| DATE | TOPIC | SPEAKER/ACTIVITY | DESCRIPTION/ASSIGNMENTS | NOTES |
| Jan 12 | Introductions. The Politics of Space Colonization. |
Sid Goldstein,
Author, How to Cure Our Environmental, Economic, and Crime
Problems
in-class presentation and Q/A session |
Hand outs, Syllabus, and Reading Lists. Student self-introductions and form into "Groups". Sid Goldstein will speak on The Politics of Space Colonization. | N/A |
| Jan 19 | A Sharing of our Opinions on Space Colonization | Class Discussion and Movie |
A class discussion and open forum on our opnions about space
colonization and its relevance to the human condition, past present,
and future. The movie Space Flight: Thunder in the Sky is
a 30 minute history focusing on the people instrumental in
conceptualizing and developing rocketry and solving the problem of
navigation in space.
Class Minutes
|
N/A |
| Jan 26 | Searching for Life in the Universe, Project Ozma to the Allen Telescope and Beyond... |
1. Lecture on the Drake Equation
2. Dr. Frank Drake (SETI Inst.), President; (UCSC) Prof. Emeritus video-conference 1:00-2:00 |
1. Cwc will present the
Drake Equation
including the definition and
discussion of each of its terms: Does N Equal L?. Here is
Dr. Churchill's
Slide Presentation.
2. An video-con interview with Dr. Drake led by Group1. Questions have been compiled by the students. Everybody remember your video-con manners!
Class Minutes (incomplete)
|
Individual questions for Drake due to Group1 via email by 5pm Jan 24. Compiled questions emailed to cwc & Drake ASAP thereafter. |
| Feb 2 |
1. Off-planet Perspectives from Apollo Astronauts.
2. Sea Paths to Everywhere: Anologies to our Space Frontier |
Movie and Class Discussion |
1. Movie: For All Mankind (National Geographic Society).
This movie highlights the Apollo moon missions and the human
experience of being an Apollo astronauts. 80 minutes.
2. Class discussion on the questions posed for the reading of Book II of The Discoverers. View an Outline of Book II. View the Hand Out of discussion "questions".
No Class Minutes
|
N/A |
| Feb 9 | The U.S. Space Program from Sputnik to Apollo 17... and NASA's 2001 Space Reality | Movie and Brief Class Discussion |
1. Movie: Moonshot. This movie, based upon the book with same
title, tells the story of the U.S. Space Program from the points of
views of Deke Slayton (Apollo-Soyuz) and America's first astronaut
Alan Sheperd (Mercury 3, Apollo 14). You will be answering questions
from Part I
(text |
PostScript)
and Part II
(text |
PostScript)
in class, which you will then type up into an essay format to hand in February
16 (see Assignments).
2. Brief discussion of Thomas Paine's December 1969 National Geographic Society's article in which he outlines NASA's and the U.S. Space Program.
No Class Minutes
|
1. Hand in essays on Book II of The Discoverers
2. Individual question for Pat Dasch emailed to Group2 prior to class. Group2 compilation of questions emailed to cwc & Dasch by noon Monday Feb 12. |
| Feb 16 |
1. The Challenger Accident: Management Ethics and Its Aftermath
2. The National Space Society: Mobilizing Public and Congressional Opinions |
1. Mark Schlaefer (Vandenburg Air Force Base)
Shuttle Launch Pad Test Director, Ret.
in-class presenatation/interview 2. Pat Dasch ( National Space Society), Executive Director tele-conference 12:00-1:00 |
1. Movie: The Challenger Accident (NASA).
Mark Schlaefer will discuss the causes and aftermath of the
Challenger
accident, which killed all seven astronauts on board. He will also
discuss his personal experience as Shuttle Launch Pad test Director
at Vandenberg Air Force Base, a job which evaporated following the
accident. The story and ethical issues of the management decision to
launch, as discussed from the point of view of Roger Boisjoly (Former
Morton Thiokol Engineer), can be viewed at
onlinethics.org
2. Pat Dasch will be giving a tele-con interview on general issues of public outreach and opinions, political mobilization, and the goals and role of the National Space Society. Group2 will be conducting the interview. Here are the Questions. Here is an outline of the Ad Astra Roadmap to Human Settlement of Space.
