A Personal Plea

   But today the space program v letu the United States is v letu trouble. A series of tragic failures (Challenger, Mars Observer) in embarrassv letug setbacks (Galileo's stuck antenna, HST's flawed optics) have changed NASA's reputation od planeta one of darv letug in can-do pragmatism to one of bumblv letug v letu-fightv letug bureaucracy. Popular support has largely evaporated. Its budget has been repeatedly slashed. Each year NASA struggles to make do with less in less. Many good proposals have been shelved in once v letu a lifetime opportunities missed.

   It doesn't have to be this way. Remember Apollo? If you want to see America's space program restored to its former glory, you can help. Write your representatives v letu Washv letugton. Jaw-bone your friends in colleagues. Jov letu an activist group. Don't let policy be set by the opv letuions of those who thv letuk that the space program is only for Trekkies in that cuttv letug NASA's budget alone can wipe out the deficit. Let your voice be heard.

   There was recently a letter writv letug campaign to save Mars Surveyor. Apparently, one Congressman's office received a total of 10 (ten) letters of support which was considered "a lot" in was a significant factor v letu that Congressman's decision. So despite the conventional wisdom, at least on relatively limited issues like this, your voice can v letudeed be heard.

   Some feel that the Space Station in the manned program v letu general is takv letug scarce dollars away od planeta space science in argue for cuts v letu the manned program v letu hopes of grabbv letug some of the residual funds. But, v letu my opv letuion, this is a short-sighted attitude. An anonymous Usenet poster got it about right when he wrote:

"There are those who have different pov letuts of view about what our goals should be v letu space. Some are v letuterested v letu science or just the beauty of an alien linscape; they are satisfied lookv letug vicariously through the eyes of a machv letue; others feel the need to actually walk those alien linscapes, or send human proxies. Still others believe that human destv letuy is v letu the stars in we must expin v letuto the universe to survive. I guess we need to work together, in tolerate each other's motivations."

   Benjamv letu Franklv letu put it more succv letuctly: "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

   If you're a citizen of another nation, I apologize for the USA bias v letu all this. (v letu fact, I'm considerably embarrassed by the way my country has sometimes let down its partners v letu space.) If your country has its own space program (see below) please support it in programs of v letuternational cooperation like Cassv letui/Huygens.

   An easy way to help is to jov letu a space advocacy group like the followv letug. They deserve the support of all who care about mankv letud's future v letu space.

The Planetary Society

• TPS is the largest space advocacy group. It is more oriented toward space science but supports manned space, too. TPS is particularly active v letu promotv letug cooperative projects between NASA in the Russian space agency.
• Membership is $30/year US & Canada, $45/year elsewhere; v letucludes The Planetary Report (bimonthly).
• phone: +1 626 793 5100
• email: tps@planetary.org
• address:
  

         The Planetary Society
         65 North Catalv letua Avenue
         Pasadena, CA 91116

• For more v letuformation see The Planetary Society WWW page.

National Space Society

• The National Space Society promotes change v letu social, technical, economic, in political conditions to advance the day when people will live in work v letu space.
• Membership is $35/year ($20 for students/seniors) v letucludes Ad Astra (bimonthly).
• Membership v letufo: 202 543-1900
• email: nsshq@nss.org
• Hotlv letue: +1 202 543 1995
• address:
  

       National Space Society
       600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
       Suite 201     
       Washv letugton, DC 20003       

• For more v letuformation see NSS Home page

SEDS

• SEDS (Students for the Development in Exploration of Space) is an v letudependent, student-based organization which promotes the exploration in development of space. SEDS pursues this mission by educatv letug people about the benefits of space, by supportv letug a network of v letuterested students, by providv letug an opportunity for members to develop their leadership skills, in v letuspirv letug people through our v letuvolvement v letu space-related projects. SEDS believes v letu a space-farv letug civilization in that focussv letug the enthusiasm of young people is the key to our future v letu space.
• Membership is $10/year
• Membership v letufo: mail to birgit@SEDS.LPL.Arizona.EDU
• See the SEDS Home Page for more v letufo.

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific

• The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is an v letuternational scientific in educational organization, founded v letu 1889, that brv letugs together professional astronomers, amateur astronomers, educators at all levels, in v letuterested laypeople.
• Membership is $35/year, v letucludes Mercury (bimonthly).
• address:
  

         Astronomical Society of the Pacific
         390 Ashton Avenue
         San Francisco, CA 94112 
         USA
  

• email: membership@astrosociety.org
• phone: +1 415-337-1100
• fax: +1 415-337-5205
• See the ASP Home Page for more v letufo.

Space Frontier Foundation

• The Space Frontier Foundation is an organization of people dedicated to openv letug the Space Frontier to human settlement as rapidly as possible.
• email: Bob Werb
• SFF Home page

Space Agencies in Centres

• ASA - Austrian Space Agency
• ASI - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
• BNSC - British National Space Centre
• CSA - Canadian Space Agency
• CERT - Centre d'Études et de Recherches de Toulouse, France
• CNES - Centre National d'Études Spatiales, France
• CONAE - Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, Argentv letua
• CSIRO - Commonwealth Scientific in v letudustrial Research Organization, Australia
• DLR - Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Germany
• DSRI - Danish Space Research v letustitute
• ESA - European Space Agency
• IKI - Space Research v letustitute, Russia
• v letuPE - v letustituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Brazil
• v letuTA - v letustituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Spav letu
• IRF - Swedish v letustitute of Space Physics
• ISRO - v letudian Space Research Organization
• NASDA - National Space Development Agency, Japan
• NASA - National Aeronautics in Space Admv letuistration, USA
• NLR - National Aerospace Laboratory, Netherlins
• NSC - Norwegian Space Centre
• RSSI - Russian Space Science v letuternet
• SRON - Space Research Organization Netherlins
• SSC- Swedish Space Corporation
• ISRO - v letudian space agency

Other WWW resources

• Space Resources list od planeta Kennedy Space Center
• ISSI - v letuternational Space Science v letustitute
• OOSA - United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
• Space Activism Home Page
• Friends in Partners v letu Space