Cosmic Dreamweaver|
In this issue:
NewsWell, folks, the 4th Annual Core Conclave was great. We had a joint session with USIS, or United Societies in Space. The Keynote speaker (among many inspirational and knowledgeable others) was Dr. Robert Zubrin, the head of Mars Direct. Dr. Zubrin showed himself to be very charismatic, very capable, and to possess an excellent plan for colonizing Mars on a paltry budget of 5 billion dollars (compared to NASA's 450 billion dollar plan!). To hear him speak, you know that he knows what he is about. With the recent evidence, from a Martian meteorite that landed on Earth, suggesting the possibility of microbial life in Mars' past (and perhaps present), there is more reason than ever to pursue the red planet as a primary goal for exploration.Other speakers included Dr. Carol Rosin, who has known Werner Von Braun, Gerald O'neil, Timothy Leary, and many other people influential in politics, space science, and the military. She made an impassioned plea for "no nukes in space", which spurred an interesting debate with Dr. Zubrin over the wisdom of nuclear-powered space probes. Phil Kopitske, our chief engineer, gave a talk on the construction of Aquarius and her seedleaf colony offspring. This helped to put things into a better perspective for those who did not already have very concrete ideas of what the construction of Aquarius is going to entail. I personally met some of the Core members I had corresponded with over the past year, since the last Conclave. I got a chance to speak with Thor, our web guru. Thor received an award for all of his hard work; he was named Coremember of the Year. I applaud you, Thor! I spoke to members in Washington State (hi Alyce and Katherine!), from the UK (a really amazing crew, what with their waverider technology), and heaven knows where else (not to mention Steve Dodge, hey guy, how are ya?). Let us thank Kail Andersen, Harold Tietjens, Tom Redmond, Joey Shamel, and all of the other folks out in the San Gabrial District for putting together a nine foot model of Aquarius, which they lugged all the way out from Pasadena to Colorado Springs. Bravo! It was truly astounding, and should have cost over twenty thousand dollars, but only cost about nine hundred. We were awed by their accomplishment. Yours truly received a nice certificate for publishing this newsletter, something I had better start earning all over again, considering that I have gotten behind. But, I've been busy busy busy...all right, no excuses. Just shut up and do it, Nick. Finally, from the Tri-Sate area, Sam Liebowitz, Dmitri Donskoy, Dave Haber, and John Kavanagh showed up, and we had an interesting time, in which we discussed where we were going out here on the (sometimes) sunny East Coast. I would like to build a model of Avallon to rival that of Aquarius. William Gale was also there in spirit, if not in person. He received an award for all of his hard work and research on sites for Aqaurius Rising and on mariculture. Well, this looks to be an exciting year ahead of us. We will probably be putting Aquarius Rising on the island of Grand Cayman. We have grand (er, great) plans, and we are more tightly focused than ever before. Expect magic about to happen! And be a part of it!
