and 1980; however, the dense on the surface. It’s also chemically very much like our own early
atmosphere obscured the surface at visible wavelengths. In 1994, the planet, and it gives us the opportunity to study the pre-biotic
Hubble Space Telescope imaged the moon at longer near-infrared chemistry that took place before biology developed here. We don’t
wavelengths, revealing bright and dark regions on the surface. necessarily have the opportunity to study that here on Earth.”
The real details remained a mystery until Cassini made its The ten-foot (three meters) long Dragonfly rotorcraft will
visit a decade later. Using radar and imaging at near-infrared land in dune fields near Titan’s equator. From there, it will use
wavelengths, the orbiter was able to glimpse below the hazy its eight rotors to traverse dozens of sites across Titan’s surface,
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 39
NEW TECH
The Dragonfly team testing an early prototype

Credit: NASA
taking samples and performing analysis. “We know from the between these dunes, and we’ll be able to get measurements of
measurements of the upper atmosphere that there are very sand and it will be very widely sourced.”
complex organic molecules,” explains Turtle, “So we want to For robotic spacecraft, energy is everything. Titan is roughly
understand how these molecules have interacted on the surface, 886 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) from the sun, and at that
especially if they’ve been able to be in contact with liquid water.” distance solar energy is approximately 100 times weaker than on
As the probe enters the moon’s atmosphere, a drogue Earth. Additionally, the hazy atmosphere diminishes light by a
parachute will open at Mach 1.5 and slow Dragonfly for factor of 10, so solar panels were ruled out and a nuclear power
approximately 90 minutes until it reaches an altitude of two supply was chosen instead. “We use all of the waste heat from the
miles (just under four kilometers). Then the main parachute will MMRTG (multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator)
deploy, followed by heat shield separation so that Dragonfly can to keep the internal element of the lander warm in the cold
acquire the ground with its range sensing instruments. In all environment,” Hibbard said. “Then we use the RTG (radioisotope
entry, descent, and landing (EDL) should take about two hours. thermoelectric generator) as a large charge source for a battery
“The atmosphere is very thick,” says Adams. “We have a sequence and most of the activities are done off the battery. That way we
where we do a direct entry into the atmosphere and we deploy a have thermal power that will sustain us for the surface lifetime.”
drogue parachute in conditions very similar to Mars as far as the Unlike the Mars rovers (which spend a lot of time on
supersonic deployment, and that’s not an accident. Interestingly, the move), Dragonfly would be stationary most of the time,
it takes about six minutes to get to those conditions after we conducting experiments, transmitting data, and charging. “We’ll
encounter the atmosphere and that’s about the same time as the be communicating with Dragonfly so we’ll tell it where its initial
entire EDL on Mars, so it is much slower.” landing site is, and in the longer term, we are going to work
Initially plans for Dragonfly called for a flotation ring that toward a large crater that is to the north of the initial landing site,”
would allow the craft to land on one of Titan’s lakes. However, Turtle said. “That’s because in the impact cratering process, liquid
a more conventional box-with-skids layout soon emerged after water will be formed when the target is melted because Titan’s
it was decided that the areas between the dunes would be the crust is made of water-ice and that is melted during the impact.
focus of the mission. Besides offering a flat landing spot, the So the impact crater is potentially a good location for the organic
dunes could offer a wealth of information. “On Titan, the dunes material to have mixed with water.”
are made of sand-sized particles, as one might expect, but the Thanks to Dragonfly’s dual-quadcopter design and the thick
sand is [probably] organic,” said Turtle. “We don’t know how you atmosphere and low gravity, the drone should be able to fly at
form organic sand-sized particles, so that is one mystery. If there least 90 miles (145 kilometers), more distance than was covered
are different types of reactions going on, it will all be collected by all of the Mars rovers combined. Dragonfly will also be able
navigate rugged terrain much faster and with less risk of damage Titan’s atmosphere; all of those organics fall out onto the surface
than driving across the surface. where they have the opportunity to interact with each other and
Data collected from the mission will allow researchers to potentially interact with liquid water at sites of impact craters or
assess the chance of Titan’s habitability and see how far its possible volcanoes. So we know that all of those elements have
chemistry has advanced toward something potentially biotic. been there for potentially millions of years and what we want
Evaluation of the samples will attempt to pick up traces of to understand is what happens when you put all of these things
water- or hydrocarbon-based life. Mass spectrometry will reveal together in this kind of environment. What kind of chemistry
atmospheric and soil composition, and gamma-ray spectrometry do you get? The reason we proposed a mobile vehicle is similar
will be used to probe into the chemical composition of the to the reasons that we send rovers to Mars—we want to be able
shallow sub-surface. A suite of meteorology and geophysics to make measurements in parts of Titan that have had different
sensors will record wind, pressure, temperature, and seismic histories. We also want to go where the materials have interacted
activity, as well as a host of other factors. Finally, eight different in different ways so that we can get a sense of the chemistry ...
cameras will let scientists peer at the nature of the moon’s and how complex the organic synthesis gets.”
surface. These cameras will provide for forward and downward Although the announcement was months ago, the news is
as well as ground and in-flight pictures. A microscopic imager still registering with much of the team. “Getting the green light is
aboard can inspect the surface material down to a sand-grain hard to put it into words,” says Hibbard. “The shock is part of it.
scale, while panoramic cameras will be able to survey sites in You’re hearing them tell you that your project was selected, but
detail after landing. there is a part of you that still doesn’t quite believe it. There is
“The primary objective is to understand the chemistry an element of exhilaration and jubilation because you’ve worked
on Titan,” said Turtle. “We know that all of the necessary so hard for something and to have it actually happen was almost
ingredients for life as we know it are, or have been, present on difficult to imagine. Now, it’s like ‘wow, now we actually have to
the surface. There is this really rich photochemistry at the top of go do this.’”
The Dragonfly prototype goes through its paces

Credit: NASA
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 41

FEATURE
OUT
Gay Americans were

persecuted throughout
the 1960s, the decade
when astronauts first flew.
Coincidentally, it was the
summer of 1969, when NASA
triumphed with its Apollo
11 moon landing, when the
Stonewall riots in New York
began an assertive time
of grassroots protest and
Sally Ride in space on her first demand for equal rights for
space shuttle mission, STS-7 gay and trans Americans.
Credit: NASA
IN SPACE:
A HISTORY OF GAY ASTRONAUTS
Francis French
rom the very beginning, human spaceflight has request from a Jewish women’s magazine, astronaut Judy
been about firsts as much as technology. Space Resnik tersely responded, “I am an astronaut. Not a woman
exploration is, after all, a product of the Cold War—a astronaut. Not a Jewish astronaut. An astronaut.”
“Space Race” where beating the other superpower was the Save for perhaps a few countries who have yet to put
justification. Sending the first person into space, carrying out their first citizen in orbit, there are few firsts left to claim. Yet
the first spacewalk, being the first to reach the Moon, and one title was often a cause of speculation: who would be the
the first to land on the lunar surface; these were headline- first publicly gay astronaut? Gay astronauts had not always
grabbing moments that elevated the prestige of the country been welcome in the space programs of the world, and in
responsible. Daring decisions were made, and lives were some places would still not be. In the Soviet Union, being gay
risked (and sometimes lost), in a race for supremacy. was a criminal offense, so any gay cosmonauts from that era
There’s another list of individual firsts along the way would have kept it a secret. Since the fall of the Soviet Union,
that had no particular operational reason for existing. no cosmonauts have publicly identified themselves as such.
From an engineering point of view, they were simple, Michelle Evans is a respected space historian and author,
requiring no changes, but for headlines and prestige, they as well as a long-time advocate for LGBTQ issues. “Being
were immense triumphs. These were about people. LGBTQ in Russia was officially decriminalized in 1993,” she
Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, relates, “but Vladimir Putin has instituted laws since then
became a media sensation. Her flight suggested—falsely, which all but in fact keep such people criminalized. It is not
it turned out—that women in communist countries possible to openly talk about LGBTQ issues in Russia today,
had more opportunities than those in the West. so no cosmonaut would be allowed to fly if they came out—
Vostok 6 was a severe embarrassment to the United or even if they just said they supported LGBTQ people.”
States, prompting many questions in newspapers and Gay Americans were persecuted throughout the 1960s,
Congress about whether the country was failing. the decade when astronauts first flew. Coincidentally, it
Most of the firsts that come to mind have occurred, was the summer of 1969, when NASA triumphed with its
with the exception of placing a woman on the Moon, Apollo 11 moon landing, when the Stonewall riots in New
and spacefarers from dozens of countries have flown on York began an assertive time of grassroots protest and
American space shuttles and Russian Soyuz spacecraft. demand for equal rights for gay and trans Americans.
In the case of the Chinese, they flew on their own rockets. It was not until 2003 that the Supreme Court decriminalized
The first African-American man, followed later by the homosexuality in the United States. Many repressive laws existed
first African-American woman, gained greater headlines until then in states such as Texas, home of NASA’s Johnson
than other flights performing similar missions. When Space Center (where the astronauts are based), and there are still
the Challenger crew died shortly after launch, many no laws in the state explicitly protecting gay rights. As federal
remarked that the diversity of the crew—including two employees, NASA’s civilian astronauts were protected by federal
women, an African-American man, and a Hawaiian law from discrimination, but this did not happen until 1995.
man of Japanese ancestry—represented the diversity of Before that, gay Americans were barred from federal
America, making their tragic loss all the more symbolic. employment as they were considered security risks, open to
Many of these spacefarers celebrated being first, while blackmail because of personal lives considered illegal by their
others brushed it off or even resented being pigeonholed. very existence. These people were actively investigated by the
They were engineers, pilots, and scientists, who were FBI and a civil service that routinely “purged” employees under
highly focused and worked hard at their careers. Many of suspicion. Over 5,000 federal employees were fired during these
them wanted to be defined more by their achievements purges, a hunt that did not end until after the Apollo program
than birthplace or ethnicity. When declining an interview was over.
FEATURE
Astronaut Wendy Lawrence examines

