The View From Missive Control

Welcome to our biggest issue yet! I hope you find this one as interesting to read as I did putting it together. We start off with a lok back at NSDC ’94 by our own Seth Potter, who not only was present as an attendee, but presented his work on thin-film solar power satellites as well.

For those of you who didn’t make it to our first Space Science Technology Opportunities conference for teachers, you really missed out! we, and the teachers, built model rockets, rod on demonstration hovercraft (and come to think of it, built some of those too), practiced planetary surface mapping, learned about local astronomy opportunities, growing crystals, and even created our own First Contact with an alien race that some of us got to design! I wouldn’t miss this one next time around.

Carolyn Josephs updates us on what’s coming up in the world of education, and Robin Vernuccio brings us a book review for teachers. I’ve also included a copy of the entry form for our upcoming student space art contest. Having mentioned a book review, I of course must plug my own promised one – I hope I’ve done justice to Marshall Savage’s The Millennial Project.

Craig Ward, the NSS Chapters Coordinator sent around by e-mail a survey for planning the future of NSS. Larry Roberts joins us again with a colleague and a press release on their recent article touting ST:TNG as a teaching tool for law schools. We have an announcement about the upcoming Satellites and Education Conference in Pennsylvania, and, speaking of the Keystone State, Greg Zsidisin passes on word that our planned joint field trip with the Philadelphia chapter of NSS is on for the first weekend of next month.

Finally, on a sad note, for those who hadn’t heard, Dr. Myron S. Malkin, nuclear physicist and the first director of the space shuttle program (1973-1980), passed away at age 70 in late October. Ad Astra…