Cheers, The Plurality of WorldsSo fortunate are we to have a plurality of worlds. Were we to know of only one terrestrial world, we might never brave the vastness of space, for fear of an eternal void surrounding us. But we are blessed with Luna, Venus, and Mars in our Solar neighborhood, and that makes all the difference.We can look up to Luna and see her face, a bona fide planet there in our sky, visible to the naked eye. Looking through a modest telescope, we can see craters on her surface, even sun-shadows marking geographic relief. Luna has experienced volcanism in the past, and today remains an interesting world, despite its relative stillness. Venus shines enticingly, and though we may find it difficult indeed to claim her as Earth's sister world, she still sends the message that we are not alone. She sends a message that elsewhere, and rather nearby at that, lie the familiar phenomena of mountains, continents, rift valleys, and just plain old solid ground, horizon, and sky. Psychologically, Venus is an anchor point upon which to hook our dreams, when the vastness of space daunts us. So too lies Mercury in our midst, yet another spherical rock that allows us to feel that there are other places out there, and that we may ultimately make our place off of this world. And so to Mars. This world in particular has been the center of a great deal of attention. On Mars, we are told, there may have been (or still be) Life! Why, fossils (?) were possibly found in Martian rocks that landed on Earth! And Mars has the makings of an Earth-type environment; we need only mix the recipe the right way. Dr. Robert Zubrin has an ingenious plan to get us there at a reasonable cost. If we follow his plan, humans will surely be stepping over the Red dunes in one-third g within our lifetimes. Since Mars is the world that lends itself most easily to terraforming, it is the logical first choice for such an ambitious project (I am personally in love with Luna, but I see Bob's point). On Mars, we can make a shirt-sleeve environment. It will be colder, but we will be able to breathe the open air. Mars will wear an oceanic crown, and forests will gird his waist. On Mars, with a whole world to explore, Life that we bring will have a chance to radiate and adapt in ways that may never have been tried by Earth-bound organisms. This playing around with other worlds, terraforming Mars and Venus, possibly colonizing Mercury, and building homes on Luna, will prepare us for the next great conceptual leap, the one that will take us out beyond the insular inner Solar system, to the gas giants and their attendant worlds. Just as the inner planets let us overcome the fear of leaving our one world, so will the confederation of worlds give us the courage and experience to take on a whole pack of worlds at once. The asteroids provide ample opportunity for colonization. While it would take trillions of kilometer sized worlds to add up to one Earth-sized planet (Sagan, 1995), the asteroids are all broken up, with much more surface area exposed. Therefore, we can get to their materials much more easily. In a sense they are an emulsified world, like bile breaking up fat globules for easy digestion. Of the many moons of Jupiter, three of them are bigger than Luna, and a fourth one is nearly as large. They provide us with an array of worlds from which to choose. As a multi-planetary species, we will be able to visit and eventually colonize the Jovian system, much more secure in our ability to do so, due to our previous successes. All in all, we can thank our lucky stars that these other balls of rock are so close by, for how else could we ever know that there are other Earth-like places in the universe?. We talk about potential worlds that we have never seen, because the multiple examples we have right here from which to infer some basic (and unique) properties. Comparative planetology, then, is one of our most valuable tools. We will be better prepared for other star systems, and ultimately, our star-flung descendants will be able to thank the Evening Stars for their existence.
-Nick Gauthier The Red PlanetMars holds the imagination like no other world. It is accessible to us with present-day technology, and we can afford it as well. Dr. Robert Zubrin of Mars Direct gave a very illuminating talk at the Fourth Annual Core Conclave/USIS meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Saturday, August 3. In it he described the way that we would go about colonizing the Red Planet.His approach involves traveling lightly, and living off the land as much as possible. He relates the tale of a large, well-funded expedition to the Canadian Arctic, that ended in the deaths of the explorers. They got stuck over the winter, and ran out of food. A smaller expedition that later got stuck on the same spot not only survived, but grew fat on caribou meat! So too is a smaller, lighter, well-equipped-to-live-off-the-land expedition to Mars better able to succeed, argues Dr. Zubrin. At a fraction of the cost of earlier proposals, we could be exploring Mars seriously and continuously by the year 2007. Expeditions would not bring their return fuel with them, rather, they would create their fuel from the Martian atmosphere. This would reduce the payload necessary to get there, and reduce the mission cost. The low cost of each expedition would allow continuous journeys every two years, with each crew remaining on the planet for a year and a half. They would have pressurized rovers, sealed habitats, robot rovers to aid them (operated teleorobotically), and would return in Earth Return Vehicles, or ERV's that would be sent to Mars well ahead of their own arrival. These expeditions could study the geology and hydrology of Mars, as well as search for any signs of life, past or present. Thus, we could answer some of the most basic questions of our existence. All of the knowledge we gain would then be used to begin the ultimate process: terraforming Mars. Once we begin to transform the atmosphere, and turn regolith into soil with the addition of biotic components, we will have begun one of the greatest moments in history: the formation of a new world. It will be Mars, more than anywhere else, that will test our mettle, for it will be our first attempt ever to create a whole world ecology. This, then, will set the pattern for galactic colonization for millennia to come. Mars has always been a source of wonder, from the first ancients who imagined it to be a god roaming the night, to modern writers who have graced its surface with canals and alien cities. After we of the First Millennial Foundation are done with our task, historians will be the ones writing about it. And it will not just be a geological history of the planet, but a human history. Hopefully, it will be a more enlightened history than that of Earth. And so the new world beckons. And while it has been likened to the American Frontier, in that it allows opportunity for freedom and growth for colonists, it also is devoid of the negative aspect of displacing natives. It is much more benign, much less costly, relative to our resources, than colonizing the New World on Earth was, and much more intriguing. Let us waste no time, then, but begin the colonization of Mars, and move closer to our cosmic destiny.