Not all astronauts are civilian employees, however. Gay
the tiles of space shuttle Atlantis
Credit: NASA Americans were prohibited from serving in the military, a policy
only eased slightly with 1996’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule. Under this
ruling, gay Americans could serve in the military, but only if this
fact remained secret (if discovered, they had to leave). This policy
was only scrapped in 2011 and any gay astronauts who were active
military members before that would have spent their careers forced
to keep their sexual orientation a secret.
Even if candidates had not faced discrimination in their
work prior to applying to be an astronaut, they’d face a thorough
background check (including visits from the FBI to key people in
their past, asking questions about their personal lives). They’d also
be put through a series of questions by psychologists, a profession
that listed homosexuality as a mental disorder into the mid-
1970s when it was downgraded to the marginally-less misguided
“disturbance” of sexual orientation.
Dee O’Hara was assigned as the nurse to the original astronauts,
and medically cleared each spacefarer before launch from the first
flight in 1961 to the first shuttle mission in 1981. She knew the very
conservative Houston culture of the era as well as anyone. “Given the
times, a gay astronaut would not have been selected,” she explains.
“It was simply out of the question. Conformity was mandatory in all
matters. An astronaut whose wife threatened him with divorce was
made to immediately resign. Even long hair was out of the question,
as well as beards. Although these restrictions were not written down,
that was just how it was. I don’t believe anyone even questioned it.”
“Gay employees would almost certainly stay in the closet until
after retirement, or even beyond,” Michelle Evans explains. “A good
example of the conservative nature of aerospace is Pete Knight, a
pilot for the X-15 rocket plane who flew suborbital space missions,
and how he handled his brother and his son coming out as gay in
the late 1990s. He disowned them, then worked as a California state
senator to create legislation to harm gay people by not allowing
them to be married. It took 15 years to overturn the harm he did.”
Hoot Gibson was a military test pilot, and an astronaut from
1978 to 1996. As the chief of the astronaut office for a number
of years, he had a lot of say in who was selected as an astronaut.
“Texas was not a very welcoming environment for gay people,”
he says. “Although I did meet some gay people there, it was kept
pretty quiet. I’m certain that NASA would have gone ballistic if
there had been any gay astronauts then. NASA was a ‘don’t rock
the boat’ outfit who shied away from anything controversial.”
“An example was Mark Lee marrying Jan Davis after they
were both assigned to the STS-47 shuttle mission,” Gibson
continues. “After I was made commander of that flight, Mark
and Jan told me that NASA was going to remove her from the
flight so they wouldn’t have to worry about ‘sex in space.’ They
had told Jan on a Friday that a press release would come out
Sally Ride’s partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, on Monday, taking her off the mission. Somehow NASA instead
accepts the Presidential Medal of Freedom on did the smart thing, which was to keep hands-off on the subject.
Sally’s behalf from President Obama in 2003 Lo and behold, it was no big deal when they flew together.”
Credit: NASA
“NASA was a ‘don’t rock the boat’ outfit . . .”
The first spacefarer to publicly come out as gay did space station Mir, and flew the mission that returned
so in a remarkable way. Already one of the most famous Americans to space after the shuttle Columbia tragedy.
astronauts in the world, Sally Ride had become America’s After retiring from NASA in 2006, Lawrence only
first woman in space, flying her first shuttle mission in 1983. publicly chose to come out in December 2018 while accepting
She had engaged in same-gender relationships since the a very prestigious honor, the United States Naval Academy
age of 20, long before she applied to become an astronaut. Distinguished Graduate Award. Each honoree during the award
As biographer Lynn Sherr explains, she was an expert in ceremonies was introduced with a video summarizing their
compartmentalizing her life and was never looking to be a lives and careers. Lawrence’s included “Wendy is married to
standard-bearer for gay rights. She and her partner of 27 Kathy, and they live in Washington State,” along with a photo
years, Tam O’Shaughnessy, chose not to publicly disclose of the couple. Her wife was in the audience, and Lawrence
their relationship until they picked a very impactful method. was sure to say, “I want to acknowledge my spouse Kathy.”
O’Shaughnessy simply stated their longstanding relationship The moment came and went without fanfare. For the
in an obituary on the day Ride passed away in 2012. first time, a living astronaut had publicly come out, though
The two ran Sally Ride Science together, and had been many close colleagues already knew. There were other
friends since they met as young girls on the competitive tennis former astronaut colleagues in the audience, however, who
circuit. They chose not to come out, Tam later explained, as later related they’d had no idea. “It was wonderful how the
they were concerned that they wouldn’t be able to raise the statement from Wendy Lawrence about her wife hardly
corporate sponsorship money needed if the target companies created a ripple,” Michelle Evans relates. “That’s the ideal
knew they were a couple. It was also feared that more way it should always be—that it simply isn’t a big deal.”
conservative families in less progressive states would have Lawrence’s award ceremony, of course, honored someone
organized boycotts of the science events aimed at their children. who had long retired from NASA and the military. What
“It is sad that she never came out publicly while she was alive,” was perhaps the final threshold had yet to be crossed—could
Michelle Evans reflects, “as that would have made a world of a current NASA astronaut be openly gay? That final first
difference to young girls of the same sexual orientation. But I was made within a year, although not in the way astronaut
also completely understand her position, as that may have been Anne McClain wanted. She was in space at the time and had
extremely detrimental to her mission ... we can only imagine no real control over the news. Chosen by NASA in 2013,
the blowback she would have gotten in certain quarters.” the youngest person in her selection group, McClain was
Another possible reason was security, as with someone as also a distinguished military helicopter pilot. In December
famous as Ride there were always stalkers. It was something 2018, the same month that Lawrence gave her speech,
they grew used to dealing with, both for public appearances McClain launched into space, spending over 200 days
and at the company offices. Ride deliberately kept much of her in orbit working on the International Space Station.
everyday life intensely private for that reason, with a tight circle McClain had wed in 2014, a same-sex marriage that
of long-time friends and colleagues acting as guardians and did not become public until she was in space. The couple
gatekeepers. Causing headlines about her personal life—and were already divorcing, and disagreements over intertwined
coming out would have been a big story—was not something finances sadly spilled over into orbit. When McClain
that would have been in keeping with her personality. accessed one of the couple’s bank accounts from space,
Astronaut Wendy Lawrence was also involved with her estranged spouse complained, and the news made the
the organization. Chosen as an astronaut by NASA in newspapers in the summer of 2019. The stories concentrated
1992, Lawrence is a graduate of the Naval Academy on the potential of “space crime,” and with no confirmation
and from a distinguished military lineage. Her father of a crime committed (only statements about ongoing
was the superintendent of the academy at the time she investigations), the media soon moved on to another story
was there and had also been a finalist for selection in about McClain—that she was set to make the first two-woman
the original group of Mercury astronauts. His daughter spacewalk, before an issue with spacesuit sizes postponed it.
became one of the Navy’s most accomplished helicopter The painful way in which this news came out
pilots, as well as making contributions in the fields of overshadowed something historic: for the first time, an active
physics and oceanography before becoming an astronaut. NASA astronaut was in space and being reported as a gay
She took on the demanding role of NASA’s Director of American in the media. It’s perhaps reassuring, despite the
Operations at Star City in Russia, overseeing this vital sad circumstances surrounding how the news broke, that this
and internationally prestigious collaboration between the was only a minor part of the media stories. Not only because
world’s two major space programs. She made four space McClain was not able to choose the moment of her outing, but
shuttle flights, including two dockings with the Russian also because a gay astronaut no longer seemed an unusual
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 45

FEATURE
Astronaut Anne McClain aboard the International Space Station

Credit: NASA
idea to media reporters, as Ride’s announcement seven women and gay priests. While I would hope we would have
years earlier seemed to have made the idea a familiar one. been different in the astronaut office, I still find it hard to
Unlike prior first announcements in spacefarer imagine people being tolerant of an openly gay person then.”
diversity, the story of gay astronauts so far has been more John Charles, the Chief Scientist for NASA’s Human
complex. There has not yet been a moment where a NASA Research Program at the Johnson Space Center for many
astronaut has publicly come out, by choice, while still years (now the Scientist in Residence at Space Center
active, or a gay male astronaut who has come out either. Houston), explains that “Our push for accessibility and
Today, NASA as an agency certainly would seem to be inclusiveness has already brought a public presentation by the
much more welcoming to the idea. A greater commitment LGBTQ support group at JSC. They spoke briefly and matter-
to diversity in all forms has resulted in gay-friendly events of-factly about that aspect of their lives and then described
for employees at NASA facilities. Since 2016, an LGBTQ the cool projects they are involved in. It was well-received.”
Special Emphasis Group within NASA has also been working There are other gay astronauts, though it is their choice
beyond what federal law requires. They provide advice to when—or even if—to make this public. One former flight
NASA leadership and support all of the agency’s workers trainer says there are a number of gay men and women
with awareness training and inclusion opportunities. currently within the astronaut corps. The military culture
Whether this openness applies to the more closed enclave within the astronaut corps, combined with the conservative
of Houston’s astronaut culture is not yet certain. Texas environment, still makes it a place where many
Charlie Bolden was an astronaut during the same era as would take pause before coming out. But considering that
Gibson and in 2009 became NASA Administrator, overseeing the number of known gay astronauts tripled in just the last
the entire agency. He believes things have changed since he year, it may only be a matter of time until this changes.
became an astronaut in 1980. “There were rumors about Just as Ride was an enormously positive role model for
gay astronauts, but they were rumors about astronauts from young women looking to advance their careers in science,
other countries,” he explains. “When I was in Houston in the so a gay astronaut could be a role model for students
1980s and 1990s, it might not have worked out very well due looking to overcome prejudice and reach their own goals.
to the level of intolerance at that time. We had people leaving The author can be reached via his website,
our Episcopal churches in Texas due to the ordination of www.francisfrench.com
FEATURE
Artist’s impression of the

