Posted by Chris Radcliff in Meeting Notes, News on May 8, 2009
This week, tech blog Gizmodo is featuring a topic near and dear to our hearts: space. Their Get Me Off This Rock series features pretty much everything spacy, including astronaut food, Space Camp, the ISS, the Mars Desert Research Station, and (appropriately for this week) Star Trek.
…because flying to space and deciphering the Universe is not just a desire to go to the unknown, to open new commercial pathways, or discover new lands to move to. This quest goes beyond Humanity’s past and greatest adventures because it tries to answer the most important questions of them all: Who are we? Why are we here? How did we get here? Are we alone in this rock we call Earth?
There’s quite a lot there already, and the week’s not over yet.
(Hat tip to Loretta Whitesides.)
Posted by Chris Radcliff in Calendar, Meeting Notes on February 17, 2009
Wed, Feb 18, 2009
6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Location:
Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center (map)
1 Father Junipero Serra Trail, San Diego, CA 92119
The SDAA program meeting on Wednesday, February 18 will give a JPL/NASA Mars update presented by SDAA’s own Jerry Hilburn.
This 45 minute lecture will update the status of the MRO, Spirit, Opportunity, and Phoenix missions to Mars. Recent information provided through the JPL education outreach services will be presented, along with the latest feedback and analysis from the mission program scientist.
The meeting is at at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor and Interpretative Center, beginning at 7:00 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM.
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Posted by Chris Radcliff in Meeting Notes on January 11, 2009
At today’s meeting, Gerry Williams showed the JPL video Five Years on Mars, which featured Opportunity’s journey to Victoria Crater. That prompted Karen to remember a passage from a book she was reading:
…This path went winding down the rock to a wide plain, circular in shape, and surrounded on all sides by mountains. Those opposite to them were a great way off, and towered to an awful height, shooting up sharp, blue, ice-enameled pinnacles. An utter silence reigned where they stood. Not even the sound of water reached them.
Looking down, they could not tell whether the valley below was a grassy plain or a great still lake. They had never seen any space look like it. The way to it was difficult and dangerous, but down the narrow path they went, and reached the bottom in safety. They found it composed of smooth, light-colored sandstone, undulating in parts, but mostly level…
The book? The Golden Key, a fairy tale written in 1867. Just a reminder that wonder in exploration is not new, and not likely to vanish so easily.
Here’s wishing Spirit and Opportunity a happy 5th anniversary on Mars. We hope to join them there soon.
Posted by Chris Radcliff in Chapter Updates, Meeting Notes on April 17, 2008
(No, I’m not that slow at counting the ballots, just tardy in reporting them.)
At the April 14th, 2008 general meeting, we voted unanimously to ratify our chapter bylaws. Officers were also elected, with unanimous votes for Jesse Clark (president), Dave Dressler (treasurer), and Chris Radcliff (secretary). Officers will serve a one-year term, with elections held again this time next year.
These mark the last two steps needed to become a legit NSS chapter, so we’re official! Thanks to all the members who showed up to vote, and congratulations, everyone!
Posted by Chris Radcliff in Meeting Notes on March 9, 2008
The second general meeting of the San Diego Space Society was held at Studio 106 downtown on March 9th, starting at 4:00pm. Nine people attended, including James Pura of the San Diego SEDS chapter (via teleconference).
Yuri’s Night
The upcoming Yuri’s Night party was the hot topic of the night. In fact, there will be two San Diego parties: a combined party at Killer Pizza From Mars (Oceanside) in the evening, and a SEDS party hosted by James at UCSD later that night.
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