University of Houston • University of Houston-Clear Lake • ISSO Annual Report Y2002—pp. 124-126

University of Houston at the Center of World Space Congress
Houston, Texas October 10-18, 2002

THE WORLD OF SPACE TURNED ITS ATTENTION AGAIN TO THE CITY of Houston when the World Space Congress 2002 was convened from October 10-October 18, 2002 with headquarters at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The University of Houston played a major role in the Congress. The Institute for Space Systems Operations (ISSO) was one of several UH programs with representation at the Congress. Faculty delivered papers throughout the conference on subjects ranging from space radiation to the lunar/solar module for the transmission of sustained energy from space.

Principal sponsors of the Congress were the Committee on Space Research, the International Astronautical Federation, the International Academy of Astronautics, and the International Institute of Space Law. Organizing sponsors were the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the United States National Academy of Sciences.

The story of UH participation was told mainly on the campus where a multiplicity of educational programs unfolded to inform students ranging from K-12 to the university level of space-age planning and space-age research. Activities sponsored at the University of Houston included the 11th Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Finals, held in the Wortham Theater on Thursday, October 17.

On Thursday, October 17, researchers conducted campus tours of major research institutes on campus invested in space research:

The Space Vacuum Expitaxy Center, established in 1968, used the occasion to celebrate 15 years of research accomplishments. The Center had been established with a grant from NASA to develop and commercialize thin film materials in the vacuum of space. Its hallmark was a device designed to grow thin films in space with chemicals sprayed onto a disk, utilizing the totality of space as a self-contained vacuum chamber.

The Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials (TcSAM), the largest university-based multidisciplinary center for superconductivity and research into advanced materials, provided research into magnetically controlled space telescopes and other innovative devices.

The Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA), located in the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, is internationally recognized as a leading organization in the development of design projects. These include astroplanning of commercial spaceports, orbiting space stations, missions on designated planets, and the construction of laboratories and housing on the moon and Mars. SICSA’s mission has enabled it to apply its designs to habitats for extreme environments on earth. These include living quarters and working facilities in offshore sites and polar research stations. SICSA also provides designs for housing needed in emergencies among populations suffering from earthquakes, typhoons, and hurricanes.

The Texas Learning and Computation Center (TLC²), a new research component of the university, has responsibility for computation and visualization suitable to environmental studies, biological research, biomedical innovations, and the simulation of technologies in energy exploration. Faculty and staff introduced tours of students and space-based specialists to interactive 3D demonstrations on an Immersadesk and SGI wide-screen display. Participants learned how UH researchers and students study the physiology of the human heart for blood-flow research, molecular structures for drug design, protein research for the treatment of medical diseases, and robotic movement for use in space travel.

The Centerfor Technology Literacy at the Yeoman Field House on the UH campus treated up to 12,000 K-12 students with hands-on science and math learning activities. They had the opportunity to design their own space station and operate Wright brothers’ gliders. They conducted experiments in the vacuum of space, prism optics, inclined planes, rockets, tornadoes, gyroscopes, wind tunnels, Bernoulli’s principle, a Van de Graaff generator, the flow of bubbles, and other studies designed to encourage furthering studies in science and technology through space-based research.

Students also participated in a Robotics Invitational at the University of Houston Yeoman Field House. School-age youngsters from throughout the United States were able to participate in robotics competition, designated "FIRST" (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Competition was sponsored by the LEGO® Company and the BEST Robotics Inc., which has initiated a Texas BEST program (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology).

MARS Rover—In the College of Architecture atrium, primary and middle school students competed in the design and construction of an inert model of a Mars Rover to carry out a specific science mission on the surface of Mars. Competition was the result of a six-week Fall classroom project that culminated with finalists having the opportunity to compete on the University of Houston campus.

Distance Learning—Distance Learning specialists at the University of Houston from October 14-18 maintained a series of live, interactive web broadcasts for special events. Web broadcasts included live chatrooms for participants. Sponsored jointly by NASA, the University of Houston, and Rice University, these broadcasts drew attention on site at the George R. Brown Convention Center. They were transmitted to interested schools and an interactive remote audience. Distance Learning also provided pre-recorded educational programs.

Tours were also conducted at the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN) at Rice University. This facility has research capabilities essential to advances in polymer science. CBEN seeks technological advances that can be transferred to industry to establish an interface between "dry" nanomaterials and the aqueous media of biology and the environment. ISSO sponsors research projects that link the University of Houston-Clear Lake with laboratories at Rice University.

News Updates
The scope of the World Space Congress became evident each day as recipients received "Astronotes," daily reports of progress in space research. Readers could not but be impressed by the numbers of nations reporting on the progress of their space research and on the numbers of exhibits in the downtown exhibit hall representing international projects.

October 11—Korea Telecom had launched three satellites since 1995—Kireasat 1, 2, and 3.The fourth satellite, Loreasat 5, will be launched at a future date. No Korean satellite will bear the number "4" because the number four in Korean culture represents death.

The Boeing Company in Houston, Texas, painted a dismal picture of current funding of space research. The health of space commerce has worsened. Predictions are that space research in the near future will be driven by economics with return-on-investment the number one priority.

Two hundred key Houston educational stakeholders attended a cocktail reception at the International Bank of commerce in a program sponsored jointly by the Houston Intown Chamber of commerce and Randall’s Food Market. They included area superintendents, industry and government leaders, chairs of educational foundations, university administrators, and community leaders. The intent of the program was to develop partnerships and alliances to improve education in science and math.