Hubble Space Telescope
Credit: NASA
The
Hubble
Space
Telescope
30 YEARS OF LIFTING OUR SPIRITS
Nancy Atkinson
rom its vantage point 350 miles (563 kilometers) above team. “To be able to work with people of such diverse talents, with
Earth, the iconic Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has exquisite engineering and scientific skills, has been wonderful,”
unquestionably changed our understanding of the cosmos. she said. “Their expertise has truly enabled a leap in humanity’s
Now celebrating 30 years in orbit, no other space mission has been understanding of the universe.”
as enduring in revealing such a wide range of wonders and engaging This leap has occurred, Wiseman believes, because of a
the public. From confirming the existence of black holes, to studying monumental decision made early on by mission planners: images
the expanding universe, and peeking into the atmospheres of distant and archival data would be made available to the public and the
exoplanets, Hubble has provided tantalizing data and mesmerizing science community freely and easily. That mindset set a precedent
images of planets, stars, and galaxies. It has brought gorgeous views for subsequent observatories and space missions while having a
of space down to Earth for the public to enjoy while providing a profound effect on people around the world. “That decision was
treasure trove of scientific data that will keep scientists occupied made even before the internet became an active way of sharing
for decades. As more than one NASA official has said with regard to information,” she said. “But with the internet, this ability to share
public engagement, Hubble is “the gift that keeps on giving.” images with the public just exploded. We now see Hubble images
“It has been a wonderful, humbling privilege to be involved with being used not only for research and education, but also providing
this general-purpose but spectacular eye in the sky,” said Dr. Jennifer inspiration in art, music, philosophy, poetry, and all types of
Wiseman, currently the Senior Project Scientist for the mission. She human endeavors that lift our spirits.”
continued, “Hubble has enabled us to understand our place in the
solar system and in our unimaginably large universe with greater HUBBLE’S STORY
clarity than ever before.” Wiseman, who has served in various roles While the Hubble Space Telescope wasn’t the first telescope in space
with the mission since 2003, added that she is grateful to work with when it rocketed into orbit on April 24, 1990, many consider it the best
hundreds of experts around the world that make up the entire Hubble and undoubtedly the most well-known. Ask people to name a telescope
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 47

FEATURE
and most will probably say “Hubble.” Walk into a classroom and you
will likely see a picture of the HST on the wall. Name an astronomical
conundrum and Hubble has likely studied it, maybe even solved it.
“For thirty years now, kids have been learning along with the
discoveries Hubble has been making,” said Larry Dunham, the Chief
Systems Engineer for Hubble, who has been part of the mission
since 1982. “It has become kind of cliché, but Hubble has rewritten
our textbooks. This telescope has become part of iconic American
space lore; it’s what people think of when they think of NASA.”
Hubble’s history is full of close calls that nearly spelled disaster for
the telescope. Well known are the early challenges of securing funding
for the on-again, off-again mission, and delays and cost overruns of
getting the innovative telescope ready to fly. Then came more delays
because of the space shuttle Challenger accident in 1986. Finally though,
when Hubble launched aboard shuttle Discovery, it didn’t take long for
astronomers to realize the biggest problem they had yet faced: the space
telescope’s eight foot (2.4 meter) mirror had a tiny flaw, a “spherical
aberration,” meaning it had been polished in slightly the wrong shape,
off by just two microns (or a 50th the width of a human hair). But the
miniscule flaw was enough to make images from Hubble look blurry.
Any other mission would have been finished, but with Hubble
The Antenna Galaxies there was still hope. It was one of the very few space missions
as imaged by the HST designed with modular instruments that could be swapped out and
Credit: NASA upgraded over time, and resides in low Earth orbit where shuttle
astronauts can perform repair work. NASA already had a schedule
of servicing missions planned, and the first could provide an
A hot, young star opportunity to fix the flawed telescope. A worldwide effort ensued
cluster in the to figure out what could be done to deal with the faulty mirror.
Carina Galaxy In December 1993, seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle
Credit: NASA Endeavor conducted Hubble’s first servicing mission. They installed
two new instruments: the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, a
new camera that provided internal corrections for the spherical
aberration in Hubble’s primary mirror, and COSTAR, the Corrective
Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement, which corrected the
optics for the other existing instruments. From that time, the
telescope’s observations have been crisp and clear, and since then it
has touched every aspect of astronomy and astrophysics, from our
own solar system to the entire observable universe.
Over the past 30 years, Hubble’s various parts and instruments
have suffered the wear and tear of constant use in the harsh
conditions in space, causing everything from warranted concerns,
to hiccups in gathering data, and near-catastrophic failures. But
subsequent servicing missions in 1997, 1999, 2002, and 2009 have
kept the telescope operating, with new and improved instruments
and other vital components.
The fifth and final Hubble Servicing Mission in 2009 was a
microcosm of Hubble’s life story: a close call that nearly didn’t take
place, followed by several delays, and nearly-disastrous failures
onboard the spacecraft. “We had a very tumultuous period when we
thought the final servicing mission wasn’t going to happen because
of the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003,” said Wiseman. “But
the Hubble team rose to the occasion, and because of that adversity,
both the engineers and scientists came up with innovations in how
to get the best and most science out of they should last forever. One of the gyros has these galaxies come and go and enrich the
Hubble in whatever time we had left.” close to 100,000 hours on it now. The hope chemical makeup of the gas and dust within
The science team reconfigured their is these last three gyros will outlast us all!” these collections of stars. This enrichment
observation procedures to be more efficient, eventually enables solids like planets to
while the engineering team came up with LOOKING FARTHER, form around subsequent generations of
ways to use Hubble in more innovative SEEING BETTER stars, such as in our own solar system.”
and effective ways. In the end, however, The luxury of having Hubble operational for Other unexpected Hubble discoveries
the servicing mission was reinstated (with so long is that researchers can take advantage abound. Ever since the discovery of
much jubilation from the scientists and the of modern advancements in technology. the expanding universe in the 1920s,
public) and was a complete success. The “The visionaries who decided to put a astronomers had struggled to measure
astronauts fixed two broken instruments repairable observatory above the atmosphere and understand the rate of expansion. The
and installed two new instruments, new were well aware of the rapid increase in telescope’s observations of very distant
batteries, new gyroscopes, and a new technology advancement, especially in the supernovae showed that the expansion
scientific computer, all to prolong Hubble’s area of astronomical detectors,” said Dr. of the universe has not been slowing
life. The innovations in procedures are still Olivia Lupie, Hubble’s Instrument Systems due to gravity as many thought it would.
in use today and engineers continue to assess Manager, who has been involved with the Instead, it has actually been accelerating.
Hubble’s systems to help it remain viable, mission since 1983. “As a result, the new No one expected this, and none of the
conducting other ‘life extension initiatives’ instruments built to replace the older ones experts know exactly how to explain it.
to prolong its operation as long as possible. had the cutting-edge technology at the “We realized that something must
One major problem throughout Hubble’s time, so we’ve been able to improve the be causing the expansion rate of the
lifetime has been failure of the gyroscopes capability of the observatory over the years.” universe to accelerate,” Wiseman said.
that allow the telescope to so precisely For example, after the first servicing “The generic term for it is ‘dark energy,’
lock onto a distant target. Hubble has six mission, the Wide Field and Planetary and measuring this cosmic expansion
gyroscopes in total, and three are required for Camera 2 detected some of the earliest rate and its acceleration is helping us to
optimal operating efficiency. Each contains galaxies that were 12 billion light years understand at least some of the properties
a wheel that spins at 19,200 rotations per away. After the third such mission in 2002 of dark energy over cosmic time.” This work
minute. “When we thought SM-4 [the final when the Advanced Camera for Surveys using Hubble resulted in a Nobel Prize for
servicing mission] wasn’t going to happen, was installed, it detected objects 13 billion the team of astronomer Dr. Adam Riess.
we knew the gyroscopes would be a limiting light years away. Finally, after the fourth Then there is the question of the
factor for the life expectancy of Hubble,” said when the Wide Field Planetary Camera 3 other dark stuff in question: dark matter.
Dunham. “We asked ourselves: could we was an installed (which Lupie described “We understand that most of the matter
possibly operate with less than three gyros?” as “an exquisite instrument with pan- in the universe is not visible like stars
he went on. “We headed up a team to develop chromatic capability”), Hubble saw objects and galaxies,” said Wiseman. “Most of
a two-gyro science mode and working with at 13.3 billion light years away. “That’s the matter is this mysterious dark matter
the science team, we figured it out and even mind-boggling, because astronomers have which is unseen, but we can use Hubble
developed a one-gyro science mode. While estimated the age of the universe to be to ‘see’ its gravitational effects, and
reduced-gyro mode offers less sky coverage at 13.8 billion years old, which is another therefore map out where the dark matter
any particular time, there is relatively limited bit of data that Hubble helped refine,” is, giving us more clues to its properties.”
impact on the overall scientific capabilities.” said Lupie. “So, we are now seeing some Hubble has helped astronomers
On the final mission, all six gyroscopes of the first galaxies that formed just a few understand there is a cosmic tug of war
were replaced, and in the subsequent years, hundred million years after the Big Bang.” between dark energy, which is basically
three of those have failed. However, the Hubble’s study of the evolution of stars pushing the universe apart, and dark
remaining three are newer, technically- and galaxies, as well as the distribution of matter, which is pulling things together
enhanced gyroscopes that are expected to matter in the universe, are some of the most with its gravitational pull. “This push-
have significantly longer operational lives. the profound contributions to astronomy, and-pull has been going on over time,”
“The gyros have so-called enhanced flex showing us how the universe is dynamic and Wiseman said, “but it looks like for the
leads in the wiring,” Dunham explained. has changed spectacularly over time. “With universe as a whole that dark energy is
“These are about the size of a human hair, Hubble, we’ve been able to image galaxies winning out on the large scale, while in
and historically what has happened on both near to us and in the very distant gravitationally bound situations like clusters
the previous type is that they get brittle universe, which allows us, essentially, to look and galaxies, dark matter still holds sway.”
and break over time,” he continued. “The back in time,” Wiseman explained. “Hubble Within our own solar system, Hubble
enhanced flex leads have a silver covering on has visually shown us that galaxies merge and has studied comets, asteroids, and moons,
the copper, and according to the engineers, grow over time. Generations of stars within and made repeated observations of our
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 49

