DynaSoar
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Please look this over. Tell me what you think. This is a draft, so if there's something that needs changed, no problem. As such, please don't pass it around as yet. That'll come later when the folks I trust (that's you, that's why I'm posting it here) think it's ready to go. Reply here, or PM me here, or email me at [email protected]. Again, please don't pass this around yet. Thanks.
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To: The Amateur Rocketry Community
Re: IGY + 50: Science with Rockets
This is an open letter to every person and group involved in amateur rocketry, from model rockets through experimental behemoths.
July 2007 through December 2008 will be the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY). During IGY many worldwide projects were undertaken, for the purpose of scientifically exploring the Earth, atmosphere and space. IGY was the impetus for the International Council of Scientific Unions and the US government to call for the launching of the first satellites. The benefits to science were many. The benefits to society were not insignificant, beyond the development of applications from any results obtained. Recall, this was during the Cold War. Scientists proved that despite their nations differences, they could collaborate on science.
There is presently a proposal set forward by Paul Verhage, on the Edge Of Space Sciences web site, as well as forwarded to a few relevant journals, magazines and groups, for amateurs to celebrate the 50th anniversary of IGY by initiating their own scientific programs to carry out during the 18 month IGY anniversary period. Please read the proposal itself at:
https://www.eoss.org/igy.htm
Youll note prominent mention of balloons, and very little about rockets. Edge of Space Sciences is not a rocketry group. It is primarily high altitude balloon flyers and ham radio operators. Read up on EOSS at their web site at: https://www.eoss.org .
The fact is they do mention calling on rocketry to participate. This letter is an effort to make that call heard.
Despite the value placed on rocketry R&D projects, formal or informal, the fact is that most of them are self-serving. They examine facets of rocketry with the intention of improving rocketry. Even experimental rocketry is often not much more than building motors and rockets only to see if it can be done successfully. This is not a criticism of such efforts; this work needs done in order to advance our technology. Furthermore, much of rocketry is simply rocketry for its own sake hobby, sport, call it what you will.
I ask you to consider for a moment, what can be done using rockets to gather knowledge of interest to others? Launching an egg and getting it back unbroken, or launching a bowling ball and getting the rocket back unbroken, these are challenging, but are they useful? What scientific payloads can be devised and launched, the results of which could be shared with others, that would examine something other than the vehicle carrying it? There have been many such prior efforts, but far fewer than there could be.
I also ask you to consider some practicalities. While IGY did show there could be scientific collaboration despite national differences, there would have been no support for these efforts if doing so were not politically profitable to those scientists nations. Much of rocketry is now embroiled in controversy with the US government regarding our use of explosives. We are fighting for our right to practice our hobby. This is perhaps an overlooked point because we are looking at it with our own assumptions. From another viewpoint, we are fighting for our right to practice our HOBBY. It is hard to justify the existence of something undertaken for its own sake by no more than a few thousand people in comparison with the dangers (real or perceived) considered significant by people who are tasked by the public trust to protect us from those dangers. Public support in the last few years has tended towards more security over more freedom of action. We may disagree with this in principle, but we must accept it as the reality of our situation if our hobby is to successfully survive and counter it.
I suggest that an organized effort of scientific exploration involving as many groups and individuals are possible could serve as a central argument as to why we should be allowed to continue to practice rocketry with as little regulation as is reasonable. The mere existence of such an effort would not be enough. Rather, a widespread commitment to it, an active effort at organization for it, and most of all widespread public outreach and public relations efforts is called for. If we are seen as valuable contributing members of the scientific community in terms of practicing science as well as providing opportunities for others to join and do so, we can present ourselves are more than a hobby. Instead, we can present ourselves as amateurs in the sense of differing from professionals only in whether we this is our primary lifes avocation. We can be amateurs in the sense of Von Braun, Goddard and the Wright brothers. Lest the point be lost, they all started as amateurs. They did not remain amateurs.