The Mars Direct Homepage
From this page, you can access many files, inlcuding Zubrin's "The
Significance of the Martian Frontier", a description of the plan, and
methods of terraforming the red planet. You can also download neat images of
Martian colonization. Finally, you can fill out their request form to get on
their mailing list. -Nick Gauthier TechnobabbleLiving MachinesThe folks at Ocean Arks International are doing a fine job of researching the principles of ecological techonology. They publish a newsletter for their members called Annals of Earth, in which they describe the latest advances in living machine design, including aquaculture (particularly of Tilapia). As I have mentioned in several issues of this newsletter, Living Machine and Ocean Arks are very relevant to our goals. We can expect "Living Machines" to be a stock phrase among Aquarians and true space colonists.Water treatment is one of their main concerns, as illustrated by the Flax Pond Restoration Project on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The pond is used for cranberry growers, and the water quality was getting poor, so OAI stepped in and have had at least partial success. Continued pollution from ground water affects their success, but this type of challenging pioneering work on water treatment will some day serve in our efforts to build habitable colonies.
Contact Ocean Arks International at:
Ocean Arks International
Refueling on MarsEfforts at designing missions to colonize Mars have included ideas to reduce the need to bring a mission's return fuel, and to instead create that fuel when on the Martian surface. This is one of the many ideas that make Dr. Zubrin's Mars Direct plan so feasible.In the May/June 1996 issue of Ad Astra, Dr. Robert Zubrin explains the plan for colonizing Mars. One of its key components is carrying liquid hydrogen to Mars, which will then be reacted with the Carbon Dioxide in the Martian atmosphere. This will produce methane, water, and oxygen. This use of gases from the Martian atmosphere greatly reduces the need to carry such substances from the Earth, for the Earth Return Vehicles, scheduled to bring early explorers home after a year and a half stay on Mars, can refuel while they are on the Red Planet. This is just one of the many delights of the Mars Direct Plan, and is sure to prove extremely useful to the Millennial Project as a whole.
SCUBA DivingSCUBA has been around since Emille Gagnin and Jacques Yves Cousteau first invented it in the 1940's. It has undergone many changes since then. Some of the most important advances include regulator design (the regulator is what delivers air to the diver, through the mouthpiece), and mask design (modern masks let the diver pinch his or her nose to equalize pressure inside the ears).Of course, the most important aspect for Aquarians, who will spend a good deal of time in the water, is SCUBA certification. SCUBA can be enjoyed by nearly anyone (barring any serious handicaps), but it is a skill that needs to be learned. Therefore, I urge everyone in the Foundation to learn this skill, as it is vital that we all know how to live safely on, in, and around Aquarius, before we get there. One organization worth checking out is DAN, or Divers Alert Network. DAN provides services for divers, including medical insurance, emergency air evacuations, use of hyperbaric chambers for recompression, and general info that is available to all members. DAN is based at Duke University Medical Center, and can be reached at:
1-800-446-2671 (phone)
or write: ElementsIron was known to the ancients, and was used in weaponry, construction, and for other purposes. It's atomic number is 26, atomic weight 55.847, melting point 1535 C, and boiling point 2750 C.Iron is the central atom in the hemoglobin molecule, which carries oxygen in red blood cells. (Oxygenated iron is what gives blood its red color. The same red can be seen in hematite, which is oxygen-containing rock found particularly frequently in the American Southwest. Vulcans, like Mr. Spock from Star Trek, have green blood because they possess copper instead of iron). Obviously, an iron-poor diet can seriously affect one's oxygen-carrying capacity, for red blood cells last only about 30 days, and must be grown anew. Iron is also important to Mars. Mars has a red color for a reason. It has a great deal of oxygen and iron. The Viking landers report the following Martian Regolith composition (Eckart, 1994):
