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By DOMINO TAYLOR (Published 7/03)
Centennial of Flight: This is Part 2 of the Bay Runner's monthly tribute to the Centennial of Flight 1903-2003. We've gone from the First Flight at Kitty Hawk to Space Flight and Exploration in just 10 decades. As we follow and report the accomplishments and challenges, we know one thing; it's been a fast ride for mankind with the future of flight clearly progressing at mach speed.
There are many exclusive clubs worldwide and then there are the elite of exclusive clubs. One such club, that is the epitome of exclusive and elite (and without being pretentious) is the group of Space Explorers. The minimum criterion of this club is to have flown at least one orbit in space.
The Association of Space Explorers (ASE) is an international non-profit professional and educational organization. The membership roster consists of 271 outstanding individuals from 29 countries who have flown in space. Founded in 1985, ASE's mission is to provide a forum for professional dialogue among individuals who have flown in space, support space science and exploration for the benefit of all. Also, a vital division of their mission is to promote education in science and engineering, foster greater environmental awareness, and encourage international cooperation in the human exploration of space.
When founded in 1985, this not-for-profit organization held its center of operations out of Astronaut Joe Allen's office in the Washington, D.C. area. They moved to the Clear Lake area in 1995 to be closer to NASA and its astronauts. The charter members developed the first Planetary Congress to transcend the communication barrier of space travel among other countries. In the early days of the organization and before our information highway was an everyday given, there was a real need for close communications with Russia and the US. This was the beginning of their platform and They did so without any government funding. Nor would this be a lobbying organization. Members exchanging information about the national space program was the pulpit for this first Planetary Congress in Cernay, France. Additionally, on this forum were technical presentations on selected topics relevant to human space flight operations.
The ASE – USA chapter is the administrative office of this worldwide group. There is an ASE Executive Committee, Board of Directors of ASE -USA and a Board of Directors of ASE – Russia chapters. Bo Bobko is the current president of the USA Board and Gennadi Strekalov is the president of the Russia Board.
For a country to qualify to be a member country their space flight participant has to be native-born in their country, hold citizenship and gain membership by application or hosting an annual Planetary Congress. Ratification requires support by two-thirds of the votes of the delegates at an annual congress. The countries eligible for their own chapter of ASE currently are Germany, France and Canada. Presently there are 430 individuals who are eligible to join this international exclusive organization. ASE has an International Standing Committee on Crew Safety & Technology Development. The safety committee along with the Executive Committee house members from every corner of the globe. Quarterly meetings and workshops are on-going in this group. Steering all the astronauts' activities of ASE is the Executive Director, Andy Tournage. His responsibilities are more than administrative duties. Coordinating the astronauts' speaking engagements with schools is special to him. Working with the astronauts and the host country of the Planetary Congress is also one of his daily tasks. Andy began with ASE when they were still housed out of Washington. His master's degree in Russian Studies was a beginning component upon the selection of this Clear Lake resident.
Close communication with Russia was a priority then.
His busy schedule and responsibilities keep this director on the move. It leaves him very little time for the all-important fund raising for this non-profit 501(C) 3 organization. Since space exploration is a technology-intensive and financially expensive activity, ASE members understand that when many countries jointly invest their resources and ingenuity in common undertakings, all stand to benefit. Among ASE's activities in this section are professional exchanges and facility visits among astronauts of different national space programs. Sponsorship of international dialogue on space rescue and a series of high level invitational discussions have resulted in several papers on new opportunities for space cooperation in the changing global political environment.
As the only professional association of astronauts and cosmonauts, ASE forum has several divisions:
1. Professional Forum – To promote the exchange of a space flight experiences and technical information concerning space operations, science development, testing and training.
2. Space Science and Exploration – To promote the exploration of space, to enrich human life, bring nations together, advance science and technology, and stimulate intellectual curiosity and the expansion of knowledge.
3. Education – To share knowledge gained from their experience emphasizing the significance and benefits of space science and exploration. To promote scholastic excellence by supporting educators and motivating students.
