Wednesday / 12 March 2003

Highlights

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Features

Lunar Scientist Outlines Ambitious Sample Return Mission From Aitken Basin. Michael Duke (mikeduke@earthlink.com) will deliver his paper, "Challenges for Sample Return from the Lunar South Pole - Aitken Basin' at the 34th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in League City TX, 17-21 March. In it he says the age and complexity of the mix of materials located in Aitken Basin provides a significant challenge for sample return missions. 'Moonraker' was proposed to the NASA Discovery Program in 2000. Its principle goals were to document the range of materials that constitute the breccia / melt sheet, determine the subsequent impact history of the Moon, the definition of a yet unsampled major lunar terrain and the thermal history of the South Pole - Aitken (SPA). Even though the concept fit within the budget constraints, it was judged to be too risky. The NRC's recent Decadal Survey of Planetary Exploration identified SPA sample return as a high priority mission of moderate cost that could be included in NASA's New Frontiers Program, which has a less restricted budget than did the Discovery Program. Moonraker might be modified to fit this new concept and would involve a wide range of the lunar science community in development and operational tasks.

Apollo Memorabilia On Auction 12 April. While many people may take advantage of TransOrbital's offer to deliver personal items to the lunar surface, a few lucky people will actually be able to own items that were carried to the Moon and back again. Swann Auction Galleries in New York City will host a space auction on 12 April. "Swann has been selling (items) related to milestones in science, technology, and worldwide exploration since our very first auction over 60 years ago. It is a natural progression for us to move on to space exploration" said Swann Chairman George Lowry. The auction is organized by Gregg Linebaugh and Richard Austin, the same team responsible for Christie's East "Space Exploration" auctions. It contains 408 lots related to American and Russian space programs, ranging in value from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands. Three items of particular interest are: Apollo 11 Moon dust smudged navigational cards inscribed by Buzz Aldrin and annotated by the first men on the Moon ($200,000 to $300,000); a lunar map carried on the Apollo 16 lunar rover ($80,000 to $120,000); a Moon dust coated glove worn by Eugene Cernan when collecting lunar samples during Apollo 17: the first complete space suit article with a substantial coating of lunar dust to be offered at public auction ($200,000 to $300,000). A catalog of auction items may be purchased for $25 at swanngalleries.com.

International Space Agency Seeks To Harmonize Global Space Community
Conceived in 1982, Founded in 1986, and Incorporated in 1990, the not-for-profit International Space Agency (ISA) is "an enabler and conduit for peaceful and cooperative international space activities" between major and emerging space nations and the global space community. Under the current directorship of Rick R. Dobson, Jr., the ISA has conducted five formal international meetings and over 200 informal meetings that have involved multinationals representing governmental, commercial, scientific, academic and private sectors. As defined in its mission statement, the ISA seeks an active role in almost all space-related activities, including but not limited to OMD (objects of mass destruction) awareness programs, an international space traffic control center, multilingual space science and technology database, space academy and monitoring of Earth's planetary and geological resources. Under international support and leadership, the ISA proposes to provide cost-effective asset allocation for a 100% reusable 'international space plane' that would employ a 'single stage to orbit' system. Recently, the ISA is currently seeking international charter and has expressed an interest in the International Lunar Conference 2003 set for 16-22 November on Hawaii Island, Hawaii.
Info: http://www.international-space-agency.org

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