March 19 News Items

Astronauts Offer Personal Memorabilia for Charity (Source: ASF)
More than thirty astronauts (John Glenn, Jim Lovell, Scott Carpenter, Buzz Aldrin and many more) have delved into their collections to provide artifacts of personal significance, autographed items, and are offering one-on-one adventures for an online auction to raise funds for scholarships provided by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). Experiences include SCUBA diving with Apollo 16 moonwalker Charlie Duke; Skydiving with 5-time Space Shuttle Astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson; Attending a Space Shuttle Launch with STS-1 Astronaut Bob Crippen. Artifacts include an Apollo 13 parachute segment flown in space; a John Glenn autographed LIFE magazine; Apollo 9 lunar module insulation flown in space; and more! Visit http://astronautscholarship.org/auction.pl to bid and for information. (3/19)

Lawmakers Seek Money For Space Tourism Travel (Source: KHNL)
A really far out idea That's getting some attention from Hawaii's top leaders. Backers believe it will take Hawaii tourism to new heights; literally. In a few years you could travel into space, from commercial spaceports at Honolulu and Kona international airports. Lawmakers are asking for half a million dollars to apply for a spaceport license. "This money would go to the office of Aerospace development within DBEDT they would be tasked with putting together an application that would go to the FAA and request that Hawaii is designated one of these commercial spaceports," said Sen. Will Espero. (3/19)

Editorial: MDA Sale to ATK Not in Canada's Best Interest (Source: National Post)
It's been 50 years since the almost mythical Avro Arrow supersonic jet fighter was scrubbed and scrapped, a sacrificed $400-million government investment that lingers still as a defining blow to Canada's patriotic pride. We never learn. In a matter of days, the Conservative government is scheduled to rule on the sale of Canada's world-class satellite builder to American interests, selling $430-million worth of taxpayer investment south of the border for a $1.3-billion shareholder payday. In the lofty dare-to-dream department, the MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) sale to Alliant Techsystems ranks as a far greater sin than killing off a jet of questionable economics, even one allegedly superior enough to offend American aviation sensitivities at the height of the Cold War. (3/19)

Sir Arthur Clarke's Legacy Will Live On (Source: NSS)
The members and board of the National Space Society are saddened by the passing of Sir Arthur Clarke, a longtime member of the society's Board of Governors. Clarke's legacy will live on in the decades to come, as humanity continues the great adventure of space travel and exploration. "Sir Arthur's positive vision of the future excited generations about space exploration, and inspired millions to pursue scientific careers," said Buzz Aldrin, Apollo astronaut and fellow member of the NSS Board of Governors. George Whitesides, NSS Executive Director, stated: "Arthur C. Clarke invented the concept of geostationary satellites in 1945, and the orbit of such satellites is named in his honor. It is highly fitting that future space explorers setting out for distant moons and planets will forever pass Clarke's Orbit on their way." (3/18)

New Mexico Space Museum Wants to Collect More History (Source: Alamogordo Daily News)
Most museums are filled with history of one kind or another, but the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo is looking for all it can get and not necessarily things that have flown in space. What they are seeking, according to the museum's education specialist Mike Shinabery, is all the oral history people involved in the space program are willing to provide. "We sit down with them and record their stories on audio and video tape," he said. "One of our volunteers transcribes the interview." (3/19)