Space notes from Bee

22 October 2008

Updates from the Board of Directors at The Planetary Society

Greetings to all from London!

Do you know of The Planetary Society? The Planetary Society has inspired millions of people to explore our worlds and search for the answers to the questions most pertinent to our place in the cosmos - is there life out there? how does the Earth work and sustain us all? how is it to live on Mars? what new technologies will allow us to ensure our a secure future for all of humanity? and the list goes on...

Established by Carl Sagan, Louis Friedman and Bruce Murray, The Planetary Society is the world's largest non-governmental planetary and space interest group.

With great joy I would like to share an update with you: I have recently been invited on to the Board of Directors of The Planetary Society! In my role as a Board Member, I shall provide input w.r.t the international focus as well as youth mandate via the significance of our work at Space Generation Advisory Council. I would like to represent all your collective voice and not just a personal one in my activities with TPS as I feel that this unique opportunity is an invitation for the youth to stop being a 'consumer' of our space programs. It is for us to become serious, reliable and equal partners in framing today's space policies and programs that will affect our future and make sure that they are strengthened by strong international collaborations. SGAC and TPS have valued each others' activities and have been partnering with the Planetary Society on various projects including the 50 Year Vision Project.

So, I extend this invitation to you to help us become these 'serious partners' that we talk of. My question to you IS: How can youth be more proactive in helping shape our space programs? These can be space programs for mapping Earth processes and understanding them better, for improving disaster management, for exploring new 'earths', to learn how to back up our biosphere, to become multi planet species and to bring about all the cutting-edge technologies that are needed to get there, etc. I invite your comments and suggestions on how we can finally go boldly where no one has been before!

Is it via more outreach? Is it via using our social networks and Web 2.0 tools? How would YOU do it?

I look forward to all your interesting thoughts!

Web Links:
The Planetary Society: http://planetary.org
New Board Members: http://www.planetary.org/news/2008/1021_James_Bell_Named_New_President_of_The.html
Planetary Society Board of Directors: http://www.planetary.org/about/board.html
Biography: http://planetary.org/about/bee_thakore.html

News Release:
The Planetary Society
65 N. Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106-2301 (626) 793-5100 Fax (626) 793-5528
E-mail: tps@planetary.org Web: http://planetary.org

For Immediate Release: October 21, 2008
Contact: Susan Lendroth, 626-793-5100 ext 237



Global Economic Crisis Accentuates Need for Science, Earth Observations and Space Programs to Create a Positive Future
International Cooperation in These Endeavors is Imperative, Planetary Society Board of Directors State

Science is an imperative. Space is not a luxury. We cannot walk away from these endeavors without damaging our future on this planet.

In light of the economic turmoil currently roiling nations around the globe, The Planetary Society's Board of Directors believes that it is vital that we not lose sight of the importance and long-term economic benefit of maintaining a strong commitment to scientific research, including space exploration. Today the Board issued the following statement:

To safeguard humanity's home planet and better understand the universe that surrounds it, we need a vibrant and diverse space program, forged through global cooperation that shares the tasks, shares the benefits, and shares the costs. Whatever the immediate economic problems may be, we believe that strong space programs should continue to be important priorities for both the US and other nations.

From monitoring Earth from space to studying long-term climate change on other worlds, the space program enables scientists to paint the big picture - helping us to better understand the global forces that affect us all. No one nation alone benefits from better understanding that picture, and to paint it large and detailed enough, no one nation alone can bear the expense.

Space exploration programs not only provide a peaceful context for global engagement, but also contribute to skilled workforces and new technologies in participating nations, inspiring students to enter science and engineering fields. Observing Earth from space and understanding our planetary environment are as crucial to our survival as are the basics of a good economy.

As Voyager 1 prepared to leave our planetary neighborhood, Carl Sagan, co-founder of The Planetary Society, suggested the spacecraft be turned for one last look at its home planet. The resulting image of Earth as a single blue point of light gave us a profound new view of our world - from a perspective possible only through space exploration.

Sagan wrote, "It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

The Planetary Society's Board of Directors affirmed this statement in Boston, where they held their semi-annual meeting. Planetary scientist Jim Bell assumed the helm as the Society's new president, succeeding Neil deGrasse Tyson, whose term has ended. The Planetary Society also added two new board members: Alexis Livanos, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector; and Bijal "Bee" Thakore, Regional Coordinator for Asia Pacific, Space Generation Advisory Council.