Class Minutes (not yet available) |
Hand in outline of Paine article (see assignments made Feb 9). |
| Feb 23 |
1. The Microeconomics and Technology of Space Colonization
2. Short Film: Doomsday Asteroid |
Sid Goldstein,
Author, How to Cure Our Environmental, Economic, and Crime
Problems
in-class presentations and Q/A session |
The video will illustrate the problem we face from cosmic catastrophes. The
lecture will discuss the technology needed to be able to deal with this
problem as we develop a space faring civilization. The microeconomics of
space transportation and manufacturing will be covered to explain why none
of these technologies will be developed until we have a serious,
coordinated, and well funded partnership between the government and
business.
An Q/A and discussion will follow the lecture. Do the required reading, have
your questions ready and be prepared to participate.
Articles and links:
Class Minutes (not yet available) |
1. Hand in questions for Sid Goldstein.
2. Hand in "Moon Shot" paper. |
| Mar 2 | Mars Direct and Entering Space |
Dr.
Robert Zubrin (Pioneer
Astronautics), President;
Author, The
Case for Mars,
Entering
Space, and
Islands
in the Sky
video-conference 12:30-1:30 Zubrin's Magnetic Sail, funded through the NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts |
1. Class presentations. Each group will give two 6-minute oral
presentations (5-min for content + 1-min for Q/A), each covering one
chapter out of Dr. Robert Zubrin's book The Case for
Mars.
2. Dr. Robert Zubrin will give a video-con interview on Mars Direct and other questions pertaining to creating a space faring society. The hosts will be Group 3. Questions have been compiled by the students. |
Due before class: Email your microeconmics papers directly to Sid Goldstein (sidgoldstein@adelphia.net) |
| Mar 9 | SPRING BREAK | SPRING BREAK | SPRING BREAK | SPRING BREAK |
| Mar 16 | The Physiological Challenges of Traveling to and Living on Mars |
Dr. Jim Pawelczyk (PSU), Asst. Prof. of Physi/Kines, Payload Specialist (STS-90), in-class presentation and Q/A session, 12:30-1:30 |
Dr. Pawelczyk's will give a one-hour talk, entitled, "What Price
a Martian?: Human Limits to Exploring the Red Planet" and will address
the physical changes in and challenges to the human body that are
associated with extended duration spaceflight. An important point
will be that the physiology of the human organism itself may be the
ultimate limitation to colonization of other planets.
Articles:
No Class Minutes |
NSBRI is the Nation Space Biomedical Research Institute, formed in 1997 by Dan Golden. It is a consortium of twelve universities and research institutes. The goal is to study biomedical problems associated with long duration space flight and by 2010, report to NASA the feasibility of a three-year Mars mission. |
| Mar 23 | TBA | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Mar 30 | Space Law: Current Issues and Future Barriers for Space Colonization |
Dr.
Ram Jakhu
(McGill,
Institute of Air & Space
Law), Assoc. Prof. of Law; Director, Centre for the Study of
Regulated Industries
video-conference, 11:30-12:30 |
Dr. Jakhu will be giving a one-hour video-conference interview on the topic of Space Law and its relevance to space colonization. Six major Space Law Treaties and Conventions can be downloaded from The Institute of Air & Space Law web page on Space Law. | N/A |
| Apr 6 | Policies Aimed at Creating a Space Faring Nation: II |
Sid Goldstein,
Author, How to Cure Our Environmental, Economic, and Crime
Problems
in-class presentations and Q/A session |
TBA | Cwc will be out of town. |
| Apr 13 | Ecospheres, Habitable Zones, Terraforming, and Biological / Environmental Considerations of Space Colonies |
1.
Dr. Chris House
(PSU), Asst. Prof. of Astrobiology,
in-class interview, 11:30-12:30 2. Dr. James Kasting (PSU), Prof. of Geosciences, in-class interview 1:00-2:00 |
TBA | N/A |
| Apr 20 | TBA | TBA | TBA | N/A |
| Apr 27 | Ad Astra! Warp Drive and "Breakthrough" Propulsion Systems |
Dr. Marc Millis
(NASA Glenn) Breakthrough Propulsion Physics
(BPP) Project, Project Manager
video-conference 1:00-2:00 pm |
NASA Glenn's Marc Millis offers his assessment of the prospects for
achieving the propulsion breakthroughs that would enable
far-future visions of interstellar travel.
He will explain the challenges of interstellar travel, existing propulsion ideas, and the possibilities emerging from scientific literature that
may one day provide the desired breakthroughs.
Questions for Dr. Marc Millis
|
N/A |