No, Out of the Cradle is not that old. But on October the fourth, the Space Age will be. Thursday this coming week marks the fiftieth anniversary of the launch of Sputnik-1, the world’s first artificial satellite. Just a small silver ball with four long antennae and a pair of beeping radio transmitters, it blasted into space from the Kazakh steppes of the Soviet Union aboard an R-7 Semyorka ballistic missile. It could be seen gliding across the night sky from most of the surface of the Earth. Its appearance in the heavens marked one of those time-frozen moments when, while everyone gazed upward and wondered, the world changed.
Sputnik-1 heralded the beginning of a race in space that would culminate, less than twelve years later, with the landing of the first human beings on the Moon. But when it happened, its meaning was more pointed - and fearful. The Soviet Union had demonstrated, in a peaceful but unmistakable way, that it possessed a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to any point on the surface of the Earth. And you had only to look up at night, or tune in a ham radio, to know that it was true. The launch of Sputnik was the cold war’s Pearl Harbor. The Soviet demonstration of capability only became more pointed, four days later, with the successful test of a massively powerful hydrogen bomb.
There’s a new documentary film coming out called Sputnik Mania. It details the shock that began the space age with interviews and footage never seen before. OotC is getting a copy soon, and I’ll post a review.
In the meantime, have a think about where the last fifty years in space have taken us. As for the next fifty, one way or another, I suspect they will look a lot different.
Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG)
Enabling Exploration: The Lunar Outpost and Beyond
Oct. 1-5, 2007
Houston, TX
Conference Details
Registration Online/pdf
Librarian’s Note: Being the complete dork that I am this is how I’m spending a week of accrued vacation. I have a feeling that the first couple of days are going to be a wee bit vegetative for me, and of course I’ve got to cruise the local bookstores looking for Moon books that I don’t yet have in the Library. Travelogue: ‘Getting my Moon on in Houston’
Wood, Charles et al.
MSM500: To the Moon - Education for A New Era of Lunar Exploration
Wheeling Jesuit University/Erma Ora Byrd Center for Educational Technologies
On-Line Class starts 24 Sep 2007
Course Outline
Librarian’s Note: This on-line course offers two graduate level credits. This is geared towards educators, with the expectation that what is learned will be conveyed to the public, but is open to all with an interest. Image by George Tasroudis.
Class begins…
PBS KIDS® TV
“Curious George: Rocket Ride & Other Adventures”
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
2007
Best of the Moon 2007 - Youth High Frontier Fiction
Image by Clifford Geary from
‘The REAL BOOK about Space Travel’
Attention all readers!
Now that the Lunar Library is one year old, I’ve decided that it needs a logo for its first birthday present.
Since your friendly Lunar Librarian is sorely lacking in the Art arts (but appreciates them greatly), this is not a task I can easily or wisely undertake myself. I therefore call upon the space community at large to show me what you’ve got, and give me a logo that will eventually take the Lunar Library to the Moon! (I think this is what’s called a ‘bleg’)
In return I am willing to offer to the winner of the open competition the following duplicate copies from the Library:
“Moonrush” by Dennis Wingo (Apogee, 2004)
“The Once and Future Moon” by Paul Spudis (Smithsonian, 1996)
“Welcome to Moonbase” by Ben Bova (Random House, 1987)
“The Case for Going to the Moon” by Neil Ruzic (Putnam’s, 1965)
“You Will Go To the Moon” by Mae & Ira Freeman (Beginner Books Bookclub Ed., 1959)
This quintet represents some of the finest titles in the Lunar Library, and they’re for whomever comes up with the best logo that can be used on business cards and marketing materials.
Let’s say October 31st for the deadline. Submissions will be shared with Out of the Cradle readers for feedback. The winner would transfer all rights except for creator rights to the Lunar Library (i.e. you could still use it on your own website and portfolio materials, but couldn’t license or sell its use to anyone else. I could).
Caveats
All books are in fair condition or better. The first three are paperback, the last two are hardcover. Some wear and tear. Some markings from previous owners. Nothing major. I might throw in a poster or extra swag for a particularly pleasing result. No representations or warranties are express or implied in this solicitation. The Lunar Librarian indemnifies himself from all liability for any injury incurred or arising, physical or mental, as a result of this solicitation. If the Winning Logo is created using traditional media and rendered digitally for the competition, the original media will be submitted to the Lunar Library for future use. If there are any squawks about this solicitation being in violation of some statute or regulation then it will be terminated and all agreements shall be considered as rendered void (and I’d want my books back). Seriously, I’m just trying to have some fun with this. Hopefully everyone else will have fun as a result of this as well.
Submissions should be sent to my lunadyne address at gmail.com. I don’t want big honkin’ 10 meg files. It should be of a size where several of them in a blog post could be pulled up relatively quickly (by dial-up), but also look good on a business or post card.
Thanks in advance,and I look forward to the results.
Ken
Space Lifestyle Magazine #2
New Forks LLC
Fall 2007
Publisher’s Web Site
On-Line Text
Free Subscription!
Staff Writers
“NASA Maps The Moon With Google”
MoonDaily.com
20 Sep 2007
On-Line Text
Google Moon
Dingell, Charles, William A. Johns & Julie Kramer White
“To the Moon and Beyond”
Scientific American
Oct 2007
On-line Text
Librarian’s Note: This article is an overview of the Constellation program to carry NASAnauts to the Moon and back by 2020. NASA is taking astronaut applications now!
David, Leonard
“Space Based Solar Power Fuels Vision of Global Energy Security”
Space.com
19 Sep 2007
On-line Text
Librarian’s Note: Exactly! Most of the energy we consume on this planet is second or third-hand solar power anyway - why not just tap the source and cut out the polluting middlemen? Coal is carbon fixed in plants by ancient sunlight-driven photosynthesis. Oil is dead dinosaurs et al, more sunlight-driven stuff. Even hydroelectric is driven by the rains powered by the Sun. Wind is the displacement of differently heated air masses, again sun-driven. Only nuclear and geothermal are non-Sun-related. Let’s stop fighting over the last of the dead dinosaur goo and direct our energies and efforts into creating the kind of infrastructure that can benefit the whole world. Thank you DoD for at least taking the lead on this to highlight its importance for the security of the U.S. of A.
Launch Magazine Vol. 2 No. 5
MM Publishing
Sep/Oct 2007
Publisher’s Web Site
Librarian’s Note: The cover story, ‘Moon Voyagers’ is on the really good documentary “In the Shadow of the Moon”, which opens this Friday at theatres nationwide. I’ve seen most all of the Apollo documentaries, and this one is truly unique in what the documentarian has captured. Well worth a view. Launch provides a nice preview of the film. Also, there’s a great story on Bigelow modules, and a preview of the year 2057 by Ben Bova. Go get your copy now at local national bookstores. (Better yet, save the trouble and subscribe)
“The Moon Observer’s Guide” by Peter Grego
Published in 2004 by Firefly Books, it weighs in at 186 pages.
Of all the Observing Guides in the Lunar Library, this one is the one most easily slipped into a pocket and carried out to the telescope. While covering a lot more than what is visible on any particular night, it is the way the book covers the advancing Sun that provides its utility.
READ MORE…
NewScientistSpace Special Report
“50 Years in Space”
NewScientist
09 Sep 2007
On-line Text
Kokh, Peter (ed.)
Moon Miner’s Manifesto #208
September 2007
On-Line Text (pdf)
Librarian’s Note: The Moon Society has made selected issues of the Moon Miner’s Manifesto available to the general public. Full access to the archives requires membership.