FEATURE
planetary neighbors, revealing short-term changes in our dynamic solar

system. It found new moons around Pluto and dwarf planets in the Kuiper
Belt at the rim of the solar system. Hubble has peered into the depths of the
universe with efforts such as its Deep Field and Frontier Fields programs,
showing us galaxies and other objects in space we never knew existed.
When the telescope was launched, there was a theory that the
centers of some galaxies might contain a supermassive black hole.
But nothing like this had been observationally confirmed until 1994,
when it measured the mass in a galaxy called M87, located 50 million
light-years away from Earth. It found evidence that supported the
existence of a gravitationally-collapsed object at the galaxy’s core. In the
subsequent decade, Hubble found that black holes at galactic centers
were ubiquitous. “This was a significant leap in our understanding
of what goes on in the cores of galaxies and our understanding that
supermassive black holes are, indeed, a strange reality,” Wiseman said.
One of the most popular astronomical topics in the last decade
has been the discovery of exoplanets, planets orbiting other stars.
While Hubble doesn’t have the ability to detect exoplanets on its own,
astronomers have used the space telescope to study the atmospheres of
these distant worlds, and found water vapor on several. Hubble captured
the first-ever visible-light image of an extrasolar planet in 2008, moving
in its orbit around the star Fomalhaut, located 25 light years from Earth.
Later, in 2018, it detected a possible exomoon orbiting a distant exoplanet.
Another unexpected use of Hubble was to observe the light The Lagoon Nebula
from an explosion of a kilonova that ignited when two neutron Credit: NASA
stars merged together in another galaxy, creating the long-sought
gravitational waves detected by the LIGO (Laser Interferometer
Gravitational-Wave Observatory) collaboration. “To me, this is one
of the most thrilling aspects,” said Lupie, “to be able to use Hubble’s A galactic collision in
instruments for something they were never really designed to do.” NGC 5256
Credit: NASA
Thirty years on, Hubble is still extremely productive. The
orbiting telescope has made over a million observations and provided
data used in more than 16,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
“I believe that the dedication and ingenuity of my colleagues is one
of the major reasons why Hubble has been so successful,” said Lupie.
“Hubble’s legacy covers so many different areas and we’ve been
fortunate to have visionaries all throughout the team—scientists and
engineers who look forward to mitigate any problem and ways to
avoid losing science time. Hubble is a wonderful example of what can
be accomplished when people work together toward a common goal.”
How long can the seemingly timeless Hubble last? Dunham said
engineers are holding out hope the instruments and vital parts can
last until at least the mid-to-late 2020’s, well past its 15-year expected
lifetime. Of course, with the end of the space shuttle program in 2011,
no further servicing missions are scheduled. However, there is hope
that one day the iconic telescope might be re-serviced or retrieved.
A soft-capture docking mechanism was installed onto the telescope,
and it has been suggested that another servicing mission could
conceivably be mounted using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon or NASA’s
Orion spacecraft. Such a mission could extend the space telescope’s
life in orbit, and a future spacecraft might even one day bring Hubble
back home to a well-deserved resting place.
FEATURE
“A Successful Failure”
or centuries, thirteen has been considered an unlucky
The liftoff of number, so it was no surprise when astronaut Jim
Apollo 13 Lovell’s wife experienced an unmistakable pang of dread
Credit: NASA when he told her that he would command Apollo 13—the third
landing of humans on the Moon. Lovell’s reply, immortalized in
the 1995 movie retelling of the story, was pragmatically simple:
“It comes after twelve!” Yet bad luck did indeed stalk Apollo 13.
If the plan to launch the mission at 13:13 Houston time, or the
intent for it to enter the lunar sphere of gravitational influence on
April 13, 1970, were not enough to tempt fate, German measles
and an undetected design flaw in the spacecraft didn’t help.
As Lovell, Command Module pilot Ken Mattingly, and Lunar
Module pilot Fred Haise trained for their 10-day flight, backup
crewmen John Young, Jack Swigert, and Charlie Duke shadowed
them. Two weeks before launch on April 11, 1970, Duke was exposed
to measles through the young son of a family friend. Although Duke
was not found to be contagious, and Lovell and Haise were both
immune, the case for Mattingly was uncertain and the disease’s two-
week incubation period meant he might get sick during the mission.
Switching Lovell’s entire crew for that of Young was considered
but rejected in favor of replacing Mattingly with Swigert. NASA
Administrator Tom Paine feared a media and political frenzy if
Mattingly fell ill in space and Lovell’s entreaties were rebuffed
by the flight surgeons, who felt that blurred vision or swollen
joints caused by the illness could threaten mission success. Nor
could Apollo 13 be delayed until the next lunar launch window
in May, for that risked causing components of its Saturn V
rocket to degrade. In addition, astronauts orbiting the Moon in
the Command Module worked alone for long periods of time,
and this made it simpler to swap out Mattingly for Swigert.
Apoll 13 was intended to be the first mission to land in a hilly
REMEMBERING region. The lunar highlands were thought to be virtually unchanged,

morphologically and geochemically, since the Moon’s youth, and
exploring them might reveal rocks dating back billions of years.
Lovell and Haise would land their Lunar Module, which they had
APOLLO 13, named Aquarius, in a rugged locale called Fra Mauro, about 300
miles (483 kilometers) south of the southern rim of the vast Mare
Imbrium impact basin. Carved by a cataclysmic collision in the
50 YEARS ON Moon’s infancy, ejected subsurface material from Mare Imbrium was
believed to be widespread at Fra Mauro, particularly on the flanks
of the thousand-foot-wide (305-meter-wide) Cone Crater. Sampling
that material could shed new light on the nature of the original
Ben Evans lunar crust and establish a date for when the impact occurred.
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FEATURE
As Mission Control monitors the Apollo 13