October 12—Argentina’s space agency announced that it was midway through construction of two L-band radar Earth observation satellites to be launched in late 2004 as part of a constellation being built with Italy. The two satellites, called Saocom, will be assembled in Italy but composed almost entirely of Argentine hardware. Each will have a 10-meter ground resolution.

October 14—The Teal Group on military space sending detailed a report showing increased military investment in space research. Unclassified military space contracts during the fiscal year 2002 totaled $4.22 billion up from $1.56 billion during the fiscal year 2001. Military space contracts were awarded 32 companies in single awards or joint ventures. The single largest unclassified military space contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin Space Systems in the amount of $2.15 billion to restructure the Based Infrared Systems High Project (SBIRS-High).

October 15—The South African government has agreed to launch a small Earth imaging satellite in 2004 to link onto its Sunset spacecraft launched in 1999 with NASAhelp. The South African government recognizes the necessity of promoting a sustained program to prevent the exodus of space experts from its country.

October 16—The X Prize in St. Louis, an award of $10 million, will be paid to the first team to develop a reusable spacecraft capable of making a round-trip trek some 60 miles (100 kilometers) to the edge of space and return. The same vehicle must demonstrate reusability by flying again within two weeks.

October 17—Experts forecast that by 2021 60 passengers per year will be flying into orbit representing income of $300 million. By 2021, 15,000 passengers will be engaged in suborbital flights per year yielding revenues for aircraft firms of $700 million per year.

European Students—Several hundred European students attended the World Space Congress under the generous support of the European Space Agency. European students attended a Thursday night party on the University of Houston campus. Among the students were space activists who showed a more pragmatic bent than protesters in earlier decades. These students advocated military use of space for communications, navigation, and surveillance, but they would draw a firm line at deploying weapons in space. More than 300 students engaged in a student poster session at the George R. Brown Convention Hall in downtown Houston in a program sponsored by the San Jacinto College District and the Aerospace Academy, the American Institute of Aeronautical Engineering (AIAA) and the European Students’ Association (ESA) Programme.

Faculty and Student Presentations at the World Space Congress
October 10-18, 2002

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON FACULTY AND PERSONNEL ASSOCIATED with the Institute for Space Systems Operations (ISSO) read papers and chaired seminars at the World Space Congress. They covered a wide range of interests, including the problem of radiation in space, lunar/solar power, and the problem of muscle atrophy. Most currently and some, at one time or another, have been funded by ISSO grants. (Names of UH or UHCL Principals are listed first; others follow.)

Monday, October 14, 2002
L. S. Pinsky, A. Empl, with A. Ferrari, F. Ballarini, F. Cerutti, A. Fasso, M. V. Garzelli, A. Ottolenghi, J. Ranft, S. Roesler, P. R. Sala, and T. L. Wilson, "The FLUKA Code for Space Applications: Recent Developments"

Tuesday, October 15, 2002
R. Chhikara and L. Thompson (UHCL), "Estimating the Risk of Serious DCS over the Lifespan of the International Space Station"
I. Kakadiaris, G. Martinez with D. Magruder, "Optical Tracking for Telepresence/TeleoperationSpace Applications"
C. S. Layne, "Modifications in Neuromuscular Activation during Bipedal Postural and Locomotor Control Tasks after Long-Duration Spaceflight"

Wednesday, October 16, 2002
V. Anderson, K. Lee, L. S. Pinsky, with T. Cleghorn, F. Cucinotta, P. Saganti, and W. Atwell, "Overview of the Martian Radiation Environment Experiment (MARIE)
L. Bell, "First MARS Outpost: Development Considerations and Concepts"
E. Bering with M. Brukardt, W. Rodriguez, F. R. Chang Diaz, J. P. Squire, V. Jacobson, A. Lin, D.S. Winter, T.W. Glover, R. D. Bengtson, J. N. Gibson, and D. G. Chavers, "Ion Dynamics and ICRH Heating in the Exhaust Plasma of the VASIMR Engine"
D. R. Criswell, "Development and Commercialization of the Lunar Solar Power System"
S. French and C. Rappole, "Development of the STOW Processor Prototype for Long Duration Space Missions"
K. Lee, Chair, Mars Exploration: Latest Results and Current Status of the International Cooperation (Session sponsored jointly by COSPAR/IAC)
K. Lee and T. Cleghorn with F. Cucinotta, and C. Zeitlin, "Heavy Ion Observations by MARIE Cruise Phase and Mars Orbit"
L. Pinsky and K. Lee with P. Saganti, F. Cucinotta, C. Zeitlin, and T. Cleghorn, "Galactic Cosmic Ray Environment at Mars: Model Calculations and the MARIE Measurements"

Thursday, October 17, 2002
D. R. Criswell., Co-Chair with J. C. Mankins,Special Organized Session: Case Studies in Market Analyses of Space Solar Power
D. R. Criswell,"Accelerating 21st Century Economic Growth by Implementation of the Lunar Solar Power System"
A. Freundlich and A. Ignatiev, Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center, "Novel Uses of Lunar Regolith"

Friday, October 18, 2002
D. R. Criswell "Lunar Solar Power System-Driven Human Development of the Moon and Resource-Rich Exploration of the Inner Solar System."
C. S. Layne with M. F. Baxter and J. J. Houser, "Enhanced Neuromuscular Activity . . . Generated by Mechanical Foot Stimulation."