As yet, IGY+50 is only an idea. It has been proposed to see whether there is sufficient interest to put more work into actually organizing it. I feel that it is a worthy effort in and of itself and suggest all in the rocketry community consider supporting it by devising and flying a scientific payload during this time, and participating in this organized effort to publicize the fact as well as accumulate the data produced. I further feel that in our doing so we may have an unparalleled chance to re-create our image in our own eyes, the eyes of the public, and especially in the eyes of governments. Doing this could serve to ameliorate our present regulatory problems and guarantee our continued freedom to fly. I would not suggest this as the primary reason to participate, but to be realistic nor would I suggest that this possibility be ignored. I feel the two points to be inextricably linked, in that by undertaking such a program we earn our right to continue to do so in the future, and that requires our freedom to continue to fly.
Think on what you can fly in terms of a scientific payload. It need not be a spectacular bit of science, only something that can test a hypothesis or concept, the results of which can then be forwarded to whatever organization exists to support it. It need not take high power, speed or altitude to accomplish; the very air around us is an undeniably important factor in our lives and simple science examining it can produce useful and meaningful results. And even if it doesnt, undertaking science for whatever reason provides the opportunity for others to do so, making rocketry more attractive and valuable to others, as an effort supporting the worldwide scientific community as well as a place that scientists of the future can start to learn to practice their craft. I was a scientist of the future at one time, and rocketry was where I started to learn to practice my craft. I know Im not alone in this.
Please consider this all: discuss, argue, brainstorm, argue some more, take things out, put things in, and most of all, spread this around, either as presented here or in whatever form you feel will help result in a positive outcome. IGY+50 is a noble effort in and of itself, and even if nothing else results from our participation, it is very worthy of our contributions. If more than good science comes of it, so much more the benefits to us.
If you support being part of IGY+50, please email Paul Verhage from the link provided on the IGY+50 web page. If you belong to a group or club, please see if they as a group would consider doing so, and if so, notify him of that groups interest. If your group expresses interest, please share that fact with others and urge them to consider participating individually, or as a group, whether part of yours or their own. Finally, if you consider this worthy, urge any national or international groups to which you belong or support to consider their participation.
=============
To: The Amateur Rocketry Community
Re: IGY + 50: Science with Rockets
This is an open letter to every person and group involved in amateur rocketry, from model rockets through experimental behemoths.
July 2007 through December 2008 will be the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY). During IGY many worldwide projects were undertaken, for the purpose of scientifically exploring the Earth, atmosphere and space. IGY was the impetus for the International Council of Scientific Unions and the US government to call for the launching of the first satellites. The benefits to science were many. The benefits to society were not insignificant, beyond the development of applications from any results obtained. Recall, this was during the Cold War. Scientists proved that despite their nations differences, they could collaborate on science.
There is presently a proposal set forward by Paul Verhage, on the Edge Of Space Sciences web site, as well as forwarded to a few relevant journals, magazines and groups, for amateurs to celebrate the 50th anniversary of IGY by initiating their own scientific programs to carry out during the 18 month IGY anniversary period. Please read the proposal itself at:
https://www.eoss.org/igy.htm
Youll note prominent mention of balloons, and very little about rockets. Edge of Space Sciences is not a rocketry group. It is primarily high altitude balloon flyers and ham radio operators. Read up on EOSS at their web site at: https://www.eoss.org .
The fact is they do mention calling on rocketry to participate. This letter is an effort to make that call heard.
Despite the value placed on rocketry R&D projects, formal or informal, the fact is that most of them are self-serving. They examine facets of rocketry with the intention of improving rocketry. Even experimental rocketry is often not much more than building motors and rockets only to see if it can be done successfully. This is not a criticism of such efforts; this work needs done in order to advance our technology. Furthermore, much of rocketry is simply rocketry for its own sake hobby, sport, call it what you will.