emergency. Gene Kranz is seen at lower
center, and Fred Haise is on the big screen
Credit: NASA
Almost as soon as it began, however, the Apollo 13 the tank had been accidentally damaged two years earlier, and in
mission was touched by misfortune. Five minutes after liftoff, March that tank was loaded with cryogenic oxygen for a test. At
unexpected oscillations in the rocket’s second stage caused the end of the test, the damage prevented the super-cold fluids
the center J-2 rocket engine to shut down prematurely. The from draining as they should. Engineers eventually boiled them
other four engines automatically compensated by firing a off using the tank’s electric heater, aided by ground equipment.
little longer, but even their input was not enough and it took But another problem lurked in the system. Several years
an added push by the third (S-IVB) stage to put the heavy earlier, the Apollo spacecraft was upgraded from 28 volts to 65
spacecraft—the Command and Service Module Odyssey and volts. Its systems were modified to accept the change, except for
Lunar Module Aquarius—into a safe orbit around Earth. a small thermostat in the oxygen tank, which remained rated
Finally, with all checks completed, the third stage fired a at 28 volts and should have turned off the electric heater when
second time later that afternoon to propel them to the Moon. temperatures hit 79 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius).
For the next two days, the spacecraft was so well-behaved Nobody caught the mistake, and as the tank’s contents were boiled
as it traversed the 240,000 miles (386,250 kilometers) between off during the test, excessive voltages triggered an arc that welded
Earth and the Moon that flight controllers in Houston began to its electrical contacts shut. The test conductor’s gauge went no
feel almost blasé. Swigert’s biggest concern was forgetting to file higher than 86 degrees F (30 C); he could not possibly have
his tax returns, an admission that caused laughter in Mission known that temperatures inside the tank had risen to over 900
Control. Then, fifty-five hours after launch, disaster struck as degrees F (500 C). This intense heat cracked Teflon insulation
the astronauts bedded down for their third sleep period. on wires to an electric fan that would periodically stir the tank’s
The chain of events that unfolded that night would almost contents in space. Any spark or short-circuit could now set off an
claim the astronauts’ lives. Deep inside the Service Module explosion, and when the tank was loaded with highly flammable
were two cryogenic tanks that housed liquid oxygen and liquid liquid oxygen before launch, bits of Teflon debris and stripped-
hydrogen to feed three fuel cells, which provided the crew with bare wiring created the perfect conditions for a ticking bomb.
electricity, water, and heat. But before Apollo 13 even launched, That bomb detonated late on April 3, when Mission Control
the second tank had exhibited problems. Tubing to fill and empty asked Swigert to stir the Service Module’s tanks.
In weightlessness, the liquid fuels tended to become stratified, and
periodic stirring provided engineers with more accurate quantity
The crippled Service Module as seen from readings. Swigert dutifully flipped the H2 FANS and O2 FANS
the Command Module Odyssey, shortly switches. Seconds later, Apollo 13 shuddered with a dull bang.
before reentry Lovell was floating through the connecting tunnel from Aquarius to
Credit: NASA Odyssey at the time. Instinctively, he guessed the culprit was Haise,
who had a mischievous habit of setting off the spacecraft’s noisy
cabin repressurization valve as a mild prank. But the wide eyes of
his crewmates quickly assured him that this was no light-hearted
gag—his crewmates were truly and profoundly frightened.
Their attention was soon arrested by the blaring master alarm
and the red glow of the ‘Main Bus B Undervolt’ light on Odyssey’s
instrument panel. It told them that one of the Command Module’s
twin electrical buses had lost power.
“Hey,” Swigert radioed to Houston. “We’ve got a problem here.”
“This is Houston, say again, please,” replied fellow astronaut
Jack Lousma, the CAPCOM currently on duty in Mission Control.
“Houston, we’ve had a problem,” said Lovell. “We’ve had a
main B bus undervolt.”
“Roger, main B undervolt,” replied Lousma. “Okay, stand by,
13, we’re looking at it.”
Mission Control’s first thought was that it was an
Jubilation grips Mission Control upon instrumentation hiccup, but this was quickly proven incorrect by
splashdown of Apollo 13. From left: recognizing that the astronauts had heard and felt a loud bang,
flight directors Gerry Griffin, Gene which manifested itself as a visible flexing of the tunnel walls
Kranz, and Glynn Lunney between Odyssey and Aquarius. As data streamed back to Earth,
Credit: NASA horrified flight controllers could only watch as the readings for
the second oxygen tank crept down to zero. Aboard the spacecraft,
more warning lights illuminated, revealing that two of the three fuel
cells were now dead and that oxygen was slowly leaking out of the
first tank as well.
The likelihood of so many simultaneous catastrophic failures—
an oxygen tank gone, two fuel cells down, and one power bus
dead—seemed impossibly remote. For engineers, whose years of
experience had taught them that fluid lines might leak, electrical
wires might short, but that physical structures should not break, it
was a rude awakening.
Odyssey’s behavior was also disconcertingly odd. The
Command Module’s computer shut down and then restarted, while
its high-gain antenna lost functionality. Aware that Bus B was not
The exhausted crew of Apollo functioning, Haise reconnected its systems over to Bus A, only to
13 arrives at the recovery carrier discover that it too was unpowered. With only one healthy fuel cell
Iwo Jima after splashdown. From left, landing on the Moon was now out of the question, and getting
left, Fred Haise, Jim Lovell, and home alive would be Apollo 13’s new mission.
Jack Swigert Thirteen minutes after the explosion—yet another reminder of
Credit: NASA the unlucky number, as if one were needed—Lovell craned his neck
to the window and was startled to see a white cloud of vapor gushing
from the side of the Service Module. As it emerged into the frigid cold
of space, it crystallised and expanded into a broad, halo-like cloud.
“Houston, we are venting something into space,” he reported.
“It’s a gas of some sort.”
“Roger,” replied Lousma, “we copy you’re venting.”
At that point, Apollo 13 lead flight director Gene Kranz says,
the pieces of this puzzle snapped into place. A short-circuit and
explosion in the damaged oxygen tank had ruptured the Service
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FEATURE
Module, spewing its oxygen overboard and triggering a torrent and Haise still needed four days to get home, far longer than
of apparently unrelated failures. The blast had snapped shut Aquarius could sustain them. Discarding the heavy Service
two of the fuel cell’s valves and starved the ship’s electrical Module might bring them back in less than 40 hours, but its
system, while fuel valves to the thrusters had also closed, making presence protected the Command Module’s heat shield against
it difficult for the astronauts to regain control of the spinning solar radiation and the huge temperature extremes of deep
spacecraft, and the escaping oxygen was now acting like a space.
thruster, making the situation even worse. By now, the media had picked up the story, and their fervor
Ninety minutes after the explosion it was obvious that was intensified by the assessment of senior NASA manager Chris
Odyssey’s third fuel cell was threatened as well. The only way to Kraft that Apollo 13 was “about as serious a situation as we’ve
isolate the leak and save the surviving cell was to shut down the ever had in manned spaceflight.” Prayers were offered by Pope
two dead cells. After that, the next issue would be getting home. Paul VI in Rome, by pilgrims in India and at Jerusalem’s Wailing
Firing the engine at the base of the Service Module would enable Wall, and several nations, including the Soviet Union, offered
Apollo 13 to do an about-turn and bring the astronauts back in recovery assistance if needed.
a couple of days. But with the Service Module crippled, so too With plenty of oxygen aboard Aquarius for two now-
might be the engine, and there was now insufficient power to forgotten Moonwalks, breathing during the journey home was
open the valves to its combustion chamber, much less swivel its not a problem, but carbon dioxide from the astronauts’ exhaled
nozzle or steer its five-minute burn. This maneuver would also breath was. Canisters of lithium hydroxide ordinarily scrubbed
have required jettisoning the Lunar Module, which was now this toxin from the spacecraft’s air, but the Lunar Module only
their only fully-functioning component, and this was a risk Kranz carried enough for 45 hours (far short of the return-home travel
was not willing to take. time of 90 hours). More canisters were aboard the Command
They would keep the undamaged Aquarius as a lifeboat. Its Module, but as the two spacecraft were built by different
rocket engine did not have the power to send them immediately companies, the shapes and fittings of these filters were different.
back home, but it could put them onto a free-return trajectory, Mission Control technicians, led by fellow astronaut Joe
maneuvering them around the Moon and allowing its gravity to Kerwin, quickly rigged up a device to literally fit a square peg into
fling them back to Earth. Earlier lunar missions included this a round hole. Using only bits and pieces that the astronauts had
safety feature in their flight design, but the free-return trajactory with them—socks, duct tape, plastic bags, a spare oxygen hose,
also restricted the range of landing sites that could be reached. and the cover of a now-obsolete flight plan—they improvised an
From Apollo 12 onward, a ‘hybrid trajectory’ was implemented effective fix. Instructions were radioed to the crew who built and
to broaden the scope of lunar landing options—including Fra
Mauro—but required the Service Module’s propulsion system to
power them back home.
As Lovell and Haise hurredly powered-up Aquarius,
Swigert shut down most of Odyssey’s systems to conserve them
for reentry. One of his final tasks was transferring guidance
and control over to the Lunar Module’s computer, but with a
huge cloud of shimmering debris around the spacecraft, it was
virtually impossible to acquire accurate star sightings for proper
navigation. The only option was to handwrite the data from
Odyssey’s computer, mentally calculate the differing frames of
reference between the two ships, then input it into Aquarius’
computer, all while acutely aware that time was of the essence as
the Command Module was quickly dying. As they battled fatigue,
the astronauts were reliant upon Mission Control to cross-check
their arithmetic.
Finally, Swigert shut Odyssey down and joined his
crewmates in Aquarius. Controlling the 60-foot (18-meter) long
“stack” of two spacecraft from the Lunar Module carried its own
idiosyncrasies, which Lovell compared to steering a wheelbarrow
with a long broom handle, but he had little time to adapt to
this unusual situation. Six hours after the explosion, he fired
Aquarius’ descent engine to put Apollo 13 onto a free-return
trajectory around the Moon.
This committed them to splashing down somewhere in the
Indian Ocean upon their return to Earth, but Lovell, Swigert,
fitted it, and shortly afterward, to everyone’s intense relief, carbon
dioxide levels began to fall.
The next challenge was power, for unlike Odyssey the Lunar
Module relied on batteries to support two men for 33 hours on
the Moon’s surface. Stretching those capabilities to three men
and several days required switching off most of its systems,
including lights, gauges, and even the computer. Apollo 13’s
homeward-bound route was further shortened by another burn
of Aquarius’ descent engine, executed shortly after their closest
approach to the Moon. It cut the return journey from four days to
only two-and-a-half.
All three men looked wistfully out the windows as they saw
the forbidding lunar terrain, their lost goal, pass serenely beneath
them. Lovell had seen this view on Apollo 8, but for Swigert, who
never expected to fly on Apollo 13, and Haise, who had spent
months practicing for a pair of four-hour walks on its surface, it
was an intensely bittersweet moment.
After the engine burn, most of Aquarius’ remaining systems
were shut down. Temperatures inside its broom-cupboard-
sized cabin plummeted, moisture formed on its windows, living
conditions resembled a dank cellar, and the astronauts managed
a couple of hours’ sleep at best. Food stocks were frozen solid “Odyssey, Houston,” radioed Kerwin after three minutes.
and water was seldom drunk for fear that the dumping of urine “Standing by.”
overboard could knock Apollo 13 off-course. Lovell’s crew His voice echoed in the silent control room. There was no response.
returned to Earth severely dehydrated and Haise suffered a Five thousand miles (eight thousand kilometers) away in
kidney infection. the Pacific Ocean, the amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima and its
A few days later, Earth began to loom large in Aquarius’ detachment of Marine Corps helicopters had been scrambled as
windows as the astronauts and Mission Control prepared part of a massive search-and-rescue operation. They saw no sign
to reactivate the Command Module after several days in of the Command Module or its parachutes descending through the
frozen darkness. Writing reentry checklists usually took three crisp blue morning sky.
months, but the experts in Mission Control put one together in Four minutes of radio silence passed, and a feeling of dread crept
only two days. into Mission Control. Kranz’s words of “We will never lose an American
One question in the astronauts’ minds was the health of in space” during an earlier briefing must have been haunting him.
Earth-bound Ken Mattingly. Lovell asked CAPCOM Vance Brand At length, it was the Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft
if the ‘blooms’ of rubella had finally hit his former crewmate. which reported it had acquired a signal from the spacecraft. The
“Are the flowers blooming in Houston yet?” sighting was immediately relayed to Mission Control.
“Nope,” replied Brand. “Still must be winter.” “Odyssey, Houston,” repeated Kerwin. “Standing by.”
“Suspicions confirmed,” retorted Lovell. Then came Swigert’s voice saying, simply, “Okay, Joe.” Huge
Later that day, a healthy Mattingly strode into Mission sighs of relief escaped the lips of many millions around the world.
Control with a 39-page sheaf of 400 procedures to bring Odyssey Seconds later, television pictures from Iwo Jima revealed
back to life. For two hours, he talked Swigert through every switch the Command Module, descending beneath three red-and-white
throw and keystroke. Shortly thereafter, the crippled Service main parachutes.
Module was discarded, revealing the true extent of the damage: an “Odyssey, Houston, we show you on the mains,” radioed an
entire 13-foot-long (4-meter-long) side panel was gone, leaving a excited Kerwin. “It really looks great!”
jumble of shredded wiring and torn plumbing. Six days after leaving Earth to limited public interest,
Next they had to jettison Aquarius, which had served them Apollo 13 was home safely. Against a multitude of odds, its ill-
through the darkest moments of their mission. Alone now, the fated journey was ultimately followed by over a billion people.
Command Module plunged into Earth’s atmosphere at 24,000 The “successful failure” was transformed into NASA’s finest
miles per hour (38,620 kilometers per hour), and super-heated hour. Everyone associated with the mission—flight controllers,
plasma generated by intense friction from the atmosphere blocked contractors, and the media—had stayed at work until the crew was
communications with the ground. This blackout was expected to safely home. Many had not seen their families since the night of the
last for three minutes, but the unspoken fear in Mission Control explosion. Gene Kranz would later reflect on their steely resolve. “I
that Odyssey’s heat shield or parachutes had been fatally damaged remember their eyes,” he said, “dull with fatigue and shadowed by
was pervasive. anxiety, but their confidence and focus never wavered.”
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 55