Iron is therefore available to Martian colonists and ecosystems, both for industrial uses, and for living systems. Iron is a very special element in another way. In the nuclear furnaces of stars, where first hydrogen, then helium, and heavier elements are fused to form still heavier ones, iron is the final product. With the fusion of the lighter elements, more energy is released from the reaction than goes into it. However, when iron atoms are fused, they take more energy than the reaction releases. This spells the final moment of the stars existence, for once all of its fuel has been fused into iron, the star cannot resist the pull of its own gravity, and collapses. The star then rebounds, and explodes, spreading its matter across the vastness of space. In the heat of this final, brilliant event, called a nova, in which the star may outshine its parent galaxy, heavier elements are born of fused nuclei. Thus, iron represents an absolute boundary, beyond which elements go from being formed in the routine workings of a stellar furnace, to being born of a momentous, fiery explosion. Iron is also responsible for Earth's magnetic field. Earth has a solid crust surrounding a solid and liquid mantle, the whole being known as the lithosphere, as it is mostly composed of rock. Underneath is a liquid outer core, containing much iron, as well as a solid inner core, composed primarily of iron. It is the orientation of iron atoms in the core that determine the polarity of Earth's magnetic field. Since the liquid iron swirls about, the magnetic poles "wander" about the high latitudes, and occasionally reverse polarity, so the negative pole becomes positive, and vice versa. The magnetic field is of use to explorers, for it lets us tell north from south, east from west. Even today, orienteering competitions are based on using map and compass to find one's way through difficult terrain and outpace one's opponents. And the magnetic field allows ships and planes to find their way with confidence across broad expanses of ocean or wilderness. As you can see, iron is very special. We are fortunate to find it in such abundance on a world that will become a home to Earth Life in the not very distant future.
Literature Cited
Periodic Table of Elements Book ReviewsRed Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars Kim Stanley RobinsonCopyright 1993 (Red Mars), 1994 (Green Mars), 1996 (Blue Mars) by Kim Stanley Robinson Published by Bantam Spectra (all) ISBN's: 0-553-37134-7 (Red Mars), 0-553-37335-8 (Green Mars), 0-553-10144-7 (Blue Mars) Well, every once in a great while there comes along a fellow who defines the genre. Tolkien did it for fantasy, and Robinson has done it for speculative science fiction. Without stepping outside the bounds of science-as-we-know-it, except to make some plausible speculations, Robinson has created an epic trilogy of Martian colonization. The stories span many decades and generations, and are humbling to any would-be writers. This series has technical tidbits to satisfy any hard critic, and amazing depth of character and plot development. By all means, read these books at your nearest convenience. They are a treasure, and will shape the paths of writers and spacefarers alike for decades to come. I won't give any more away (half of you have probably read them already!) But for those of you unacquainted with the series, it is a can't-miss selection!
Mars
Ben Bova Another excellent book in the Martian tradition, Bova limits himself to a single expedition lasting weeks, not eighty years. Still, he does a great job of portraying the first Martian expedition. He includes, among other well-rounded characters, a young Navajo who sees more on Mars than he bargained for...there are a few really neat surprises in this story. I won't spoil it for you, though. Pick it up.
