|
PASA meets regularly for a business luncheon and formal meeting from 1-3 pm, the third Saturday of every month at Smart Alex Restaurant, Sheraton University City, 35th & Chestnut. 2 hours free parking with validation.
Scheduled activities: April 3rd presentation to World Future Society (see below). April 4th & 11th Hale-Bopp comet viewing at Trenton State Museum at 6 pm. (Call Michelle Baker for details: 609/561-8867.) April 10th book signing by Jim Chestek at 7:30 pm at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Abington. April 19th monthly meeting. May 11th trip to SSI Space Manufacturing Conference for summary session. May 17th monthly meeting. May 11th trip to SSI Space Manufacturing Conference for summary session. May 17th monthly meeting. June 21st monthly meeting.Call Dottie for details.
March 8th meeting included the following reports: Earl Bennett discussed: the March 1997 Analog magazine article by G. Harry Stein on the X-33 and how NASA is trying to make it into a Shuttle-2 program; the new eyeglasses on the Hubble telescope; telemetry from Galeleo with images of Ganymede in improved resolution; and Silicon Carbide FET's which are usable at high temperatures (600C), and therefore can be sent to Mercury and Venus.
Jim Chestek will join Michelle Baker at the March Storm initiative in Washington DC. Dottie Kurtz discussed a Planetary Society article on Mars rocks.
Mitch Gordon finalized plans for the PASA Human Settlements in Space presentation to the World Future Society meeting on Thurs., April 3rd at 7pm in Room 2023 of Drexel University's MacAllister Hall, 33rd & Chestnut Sts. Mitch, Earl, Michelle, Jim, Don Cox, and Jay Haines will present. Call Mitch for details: 215/625-0670. Mitch passed out copies of our trifold brochure.
The April 3rd presentation by PASA members Mitch Gordon, Earl Bennett, Michelle Baker, Jim Chestek, Don Cox, and Jay Haines on Human Settlements in Space to the World Future Society at Drexel University generated lots of discussion, including for PASA assistance in organizing a course at Drexel on space studies.
The April 10th lecture and book signing at the Abington Barnes & Noble by Jim Chestek, coauthor with Don Cox of Doomsday Asteroid: Can We Survive?, was attended by about 30 people, including five PASA members who kept the question and answer period lively (Michelle Baker, Earl Bennett, Rich Bowers, Mike Fisher, and Jay Haines).
The bad news reported at the April 19th meeting: Dottie Kurtz was unable to attend, as she is recuperating, and Jim Chestek has sold his house, and will be moving south. (Best of luck to you, Jim. You will be missed.)
Michelle Baker discussed the NSS 50-day campaign to increase membership. Anyone joining NSS for at least $25 (a $10 savings from the normal $35) will receive a free poster and PASA membership. All PASA members who are also NSS members by May 17th will be entered in a drawing for prizes, including: the Cox and Chestek book Doomsday Asteroid: Can We Survive?, Mitch Gordon's book, T-shirts, and other goodies. Call Jay Haines 215/855-7130 or Michelle 609/561-8867 for info.
Earl Bennett discussed: Field of Geeks, about people who save the world (based on the Independence Day movie); the Eveready bunny failing to make a recent Shuttle flight because of battery problems(!); research on carbon honeycomb nanotubes at NC Univ. & Rice Univ. which would be suitable for use in a space elevator; and inexpensive, standardized Globestar satellites.
Earl also discussed: the March 24th Newsweek article on Hale-Bopp; the April Product Design and Development article on the Pathfinder mission to Mars (lands July 4th); the April NASA Tech Briefs article on JPL research on powering a lightweight airplane with microwaves; and the May Sky & Telescope articles on a Japanese radio-astronomy satellite, and the periodicity of extinctions every 30 million years.
Hank Smith discussed recent and upcoming Science Fiction conventions, including the possibility of PASA participation at Philcon this November. Mitch Gordon discussed the possibility of PASA presenting to a Mensa conference in October. Michelle discussed the Mars Rover simulator CD-ROM.
|