NSS LOUNGE
THE NSS GOING VIRTUAL
DURING COVID-19
Melissa Silva
n light of recent events, we felt it important to highlight the of Apollo 14 will take place in January, and the final Breakfast on
many ways you can participate in National Space Society the Moon webinar, observing Apollo 17, will mark 50 years since
events online. The NSS has been working hard to boost the last time people set foot on the Moon.
its virtual offerings in recent years and provide its membership The SpacEdge Academy is also a valuable resource available
with space-related content they can engage with year-round, to NSS members, and can be found online at spacedge.academy.
from anywhere in the world, at their convenience. These include According to Lynne Zielinski, the NSS Vice President of Public
webinars, tools for education, and much, much more. Affairs and Director of Education, the academy reached an
In April, Chapters Assembly chair Joseph Bland hosted the estimated 10,950 students last year through their presentations.
third installment in the Breakfast on the Moon series celebrating Estimates for 2020 are even higher as more teachers join the
NASA’s Apollo missions. April saw Breakfast on the Moon SpacEdge network. The SpacEdge Academy is a depository for
#3 commemorating the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo lesson plans, projects, activities, and curriculum designed by
program, which launched from Kennedy Space Center on April teachers around the globe for all grade levels. The academy also
11, 1970. The series has been growing in popularity amongst offers teacher workshops and provides a platform where STEAM
NSS membership; the Apollo 12 webinar had 90 registered educators can collaborate with one another. The SpacEdge
participants and attendance for the April Apollo 13 webinar was Academy Centers for Excellence allows university students to
higher, as the webinar also honered the 59th anniversary of Yuri participate in cutting-edge challenges and gain access to research
Gagarin’s record-setting flight on April 12. It further celebrated recources in important NewSpace and commercial fields.
the 39th anniversary of the first orbital spaceflight of the space As many members may know, the NSS recently transitioned
shuttle program, and the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Space to a new membership system provided by YourMembership.
Telescope’s launch into low Earth orbit on April 24. A celebration One of the many benefits of updating to a more modern system
includes the ability to allow NSS members to access a forum where
they can share their ideas on space-related subjects with other
members; it’s like being at the International Space Development
Conference (ISDC) year-round.
Finally, the NSS also holds virtual town hall meetings
hosted by Burt Dicht, the NSS’s Vice President for Membership.
These are currently planned to be held once a month and will
cover a variety of space-related topics, including those relevant
to NSS members such as the benefits available to them through
the organization. These meetings are an opportunity for
members to come together and explore different topics related
to the goals of the NSS; this year, several ISDC presenters will be
asked to give presentations.
Breakfast on the Moon Credit: Joe Bland
The Gerard O’Neill Voyagers Circle
We are extremely grateful to our Circle and hope you will join this special group, too. Circle members have
donated $500 and pledged to set aside part of their estates for NSS or donated at least $5000 to help bring
about a future with millions of people living and working in space. Circle members include:
Chantelle Baier Richard Dowling Geoffrey Notkin Dale Skran

Christine Becker Art Dula Dave Pierce John K. Strickland, Jr.
Sherry Bell Lorna Jean Edmonds Bruce Pittman Stephen Trimberger
Don Boudeman Anita Gale Timothy Raupp Miriam Winder
Bob Brodbeck Alice M. Hoffman Carol Redfield
Randall Buss Mark Hopkins Joe Redfield
Teresa Conner Paul Jaffe Bina Rothblatt
Joshua Conner Karlton D. Johnson Gabriel Rothblatt
Hoyt Davidson Edwin Jones Martine Rothblatt
Frances Dellutri Ronnie Lajoie Herman Rubin
Burt Dicht Scott Maclaren Tanya Sienko
If you plan to include, or already have included, the NSS in your estate plans,
please join this wonderful and generous group of individuals. Please visit our website,
estate planning guide and benefits calculator at https://plannedgiving.nss.org,
e-mail us at [email protected], and/or call Mr. Todd Kapp,
our Benefits Manager, at (262) 914-2378.
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Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 57