Game ReviewsAlien Legacy Sierra GamesCopyright 1995 Sierra On-Line, Inc. ISBN: 0-87177-076-8 Alien Legacy is a fascinating simulation, wherein the player is the last hope for humanity. The Terrans have fought a battle with the Alpha Centaurians (admittedly a cheesy plot), and seedships were sent to colonize other star systems, in the not unlikely event that Terra was destroyed or conquered. The game gives you a star system, in which you can find analogues to the planets in our system, plus a few surprises. Two are capable of supporting life, and of the others, you may build colonies on various moons and asteroids, as well as on the surface of the terrestrial planets. The simulation asks you to build habitats, power plants, factories, research stations, and to conduct surface exploration missions. It is up to you to see that each colony is self-sufficient, and that each has a supply of ore, energy, and life support. There are many other elements to the game, and as you converse with your advisors and consult your computer, you learn a great deal about the solar system that Sierra has created. Not all of the science is ultra-hard, but the game is fun and completely engrossing. I have been led to believe that Outpost, also by Sierrra, is at least as good, but I have yet to play it. Free e-mail! / OutreachFree e-mail!Sam Liebowitz, our vice president and treasurer, posted this recently on the announcements mailing list for the Foundation, but of course it is more useful to people who do not have e-mail already!
Let's Build Copernicus!In The Millennial Project, there is a color plate of a domed-over crater on Luna, the crater of Copernicus. This shows a bubble membrane enclosing a thriving ecosystem with verdant grasslands, shimmering forests, and a great lake with fleecy white clouds overhead. One of our ideas is to build a scale model of this colony, so that we can bring it to the 1997 Conclave to represent the Tri-State Chapter with a strong presence. We wish to match the San Gabrial Valley District's accomplishment with their eight foot scale model of Aquarius.Another project we want to pursue is a small model of an OTEC that actually produces electricity (not net, we will have to input the energy, and use ice and a heater to make the water temperature difference). We will make this for demonstration purposes, to show to people who might be interested in joining the Foundation.
OutreachWe of the Tri-State Chapter are fairly well spread out, so we plan to begin new Chapters to increase membership and have meetings between people closer together. Things look good for a New York City Chapter in the works. Connecticut has a fair shot at one, since they have three people already, and I have been invited to continue a presentation to the USS Phoenix, a Star Trek club in my area (Orange County, New York). This might nab some new members.We realize the need to get every existing Coremember involved in a Chapter, so we encourage you to get together. Find out who the people in your area are, and meet regularly, even if it's only once a month. If you do not have anyone nearby, then try to stay in touch on the internet, or at least the occasional phone call or letter. We have tightened our act a bit, and will be keeping more regular contact with other Chapters and members. The only way to the stars is to get enough people involved. Cosmic DreamsThe Birth Of The OpalThe Sunbeam loved the Moonbeam,And followed her low and high, But the Moonbeam fled and hid her head, She was so shy—so shy.
The Sunbeam wooed with passion;
She fled like a dream before him,
Just as the day lay panting
But out of his warm arms, startled
The Sunbeam followed and found her,
And lo! the beautiful Opal- -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, 1888
The Soul's Farewell To The BodySo we must part forever; and althoughI have long beat my wings and cried to go, Free from your narrow limiting control, Forth into space, the true home of the soul,
Yet now, yet now that hour is drawing near,
I was your captive, yet you were my slave:
That toiled for me or held the books I read,
Those lips through which my prayers to God have risen,
I go to my inheritance, and go -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, 1888 In RetrospectIn retrospect, however, perhaps Thoreau, in his love for the wild, for the fertile swamps and forest details, missed the Butlerian train of thought that the steam engines rattling through the woods were also mineral deposits in motion, transformations of earthly metallic veins and giant fern forests into black coal and the rhythmic trudging of iron. The veins begin as bands of ore buried in the Earth and grow into railroad tracks branching across continents. Technology is not a wrong track but an extension of nature's creativity so sudden it startles us. We may protest against the tackiness of technology, its inelegance and obtrusiveness, but this clumsiness is a mark of its newness, like the uncoordinated gait of a newly born fawn. As we watch the baby deer of technology stumble through these springtime woodlands it is easy to be condescending. What we forget is that the fawn is already walking, just hours after she has been born. If we look closely we can see in this very ungainliness of youth the promise of a future elegance, an elegance in which our "technology" has come into harmony with nature. This then is the fate of technology: to leave behind the immature stages of antagonism and courtship and to permanently mate or copulate with the biospheric life from which it has sprung.-Author Unknown; from an article entitled, "Sancutary" End August Issue contact the author of this home page: Dmitri Donskoy  Last modified: Thursday, September 26, 1996  Home |