I ask you to consider for a moment, what can be done using rockets to gather knowledge of interest to others? Launching an egg and getting it back unbroken, or launching a bowling ball and getting the rocket back unbroken, these are challenging, but are they useful? What scientific payloads can be devised and launched, the results of which could be shared with others, that would examine something other than the vehicle carrying it? There have been many such prior efforts, but far fewer than there could be.
I also ask you to consider some practicalities. While IGY did show there could be scientific collaboration despite national differences, there would have been no support for these efforts if doing so were not politically profitable to those scientists nations. Much of rocketry is now embroiled in controversy with the US government regarding our use of explosives. We are fighting for our right to practice our hobby. This is perhaps an overlooked point because we are looking at it with our own assumptions. From another viewpoint, we are fighting for our right to practice our HOBBY. It is hard to justify the existence of something undertaken for its own sake by no more than a few thousand people in comparison with the dangers (real or perceived) considered significant by people who are tasked by the public trust to protect us from those dangers. Public support in the last few years has tended towards more security over more freedom of action. We may disagree with this in principle, but we must accept it as the reality of our situation if our hobby is to successfully survive and counter it.
I suggest that an organized effort of scientific exploration involving as many groups and individuals are possible could serve as a central argument as to why we should be allowed to continue to practice rocketry with as little regulation as is reasonable. The mere existence of such an effort would not be enough. Rather, a widespread commitment to it, an active effort at organization for it, and most of all widespread public outreach and public relations efforts is called for. If we are seen as valuable contributing members of the scientific community in terms of practicing science as well as providing opportunities for others to join and do so, we can present ourselves are more than a hobby. Instead, we can present ourselves as amateurs in the sense of differing from professionals only in whether we this is our primary lifes avocation. We can be amateurs in the sense of Von Braun, Goddard and the Wright brothers. Lest the point be lost, they all started as amateurs. They did not remain amateurs.
As yet, IGY+50 is only an idea. It has been proposed to see whether there is sufficient interest to put more work into actually organizing it. I feel that it is a worthy effort in and of itself and suggest all in the rocketry community consider supporting it by devising and flying a scientific payload during this time, and participating in this organized effort to publicize the fact as well as accumulate the data produced. I further feel that in our doing so we may have an unparalleled chance to re-create our image in our own eyes, the eyes of the public, and especially in the eyes of governments. Doing this could serve to ameliorate our present regulatory problems and guarantee our continued freedom to fly. I would not suggest this as the primary reason to participate, but to be realistic nor would I suggest that this possibility be ignored. I feel the two points to be inextricably linked, in that by undertaking such a program we earn our right to continue to do so in the future, and that requires our freedom to continue to fly.
Think on what you can fly in terms of a scientific payload. It need not be a spectacular bit of science, only something that can test a hypothesis or concept, the results of which can then be forwarded to whatever organization exists to support it. It need not take high power, speed or altitude to accomplish; the very air around us is an undeniably important factor in our lives and simple science examining it can produce useful and meaningful results. And even if it doesnt, undertaking science for whatever reason provides the opportunity for others to do so, making rocketry more attractive and valuable to others, as an effort supporting the worldwide scientific community as well as a place that scientists of the future can start to learn to practice their craft. I was a scientist of the future at one time, and rocketry was where I started to learn to practice my craft. I know Im not alone in this.
Please consider this all: discuss, argue, brainstorm, argue some more, take things out, put things in, and most of all, spread this around, either as presented here or in whatever form you feel will help result in a positive outcome. IGY+50 is a noble effort in and of itself, and even if nothing else results from our participation, it is very worthy of our contributions. If more than good science comes of it, so much more the benefits to us.
If you support being part of IGY+50, please email Paul Verhage from the link provided on the IGY+50 web page. If you belong to a group or club, please see if they as a group would consider doing so, and if so, notify him of that groups interest. If your group expresses interest, please share that fact with others and urge them to consider participating individually, or as a group, whether part of yours or their own. Finally, if you consider this worthy, urge any national or international groups to which you belong or support to consider their participation.