NSS LOUNGE
FOR ALL MANKIND

CREATED BY: Ronald D. Moore, Ben Denivi, and Matt Wolpert RUNNING TIME: 65 minutes RATING: PG-13
DATE: November 1, 2019 CATEGORY: Television Show
>> Reviewed by Emily Carney <<
Alternate histories are nothing new to fatal accident involving Baldwin’s only son, and even the explosion
spaceflight literature, television, and film. of a Saturn V on the pad. Moore likes a lot of dialogue and is not
As early as the 1960s, the late Martin Caidin known for subtlety, but the show’s characters are very compelling,
provided a topsy-turvy, sometimes chaotic particularly the women astronauts. While some of these situations
view of space and NASA’s crewed launch may border on unbelievable, he makes a worthwhile attempt
center respectively in his books Marooned at making the women astronauts seem “real” and not mere
and The Cape. The former was even “Astronaut Barbies.”
adapted into a wildly different-from-the- The first four women Apollo astronauts aren’t portrayed as
book feature film, with mixed success. Movies including the made- impossibly idealistic divas with perfect blowouts and wrinkle-
for-television The Astronaut provided nightmarish what-ifs about free jumpsuits, but as people with often big problems. Danielle
long-term spaceflight to Mars from a 1970s perspective. Within Poole, NASA’s first female African-American astronaut (played by
the last decade, alternate spaceflight histories have enjoyed a sort Krys Marshall), might bear the distinction of being one of the first
of renaissance and last summer’s issue of Quest magazine—one women assigned to a Moon settlement, but also tries her best to
of the premier space history periodicals—showcased a bevy of cope with the double whammy of workplace discrimination and
Apollo 11-related “what ifs” by prominent spaceflight writers. a husband suffering from Vietnam-related PTSD. Ellen Waverly
So how does For All Mankind, helmed by Ronald D. Moore of (played by Jodi Balfour) might be one of Apollo’s first women
Battlestar Galactica fame, stack up in this medium? It does what commanders, but her struggle to hide her sexuality during a time
few, if any, space alternate histories have done: presume that the that was not accepting of anything LGBT results in her entering
Space Race didn’t screech to a halt shortly after humans stepped into an ill-advised sham traditional marriage while she hides her
upon the lunar surface. The show includes women and minority one truly fulfilling romance with a woman.
astronauts who are working in a long-term Apollo program that Tracy Stevens, the dark horse female candidate who was
focuses on settling the Moon rather than just walking on it a few at one point advised to leave the program due to inexperience
times (note: some series spoilers are included in this review). (played by Sarah Jones), matures into one of Apollo’s greatest
The show’s astronaut protagonist, Edward Baldwin (played Command Module pilots. However, like many women in the 1970s
by Joel Kinnaman), starts the series mired in a cloud of frustration (and even at present time), her work-home balance isn’t balanced
bordering on rage. The Soviets, still the biggest thorn in America’s at all—she has a troubled, adultery-plagued marriage to a fellow
side, have trod upon lunar dust first. In a case of “loose lips sink astronaut, and a chronically misbehaving son who seems to enjoy
ships,” Baldwin sinks himself with some choice, unguarded words acting out during their frequent absences. Even Cobb, the first
to a nosy journalist, but is soon redeemed and offered command American woman on the Moon, isn’t immune to the stresses of
of Apollo 15. The twist is that his Lunar Module pilot is one of life. She smokes marijuana with her husband and muses aloud if
NASA’s newest recruits to the astronaut corps, former Mercury 13 anyone takes her presence seriously—ultimately NASA does, but
candidate Molly Cobb (played wonderfully by Sonya Walger). only after her Moonwalk and (later in the season) a space accident
Cobb, with her messy hair and an even messier attitude results in her rescue and triumphant return. These women “have it
towards training alongside the upright Baldwin (this mission takes all,” but also experience the hell of “having it all.”
place circa 1971, just like the real thing), emerges as the show’s It’s here, near the end of the first season, that the viewer
antihero, who you can’t take your eyes off of. Indeed, she is the may realize the show’s title is a clever pun, as the very title For All
one who is determined enough to make a huge discovery inside Mankind seems to strike out the presence of women in spaceflight.
of a lunar crater: water ice, which can be mined to fuel spacecraft. While the male astronauts do carry a massive load during this
Following this discovery, subsequent episodes of the show alternate version of Apollo, many of the show’s women (and not just
explore a mid-1970s NASA struggling to find—and keep—its place the aforementioned women astronauts) carry an equally massive,
amid increasing Soviet supremacy, and space vehicles taxed by but less visible, load, juggling husbands, personal lives, kids, egos,
politics and “go fever.” and housework. The show’s title begs the viewer to ask what is
It’s impossible to deny the fact that For All Mankind delves missing, what could have been, and what may one day be different.
into soap opera-like side plots at this point, including one The first season of For All Mankind is available on Apple TV+
astronaut’s lapse into mental illness during a lengthy lunar stay, a and the show has been renewed for a second season.
FIGHTING FOR SPACE: TWO PILOTS AND THEIR HISTORIC
BATTLE FOR FEMALE SPACEFLIGHT
AUTHOR: Amy Shira Teitel FORMAT: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio CD (read by the author) PAGES: 448
PUBLISHER: Grand Central Publishing ISBN: 1538716046 DATE: February 18, 2020
RETAIL PRICE: $30.00 (Hardcover), $15.99 (Kindle)
>> Reviewed by Francis French <<
Amy Shira Teitel is a didn’t happen. On the surface it seemed like a case of
fresh face in the field of equality denied, but as I read the book, the reality proved
space history, attracting much more complex and almost the opposite of my
new audiences with original thinking.
her video channels Teitel cleverly intertwines the stories of these two
and other multimedia female pilots. Born a generation apart, both pushed for
venues. It’s an inclusion in what was overwhelmingly a “man’s world”
engaging, 21st century of aerospace, but in very different ways and with varying
approach that the degrees of success. Cochran, always a scrappy fighter,
field of space history knew how to work with politicians and key influencers to
needs. Nevertheless, get what she wanted. Cobb, a generally shy and awkward
there’s also something character who seemed most at ease alone in the air,
wonderfully satisfying tried to do the same with a purposeful sense of righteous
about holding a printed destiny. Their collaboration ended with a painful, public
book in your hands, showdown, something Teitel builds up to with tact and
and Teitel has now delivered just that. Having previously verve, and her focus on these two individuals delivers a
covered the early history of space exploration in Breaking fresh, original take on the events.
the Chains of Gravity: The Story of Spaceflight Before Teitel scoured archives for boxes of long-forgotten
NASA, in her second book Fighting for Space: Two Pilots memos and personal letters, and brought to light some
and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight she delves original materials that were previously only rumors. In
into a complex story of two women pushing for influence many cases, what she found has changed what historians
in the early years of human spaceflight. thought they knew of these women. She allows the story
When I heard that Teitel was writing a book about to breathe, which lets the lives of these characters, each
Jerrie Cobb and Jackie Cochran, I wondered what else of whom did their share of self-mythologizing, to develop
there was to say that others hadn’t said before. After organically in this telling. They are firmly grounded in clear
all, there are already many books about Cobb and the explanations of the politics and aerospace progress of
so-called “Mercury 13” group of women pilots (who went the time, something that many other books treat as an
through some of the same tests NASA used to select afterthought. As Cochran and Cobb’s stories diverge from
the Mercury astronauts). What was supposed to be a the more sanitized and campaign-minded versions they
small, privately-run medical test opened up a great deal fed to the media, Teitel lets the reader develop a subtle,
of speculation at the time as to whether America should growing sense of unease. Soon, their self-promotions
choose women as spacefarers. become a part of who they are, and a striking reason why
There are also a number of books written about Jackie neither achieved the heights they could have.
Cochran, the first woman to break the sound barrier and Most remarkably, Teitel allows us to feel personally
a key player in getting women pilots engaged in World engaged with both of these individuals. They are
War Two. Cochran and Cobb had both written their own characters who are difficult to sympathize with, as
autobiographies, and there are also many well-researched historical figures often are, but we get to know Cochran
and informative books written about the events in which and Cobb as individuals, laud them when they triumph,
they played roles. and feel for them when they make mistakes. Their
I had met Cobb years before and had been intrigued complexities allowed both women to go far in life, while
by what seemed like a straightforward story of injustice. also holding them back. The history of women fighting
She was a talented pilot who wanted to do what some for a place in aerospace history is all the more fascinating
male pilots were getting to do: train to fly in space. Cobb because many of the key figures were not squeaky-clean
pushed hard, lobbying presidents and legislators, but it role models.
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 59

NSS LOUNGE
URBAN LEGENDS FROM SPACE:

