With the NASA Orion Pathfinder test vehicle coming to Huntsville, we are happy to announce that HAL5 will be participating at the NASA Orion and SLS Managers presentation of the 'Pass the Tourch' lecture at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center's Davidson Center on Thursday February 2. So in lieu of our meeting at the library, We invite all of our members, guests and the general public to come to this event. The event will start at Thursday, February 2nd, 6 pm at USSRC Davidson Center, and is open to the public. Our thanks to NASA MSFC and USSRC for allowing HAL5 to participate in this special event.

The crew module is being used to test and develop the Orion spacecraft that will take the next generation of astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit. The crew module is on its way to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., following testing in New Mexico. Museum visitors will see the Orion hardware up close, sign a piece of the actual flight hardware, and talk with Orion and SLS Program team members to learn about America's future deep-space exploration vehicles.

The Orion spacecraft and the SLS heavy-lift launch vehicle will enable unprecedented deep-space human exploration missions to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit. Orion's first orbital flight test is scheduled for 2014 and the initial SLS flight is scheduled for 2017.

For more information about NASA's Orion spacecraft, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mpcv

For information about NASA's Space Launch System, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/sls



Then on March 1, Todd May, NASA SLS Program Manager will be speaking to HAL5 at our March program to give a status on the SLS System Design Review that is about to be completed, go in depth about the SLS, and answer any tough questions from you. The event is free and open to the general public.


HAL5 Got a New Mailing Address. The new mailing address effective January 14, 2012. Please direct all mail and membership form to the new address.

Huntsville AL L5 Society (HAL5)
PO Box 12571
Huntsville, AL 35815


LtCol Paul Damphousse USMC (Ret) Named Executive Director as NSS Enters Its 25th Year

(Washington, D.C., January 9) The National Space Society (NSS) is proud to announce that LtCol Paul E. Damphousse USMC (Ret) has been named Executive Director effective January 1, 2012. The appointment of LtCol Damphousse coincides with the 25th anniversary of the 1987 merger of the National Space Institute (NSI) and the L5 Society to form the National Space Society. See full press release.

See HAL5 News and Calendar page for upcoming events.