Lunar Lavatube Locator Mission Project - The Oregon L5 Society had taken the first steps towards a project that would involve sifting through the extensive Clementine data record for signs of lunar lavatubes. ORL5 president Tom Billings had brainstormed in theory the possibility of using a radar "flashbulb" impact probe to illuminate near surface voids to a wide based radar array on Earth. ISDC '98 brought Tom to Milwaukee to conduct a workshop on the probe to advance the plan. Buzz Aldrin audited the workshop and contributed valuable ideas on the kind of trajectory the probe would need. Since then, the Clementine Project Team , led by Allen G. Taylor, purchased special computer equipment to sift through the Clementine data. But they have run into software problems that will require purchasing a new UltraSPARC 5 at $2400 to fix. Meanwhile, Billings has put together a grant proposal to the FINDS Foundation.
Putting together an "Economic Geography of the Solar System" - We did not have a critical mass of the right talent for this workshop. However, the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, in a joint meeting with the Wisconsin Space Business Roundtable, on March 18, 1999 (a Madison-Green Bay-Milwaukee conference call) offered to put their expertise and connections behind this effort. Thanks to respect earned for putting on ISDC '98, the Lunar Reclamation Society has graduated from observer status to interactive partnership with WSGC.
U-LuCy: The University of Luna in Cyberspace - We did not have a critical mass of the right talent for this workshop. The consensus, however, was that we should put up a ULuCy Website with the basic plan and send the URL on a limited distribution list of select persons who may be able to help, and/or who may wish to be involved. We would solicit input and feedback and see where it goes from there. We hope to take this first step in the next few months (written 3/28/99).
Networking: National Space Society & Space Frontier Foundation - These two venerable organizations, both with an abundance of dedicated, hard working people aimed at the creation of a viable space faring civilization involving settlements beyond Earth, had had a troubled interrelationship. Personalities and egos, goal priorities, depth of vision, methods and histories all came into play. SFF was founded at ISDC '88 in Denver and we brought them back to ISDC '98 for a tenth anniversary effort at finding common ground for networking. That we had strong personal dedication to making the effort on both sides, in Pat Dasch (NSS) and Rick Tumlinson (SFF) worked in favor of success. Only history will tell if their current collaboration will be fruitful and lasting. But together, NSS & SFF are cosponsoring the Lunar Base Development Conference, July 16-18, 1999 in League City (Houston), Texas.
NSS Chapters Central Resource Exchange Website - Following an outline we had put together, Ronnie Lajoie conducted a productive workshop aimed at identifying action items to make this a reality. Chapters need support, more than NSS headquarters can divert resources to give them. But pooling their talents, chapters should be able to support one another, tapping a relatively enormous talent pool. In 2001 we created (and continually update) the Space Chapters Hub, where chapters of the National Space Society, The Mars Society, and The Moon Society can display their outreach products and other resources so that chapters can learn from one another and share resources. This has been the most successful of the ISDC '98 follow up efforts to date.
Lunar Homestead Traveling Exhibit - Out of an extensive wish list, three display items were produced in time for ISDC '98. One additional item has been produced since. Standing in the way of producing more (besides expenditures of money and man hours) are two critical issues. How do we store and transport additional displays? The idea was to have a growing exhibit which could make the rounds of ISDCs and other conferences open to the public. The idea is outreach, helping the public to visualize the feasibility of lunar settlement. We will probably concentrate on low weight non-bulky displays, investing ISDC '98 earnings.
