Oklahoma Space Alliance is the central Oklahoma Chapter of, National Space Society, one of the largest space advocacy groups in the country, and has existed for more than 20 years. Our own group is small, and we are interested in increasing our membership. Our purposes include promoting the exploration and development of space, educating the public to current events in space and the usefulness of an active space program, all with the intent of promoting a space-faring civilization.
Oklahoma Space Alliance hosted the 23rd Annual International Space Development Conference on May 27-31, 2004. We previously hosted three Regional Space Development Conferences, assisted with earlier ISDCs, put displays in malls, hosted lectures, sponsored television interviews, hosted viewing nights, worked with other space-oriented groups and maintained local contact with the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority.
Oklahoma Space Alliance recently helped out with the 2007 International Space Development Conference which was hosted by the National Space Society of North Texas in Dallas Texas from May 24 – 28, 2007.
We do bimonthly newsletters called Outreach and Update to keep our members informed of current developments in space and upcoming events they might be interested in. Editor of Outreach is Syd Henderson and editor of Update is Claire McMurray.
March 2010 Meeting
Oklahoma Space Alliance will meet at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 20 at the Koszorus' house in Norman. Prospective members are also welcome. The house is at 514 Fenwick Court in Norman.
To get the meeting either: (1) Take the Robinson Street west exit off I-35. Proceed west to 36th Street where you will turn left, and go south until you turn left on Rambling Oaks (about half a mile north of Main Street). Fenwick Court is the third street on the left. Tom's house is the last on the left side, or (2) Take the Main Street west exit off I-35, proceed west past the Sooner Fashion Mall, and turn right at 36th Street, and go north until you turn right on Rambling Oaks (about half a mile north of Main Street). Fenwick Court is the third street on the left. Tom's house is the last on the left side.
Agenda:
Apollo 13 Reunion in Hutchison, Kansas
From the Kansas Cosmosphere website. It’s probably too late to register for the gala and dinner, but we can still go up on the 17th for the other events. That would be our regular meeting date, so we can substitute this for our meeting.
Dear Cosmosphere Members and Supporters,
The Kansas Cosmosphere is home to the Apollo 13 capsule Odyssey and we will be celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission in a big way. On April 16 and 17 the Cosmosphere will be hosting several events and screenings, culminating with a fundraising gala featuring guest speakers Apollo 13 Astronauts James Lovell, Fred Haise and Flight Director Gene Kranz. Following the April 17 dinner and presentations will be an exclusive VIP reception where guests will have the opportunity to have their photo taken with the crew in front of the Apollo 13 capsule.
Tickets for the gala event will go on sale exclusively for Cosmosphere members two weeks in advance of their release to the general public. Members will be receiving a formal invitation early in February with special member pricing and information. If you are not a Cosmosphere member but would like to become a member visit our website [http://www.cosmo.org/in_member.htm] and join for your premium seating options and special pricing. Less than 300 seats are available for the gala dinner and only 100 tickets are available for the VIP reception to be held immediately following the gala.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the Cosmosphere is honored to host this reunion of crew members along with many other Mission Control personnel and former Astronauts such as Alan Bean who will be here as our guests to honor this crew and their mission. We hope to see you there.
Invitations to the gala dinner and VIP event will be going out to members early February. If you have not received your membership invitation by February 15 or you have any questions please contact Patti Ferguson at 800-397-0330 extension 310. We ask that members reply by February 20, with their reservations as we anticipate the event selling out once tickets are offered to the public in late February.
Sincerely,
Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center 1100 N. Plum HUTCHINSON, Kansas 67501 www.cosmo.org 800.397.0330
For more information, please contact:
Patsy Terrell 620.665.9335 patsyt@cosmo.org
Marisa Honomichl 620.665.9339 marisah@cosmo.org
Minutes of February Meeting
Oklahoma Space Alliance met at the Koszoru house on February 27. The meeting was postponed a week to give President Koszoru a chance to be there. John Northcutt, Heidi Koszoru and Syd Henderson were also there. We also had two prospective members, Sean and Bill Sherrold, attend.
Tom will give the Great Space Race to the club if the club will finance it. He figures to sell it to management training program.
Tom wants money making proposals. John wants to know what we would want the money for. We could possible pay for speakers.
We could sponsor a film series on space exploration. Syd suggested contacting the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History at the University of Oklahoma about this, since they do movie series, and are currently doing one of movies about scientists.
Syd brought copies of the NASA budget proposed by the Obama Administration and we discussed that.
--Minutes by Oklahoma Space Alliance Secretary Syd Henderson
Notes on OSIDA Meeting
Syd Henderson attended the March 10 Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority meeting at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation Building in Oklahoma City. All seven board members (Chairman Joe King, former state Rep. Jack Bonny, former state Sen. Gilmer Capps, former state Sen. Cal Hobson, Gen. Ken McGill, Darryl Murphy, and Lou Sims) were present, which outnumbered the audience, which consisted of four people, not counting Executive director Bill Khourie and his administrative assistant Kim Vowell.
OSIDA is facing a budget reduction of 10% for fiscal year 2010. If there is a change, it may be another 5%. Nothing has been decided for Fiscal Year 2011. There are some good signs in that the state’s tax revenue from oil and personal income tax was larger than expected in February, so that the state’s budget shortfall was 7 – 8 % rather than 20 %. The revenues at the bottom of the recession were the lowest since the Great Depression.
The Rocket Racing League flight tests that were supposed to have taken place last month have been postponed. They hadn’t set a new date at the time of the meeting. They previously did flight tests in 2008.
--Minutes by Oklahoma Space Alliance Secretary Syd Henderson
Apollo 11 Anniversary Library Exhibit
Oklahoma Space Alliance chapter of the National Space Society put together an exhibit commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Photographs and a description of this exhibit are online here: Apollo 11 Library Exhibit. The display ran through the month of July, 2009..
The Stafford museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma has offered to take the exhibit. Since the books belong to some of our members, we may have to make some substitutions. The Museum will have all rights to the exhibit once they have it.
Outreach & Update
March 2010 Outreach
January 2009 Outreach
February 2009 Update
March 2009 Outreach
April 2009 Update
May 2009 Outreach
June 2009 Update
July 2009 Outreach
September 2009 Outreach
October 2009 Update
November 2009 Outreach
December 2009 Update and addendum
January 2010 Outreach
February 2010 Update and addendum
Earlier issues of Newsletters
Minutes of January 2009 meeting
Minutes of February 2009 meeting
Minutes of March 2009 meeting
Minutes of April 2009 meeting
Minutes of May 2009 meeting and activities
Minutes of June 2009 meeting and activities
Minutes of July 2009 meeting
Minutes of August 2009 meeting
Minutes of September 2009 meeting
Minutes of October 2009 Activity
Minutes of November 2009 Meeting
Minutes of December 2009 Meeting
Minutes of January 2010 Meeting
Minutes of February 2010 Meeting
Minutes of previous meetings
Contact person for Oklahoma Space Alliance is Claire McMurray
PO Box 1003
Norman, OK 73070
Webmaster is Syd Henderson.
Copyright ©2010 Oklahoma Space Alliance.