4. Environmental Awareness – To promote understanding of our home planet and the limits of its natural resources, and encourage the use of space platforms in characterizing and monitoring earth's resources.
5. International Cooperation – To encourage international human space flight and other cooperative space endeavors, promote technical exchanges, advocate operational compatibility, and contribute to related programs in other professional organization.
Under ASE other activities are the educational partners and outreach programs including: Astronaut Appearances, NASA Education Astronaut Program, United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Planet Earth- The United Nation., Johnson Space Distance Learning Program, The Globetree Foundation, Aerospace Advisory Council, National Keep It Sold Campaign, Space Day, Challenger Center.
The next upcoming event is the XVIII Planetary Congress, October 12-18, 2003, in Tokyo, Japan. This annual week long event is attended by up to 100 astronaut and cosmonaut members, their spouses and staff. Typically participants are drawn from all space flight programs, including Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Shuttle, Vostok, Voskhod and Soyuz programs. Certain technical sessions, media events and public outreach activities are open to the public and invited dignitaries at the discretion of the host and ASE Executive Committee. The components of an ASE Congress fall in to four broad categories: Ceremonial, Technical, Educational and Social Culture.
Currently the ASE members that will be represented at the Planetary Congress are active and retired astronauts and cosmonauts from Afghanistan, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, The Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Mongolia, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Ukraine, The United Kingdom, The United States and Vietnam.
Each year the Executive Committee of ASE selects an individual to receive the Annual Planetary Award, based on his or her outstanding dedication. The award recipient is invited to Congress sessions and traditionally makes the keynote speech.
The award itself is the Crystal Helmet. Past recipients of the perpetual Crystal Helmet award include Jacques Yves Cousteau, Oleg Gazenko, Gerard O'Neill, Thomas Paine, Boris Raushenbakh, Yash Pal, Hendrick van de Hulst, Hans Dietrich Genscher, Isaac Asimov, Hermann Bondi, Yuri Gagarin, Stanislaw Lem, Nicolas Matte, Jose Maria Figueres, Edith Cresson, Virgiliu Constantinescu, The Prince of Asturias and Nursultan Nazarbayev.
With so many programs in effect ASE relies on corporate sponsorship. Any firm or corporation with an interest in the mission and goals of the association, including, but not limited to, those corporations engaged in the study, design, manufacture or testing of space vehicles, equipment or payloads, or components thereof, are eligible for Corporate Membership in the Association of Space Explorers.
Those corporate sponsors include AXA Space, ATK Alliant Techsystems, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, USA/United Space Alliance, and the Bay Area Houston Economic Development Partnership.
Contributions are always needed to maintain their educational programs. Requests continually pour in for astronaut appearances. Commenting on seeking donations and funding, director Tournage remarked, "Think of how many kids we could reach if I just had the funds."
Travel expenses, airfare and the economy put this organization in need for more funding, Additionally Tournage said, "In a time where children's heroes are celebrities and sports figures we need to get our astronauts in every school to promote science and space exploration." Supporting educators and motivating students are the main goals during the appearances, which can include slide shows, space flight videos or hands-on demonstrations and exhibits. This is a reminder how fortunate should feel in the Clear Lake area to have these astronauts in our community. There is a large number of requests and a limited number of astronauts. At minimum, a school or other non-profit organizations are expected to provide travel expenses. The ability to pay an honorarium is always welcomed since the requests are many.
For information on astronaut appearances download the Event Information Form at www.space-explorers.org and fax it to 281-280-8173 or mail to The Association of Space Explorers-USA, 1150 Gemini Ave., Houston, TX 77058.
ASE does not arrange appearances for active astronauts, these requests should be directed to: Astronaut Appearance Office, NASA/Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058
The continuing commitment of ASE and its work is improving the quality and effectiveness of the human enterprise in space. Global developments suggest that international cooperation in space science and exploration will continue to expand in the 21st century.
The Association of Space Explorers will continue to contribute both leadership and vision as humanity moves outward from our home planet and toward the stars.
This group is a star and these are our valued neighbors contributing to the history and spirit of flight.
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