Posted by Jesse Clark in Calendar, Events on November 26, 2011
Fri, Dec 16, 2011
6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Location:
S-Cafe, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (map)
1 Space Park
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
The AIAA LA section presents an evening dinner with keynote Trina L. Ray – Cassini Titan Orbiter Science Team Co-Chair and Technical Group Supervisor, Science Planning Systems, Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The twin Voyager spacecraft flew by Jupiter and Saturn, and Voyager 2 went on to flyby Uranus and Neptune. They are considered one of the most successful NASA missions of all time. They discovered rings, moons, active volcanos, giant storms, and high-speed jet streams. They showed us just how amazing and diverse the universe is – even in our own back yard. They used the relatively new concept of gravity-propelled space travel to accomplish this “grand tour” and they are the farthest man-made objects in the solar system. Right now, they are still sending back data from the edge of the very edge of our solar system as they become the first spacecraft leaving it. Rediscover the amazing breadth of these missions and find out what they are currently up to.
Please register here.
Email events@sdspace.org if you’d like to join SD Space members planning to attend.
Posted by Jesse Clark in News on November 26, 2011
NASA has successfully launched the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft, including the new SUV sized rover, Curiosity! 
The MSL rover will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life. In other words, its mission is to determine the planet’s “habitability.”
After a 60 million mile flight, the spacecraft is due to arrive at Mars on Aug. 6, 2012.
For more information on MSL and it’s Mission, check out the JPL website.
Safe journey Curiosity!
Posted by Jesse Clark in Space News on November 10, 2011
Derek Nye once again goes into depth to cover a space topic of current interest, using a clear style accessible to everyone. This time he takes on nothing less than the future of space exploration itself in his article A Collection of Rockets:
Most new rocket engines being built by SpaceX, Armadillo Aerospace, XCOR, and other commercial space companies are liquid rocket engines. So what is a liquid rocket engine? First off, let’s explain how every rocket works. Every rocket works by taking some source of fuel and a concentrated oxygen source, mixing the two, and then igniting them in a combustion chamber. By doing this, you create a stream of high pressure, high velocity gas. Then, the gas is turned supersonic as it is passed through a precisely shaped nozzle. This generates the thrust for the rocket, as this mass of gas is expelled at high speed out of the nozzle. Your sources of fuel and oxygen can be in solid form, liquid form, or a mixture of the two (hybrid). …
Read the rest (and Derek’s other articles) over at D Minus Zero.
Posted by Jesse Clark in Calendar, Chapter Updates, Events on November 6, 2011
Wed, Nov 16, 2011
7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Location:
Abundant Sugar (map)
618A Moulton Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90031
The LA Space Salon is a new and unique social event designed to be a reliable outlet within the space community for people to engage with one another, contribute their ideas, pose questions, hear from industry leaders, and coalesce efforts towards a cultural permeation of the values we share about space exploration. Our objective is simple: bring space professionals, enthusiasts and entrepreneurs together in an open discussion about our shared future beyond this world.
Each month, we will have a featured guest who will help us explore humanity’s path forward into space. These events are designed to be deeply engaging and leave time for plenty of mingling. Speakers start their presentations at 8:00 and will be followed up by a round of audience Q&A.
The speaker is followed by LA Space Salon’s open forum. All attendees are encouraged to participate in this months discussion question: “What is the single most important development in the next 5 years for moving the space industry forward? What can we begin to do now to make that a reality?” Come with your thoughts prepared and ready to share!
Please register here
Email events@sdspace.org if you’d like to join SD Space members planning to attend.
Posted by Jesse Clark in Calendar, Events on November 6, 2011
Thu, Nov 17, 2011
7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Location:
Crowne Plaza Hotel (map)
5985 Century Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
The AIAA LA section presents an evening dinner with keynote John S. Spencer – Space Architect, Author, Developer and Founder/ President of the Space Tourism Society. John will speak about the emerging Space Experience Economy.
For decades the American aerospace industry has benefited from the synergistic relationship between three space experience mediums. They are: (1) real space exploration/ development, (2) Earth based tours of NASA Centers/space museums/space attractions and (3) the media via space themed movies, TV, games and virtual worlds. Together they represent the growing Space Experience Economy. Famous spokespeople such as Walt Disney, Walter Cronkite, Carl Sagan and Sir Richard Branson have also kept the public informed and excited about the potentials and wonders of space exploration.
Major non-space industries including hospitality, cruise lines,
extreme sports/racing, mega real estate developers, adventure
travel, yachting and advertising are seeing the space experience as
an exciting and futuristic theme to promote their brands to the
international market place and build stock value. We will explore
how SEE can be leveraged to grow and diversify our vital
aerospace industry and attract young talent to the field.
Please register here.
Email events@sdspace.org if you’d like to join SD Space members planning to attend.