The Planetary Society's other Board members include Chairman Dan Geraci, Vice President Bill Nye, Heidi Hammel, Scott Hubbard, Wesley T. Huntress, Jr., Lon Levin, Chris McKay, Bruce Murray, Elon Musk, Joseph Ryan, Steven Spielberg and George Yancopoulos.

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23 September 2008

@ IAC

I shall be attending the International Astronautical Congress in Glasgow. As every year, the most dynamic group of young space leaders will convene prior to the IAC on 25-27th September. I have Academy and Committee meetings on Sunday followed by the full opening of the IAC 2008!

The highlights amongst the normally super exciting opportunity to meet with all my friends and supporters from the Space world and to see the latest headlines in space research, commercial development and education/outreach would be:

- I am accompanied by young miss Tejal Thakore this year, who is also featuring in the IAC. It is the first time the Thakore Daughters get unleashed on the space world! Tejal will present her paper on NEO Threats at the IAC on the 30th of September.
- I am an invited panelist for the Planetary Society's Town Hall meeting on the future of Space Exploration. I shall be accompanied by Louis Friedman, Bill Nye (The Science Guy) and Steve Owens!
- The new IAF advisory committee on space and society will look at how IAF members can improve global coverage and help bridge the digital divide: a reception is open to all. For an invite, do contact thomas DOT bouvet AT iaf DOT org
- I present the Youth Visions for the Next 50 years in Space with a more indepth study and whats in store from that project on the 2nd of October.

Look me up in Glasgow or drop me a line here (or on facebook, twitter, etc) and I would love to meet up!

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23 January 2007

Space Generation Congress Applications Open 22 January

The Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) is pleased to announce the 2007 Space Generation Congress (SGC) from September 20-22, 2007, in Hyderabad, India. Organisers are requesting that interested university students and young professionals 18-35 years of age who have a passion for space and the ambition to act on it visit
http://www.explorerswanted.com. There they can begin participating in the various online project groups, which will build over the next several months and culminate at the Congress in Hyderabad. In addition to onsite workshops and relevant speakers, training, and networking with top space professionals, several cultural events are also being planned to spotlight the host location in India.

Workshop project teams include the MoonMars Workshop, the Case for Human Exploration, Lunar Waystation, Students Reaching Students, Yuri's Night World Space Party, SGAC Public Relations, and SGAC Project Research, as well as competitions for Habitat Design and Space Transportation Papers. Travel and lodging sponsorship will be available for some delegates
.

Applications open on 22 January and close on 15 April; however, selection is partially based on the online collaboration and participation in the forums before the Congress on the Explorers Wanted website.

ABOUT SPACE GENERATION CONGRESS

Space Generation Congress (SGC) is the annual event of SGAC and is held each year in conjunction with the International Astronautical Congress. SGC is a youth forum that unites passionate young space professionals, students, and enthusiasts from all over the world. Each year, more than one hundred delegates come together to discuss issues facing the international space industry. Over three days, delegates brainstorm and develop ideas that both motivate and promote the space industry and bring the benefits of space exploration to the wider community. Delegates work before, during, and after the Congress to make these ideas a reality.

ABOUT SPACE GENERATION ADVISORY COUNCIL


Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) is a non-governmental organization created at UNISPACE III by a recommendation in the Vienna Declaration on Space and Human Development ("…to create, within the framework of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, a consultative mechanism to facilitate the continued participation of young people from all over the world… in cooperative space-related activities"). SGAC has official observer status in the United Nations (UN), and represents students and young professionals (mostly 18-35 years old) from all backgrounds, all countries, and all organizations to the UN, national governments, and space agencies. Nearly 100 countries are represented by National Points of Contact, which are organized into six regions of the world.

Space Generation identifies a large group of young volunteers who have an interest in space and an ambition to act. Past products include Yuri's Night World Space Party, the MoonMars Workshop, and Under African Skies. Over 2500 international participants are members of the SGTalk email list that allows discussion and dissemination of information relating to space topics and events across the globe.

Subscribe at www.spacegeneration.org

This is the 6th annual SGC event organised by the SGAC, which is supported by SERCO.

IMPORTANT DATES
22 January 2007 – Applications and online collaboration tools open
15 April 2007 – Applications close
15 May 2007 – Delegate selection announced
20-22 September 2007 – SGC 2007 in Hyderabad, India
24-28 September 2007 – IAC 2007 in Hyderabad, India

WEBSITE
http://www.explorerswanted.com

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