THE BIGGEST MYTHS ABOUT SPACE DEMYSTIFIED
AUTHOR: Bob King FORMAT: Paperback/Ebook PAGES: 224 PUBLISHER: Page Street Publishing
ISBN: 978-1624148965 DATE: October 15, 2019 RETAIL PRICE: $16.99/$9.99
>> Reviewed by Loretta Hall <<
In this era of “fake could float around the cabin, possibly finding its way
news,” author Bob King’s into an astronaut’s nose or eye. Even worse, graphite is
promise to demystify electrically conductive and flammable; a bit of broken
space myths is rather pencil lead could cause a short circuit and start a fire.
timely. I confess I was Addressing another myth, that the North Star is the
attracted by the whiff brightest star, King broadens the discussion to the
of sensationalism, to ultimate reliability of Polaris as an indicator of north. The
see dramatic legends precession of Earth’s rotation makes the stars’ relative
brought down by facts. positions change ever so gradually, and in the time of the
What I found in the Pharaoh Khufu, Thuban—a star most people today have
debunking of those never heard of—would have been the North Star.
tales was a tantalizing Given that understanding many of these
taste of astronomy, explanations requires careful thinking, it is unfortunate
one that whetted my that a few confusing errors survived the editing
appetite to learn more process. One is fairly obvious as a redundancy:
about the subject. I “27,000,000,000,000,000,000 quintillion molecules.”
had never heard several of the myths before, and the Another, perhaps not terribly important in the grand
responses like “Earth’s axis flips from summer to winter” scheme of things, is a reference to the Kármán line, at
and “Mars appears as big as the full Moon when closest 62 miles (100 kilometers) altitude, as “the legal boundary
to Earth” were very informative. I also learned some of outer space.” That designation is broadly accepted
interesting things about the tilt of Earth’s axis and how internationally, but it is not a codified into law (at least
social media hoaxes begin. in the United States). NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. military
Many of the urban legends King discusses sounded use 50 miles (80 kilometers) as the definition of the
familiar though. There’s “Earth is flat” in the section about border of space. Next came an interesting description
our planet; “we never landed on the Moon” in the section of a sequence of interplanetary distances in our solar
about our natural satellite; “there’s a planet on a collision system that might indicate the absence of a planet
course with Earth” in the section on planets, comets, and where one would be expected, and what was perhaps
asteroids; and “the sun will one day explode as a nova” a typographical error occurred in the sequence, “0.4
in the section on the sun, stars, and space. Most of us (Mercury), 0.7 (Venus), 1.0 (Earth), 1.6 (???), 2.8 (Mars).” The
already know these to be false, but some may not be numerical values represent the distances of planets from
so sure. I had always assumed the Moon’s phases are the sun in astronomical units (multiples of the Earth-sun
caused by Earth’s shadow, until I read his explanation. distance). The question marks, indicating where another
I thought that as the universe expands, galaxies speed planet would be expected, should have followed the 2.8
away from each other, but King’s clarification (illustrated rather than the 1.6 (which is actually the location of Mars’
by a clever analogy) gave me a different perspective. The orbit). Unfortunately, the discussion kept referring to the
size of the universe forces us into the realm of relativity incorrect values, which would have placed the asteroid
theory, so some of the explanations require much deeper belt (mythically the remains of a destroyed planet)
thinking as well. between Earth and Mars.
Even among the simplest myths, King’s explanations Urban Legends from Space is an enjoyable and
contain interesting information. The discussion of NASA’s informative read and a good introduction to astronomy
alleged extravagant spending on pens that can write in for someone with little knowledge of that field. The
microgravity includes a brief history of writing utensils few errors are overshadowed by the book’s engaging
in space. The inexpensive alternative, the humble glimpses of the mysteries that are present around us in
pencil, had proven to be problematic. An eraser particle the vast cosmos.
FIRST ON THE MOON: THE APOLLO 11 50TH ANNIVERSARY
EXPERIENCE WITH A FOREWORD BY BUZZ ALDRIN
AUTHOR: Rod Pyle FORMAT: Hardcover/Ebook PAGES: 208 PUBLISHER: Sterling
ISBN-10: 1454931073 DATE: April 2, 2019 RETAIL PRICE: $16.47/$10.99
Published in association with the National Space Society
(Note: This review is based on the ebook version)
>> Reviewed by Martin Lollar <<
FIRST ON THE “On July 20, 1969 World War Two, the success of the V-2 ballistic missile,
MOON
at 109:43:10 hours’ and his defection with some of his top rocket scientists
mission elapsed to the U.S., their work at White Sands Missile Range (then
FIRST ON THE M
NCE time, I stepped onto later in Huntsville, Alabama). We observe the birth of
TH ANNIVERSARY EXPERIE
THE APOLLO 11 50
the lunar surface.” NASA as a civilian agency in October, 1958 and the key
So begins astronaut personnel and decisions that lead to what was probably
Buzz Aldrin’s the most efficient managerial structure ever conceived.
foreword to noted We experience the evolution of what is still the most
space historian powerful rocket ever launched, the Saturn V, and the
Rod Pyle’s richly enormous engineering and personnel effort (at one time
OON
textured tale of involving over 400,000 people) is told at a pace that keeps
what is arguably the reader fully engaged.
FOR EWO RD BY RO D PYL E
BU ZZ ALD RI N the greatest The book includes, of course, full profiles of the crew
achievement of the of Apollo 11: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael
20th century. Of the many excellent books written about Collins. A brief but thorough biography is told for each of
the flight of Apollo 11 last year, the 50th anniversary of these men, detailing the paths they took that led them
the Moon landing, First on the Moon is set apart because to become the team that put those first steps on the
of the author’s gift for understanding and portraying the Moon. We meet Armstrong, the “cool under pressure”
human side of the first lunar landing. The Apollo program commander with an ironic sense of humor; Aldrin, with his
was a socio-political and technical miracle given what was Ph.D. in orbital mechanics and perfectionist personality;
accomplished in such a brief period of time, just over eight and Collins, the laconic and quick minded anchor for these
years from its initiation in 1961, and with technology that opposite personalities, and the man who would pilot them
had yet to be invented. to the Moon.
The book begins with a cliffhanger, leaving mission Another important aspect to this book are the
commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot sumptuous illustrations provided throughout. The
Buzz Aldrin approximately 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) author uses official NASA and government documents,
above the lunar surface, staring at a program alarm on period illustrations, engineering drawings, and archival
the computer that has to work perfectly for a successful photos to bring the words to life. Recently released
landing to occur. The narrative then jumps back to the images, long buried in the National Archives, have
1950s to begin the story of how the U.S. space program been assembled into new and exclusive montages by
got its start and the events that lead us up to this point. a commissioned digital artist. These illustrations will
That period was the beginning of the Cold War between bring back memories for readers who lived through this
the United States and the Soviet Union, and only one period and draw the uninitiated deeper into the story.
would be the winner in this high-stakes game of world- The pictures and illustrations by themselves may be
wide one-upmanship. The American military had been worth the cost of the book.
slowly building towards putting the first satellite in space, This is a very important, thoroughly enjoyable history
but on October 4, 1957 the Soviets shocked the entire of the Apollo 11 mission disguised as a decorative coffee
world by launching Sputnik into Earth orbit, which sent a table volume. First on the Moon offers people of all ages
steady beep from 359 miles (578 kilometers) above. the complete story of how the United States managed
The book follows the historical trail of the (sometimes to accomplish this historic event over 50 years ago.
unlikely) events that lead our nation and these three men Engagingly told and emphasizing the innovations involved
in particular to be the first crew to land on the Moon. We in this endeavor, it effectively relates what might have been
learn of Wernher von Braun’s rocket experiments during our greatest adventure. A highly recommended read.
Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 61

“Where you stand on
issues, how you live your
life, and how much good
you can do in the world
are greater challenges
than a lunar mission.”
-Al Worden
The National Space Society mourns the passing of Alfred M. Worden,

a member of the fifth class of NASA astronauts who served as the
Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 15 flight to the Moon.
Born in 1932, Worden graduated from West Point in 1955, flew with
the United States Air Force, and earned a master’s degree in aeronautical
engineering from the University of Michigan in 1963. He then served as
a test pilot prior to joining NASA in 1966.
Worden served on backup crews for Apollo 9 and Apollo 12
before being selected to fly on Apollo 15. During that flight, Worden
spent almost three days alone in orbit around the Moon while fellow
astronauts David Scott and James Irwin explored the lunar surface. The
Guinness Book of World Records cited Worden as the “World’s Most
Isolated Human Being” during that flight due to his distance from Earth
while passing the far side of the Moon.
During the mission, Worden conducted a record number of
observations and scientific experiments, far more that had been
accomplished on previous Apollo flights.
“Al Worden’s achievements during the flight of Apollo 15 included the
first extravehicular activity in deep space, and have inspired generations
of people worldwide,” said Al Anzaldúa, the NSS’s Executive Vice
President. “Mr. Worden’s subsequent contributions to STEM education
through both the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and his own
scholarship fund have helped countless young people to reach their full
potential. The NSS expresses its condolences to his family and friends.”
After the Apollo 15 mission, Worden worked at NASA’s Ames
research Center in California, then retired from NASA in 1975 and
served in senior executive roles for a number of aerospace firms before
becoming the chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. He
has founded other youth scholarship programs in subsequent years.
Worden wrote or co-wrote three books: Hello Earth; Greetings
from Endeavour (Nash Publishing, 1974), I Want to Know About a
Flight to the Moon (Doubleday, 1974), and Falling to Earth: An Apollo
15 Astronaut’s Journey to the Moon with Francis French (Smithsonian
Books, 2011).
Anthony Paustian, chair of the 2020 International Space
Development Conference, said: “The world has lost a truly incredible
man. Whether appearing on the Mr. Rogers show, raising money for
student scholarships, or just going to local elementary schools to speak
with kids one-on-one, Al was always willing to use his position to help
inspire others. It was my utmost honor at last year’s ISDC to present him
with the NSS Space Pioneer Award—an award he definitely deserved.”
Worden is survived by three children. The NSS expresses its
deepest condolences to his family and friends and lauds his many life
achievements. Worden appeared at at ISDC 2019, and was scheduled to
speak at the 2020 conference. His cheerful and generous presence will
be sorely missed.
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Larry Ahearn Fred Becker
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Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 63

LOCAL AND SPECIAL INTEREST CHAPTERS [CONT]
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Zografou, 15772
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nssa.com.au [email protected]
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Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Initiatives 3053 Rancho Vista Blvd, #H377
[email protected]
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61-2-9150-4553
378 I Street Near kashivishweshwar Temple, Contact: Linda Plush
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Contact: J. David Baxter Pune, Maharashtra, 413 102 661-949-6780
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utahspace.org 1-650-305-5811
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the magazine of the National Space Society

DEDICATED TO THE CREATION OF A SPACEFARING CIVILIZATION

Authenticated specimens, certified extraterrestrial gemstones,

AEROLITE METEORITES INC

58 FOR ALL MANKIND

59 FIGHTING FOR SPACE

62 60 URBAN LEGENDS FROM SPACE:

61 FIRST ON THE MOON:

63 LOCAL AND SPECIAL

34 Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 7

THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE

bit more forthcoming of late, and if we’ve learned

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 9

UNITY IN THE SKIES

ears ago, I had an experience that impacted me

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 11

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 13

Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts

SAMPLE SPACE LIKE COSTCO

ach year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 15

An autonomous systems monitoring an AI-driven robot from CES 2020

Credit: National Geographic/Disney

Credit: National Geographic/Disney

The World’s Fair of 2037, as seen in the new season

ourselves, at some point we have to establish what is true and what

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 21

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 23

BRUIE prepares for an underwater test in an icy environment

University, is another orbiter and designs are being

Andrew Klesh lowers a BRUIE

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 25

A digital map of an underwater ice cavern,

“...an engaging and expertly-informed explanation of how

“...a great read for those who already excited

“Optimistic, but not over-the-top so. Comprehensive,

LEARN MORE: BIT.LY/RODPYLEBOOK

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 29

China’s Long March 5 rocket

system) circle Earth. Below these

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 31

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 33

Key players in the new simulation game TerraGenesis

Screen captures from TerraGenesis

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 35

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 37

Landing sequence for NASA’s Dragonfly probe at Titan

atmosphere. In more than 100 flybys, it mapped much of Titan’s

The Dragonfly team testing an early prototype

The Dragonfly prototype goes through its paces

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 41

Gay Americans were

Astronaut Wendy Lawrence examines

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 45

Astronaut Anne McClain aboard the International Space Station

Artist’s impression of the

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 47

Spring 2020 || Issue 2 || 49

planetary neighbors, revealing short-term changes in our dynamic solar