LVAAS General Meeting

Sunday, June 9, 7 p.m. at South Mountain Headquarters  

and via ZOOM (Presentation is via ZOOM)
 

"Spaceships for the 21st Century

aka: SpaceX and the 7 Little Dwarfs"

 

Featuring John Conrad

The presentation will – of course – begin with the historical context for how the 20^th century prepared us for a much more dynamic – and fortunately more affordable – situation for getting into LEO and beyond today and tomorrow.  What has happened in the last couple decades is truly astonishing, a story of what commercial business types like to refer to as Disruptive Technology Changes.  The starting gun (guns actually), which may have been long overdue, are NASA’s commercial space initiatives.

John Conrad followed his childhood interest in space and spaceflight through Astronautical Engineering degrees at the US Air Force Academy and Purdue University straight into leadership in unmanned space programs for the Air Force and NASA. Now retired, his extensive career experiences never wandered far from technology development and application, in Aerospace and Defense as well as IT and Energy and Security programs. His life-long learning (formal and informal) and accumulated tools, have enabled him to make frequent presentations to orient and promote science applications and solutions to a variety of audiences. His most recently used platforms include telescopes and binoculars to share his knowledge and love of astronomy and cosmology. John is eager to speak to your group as a NASA/JPL Ambassador - bringing you the expertise of NASA scientists and engineers, providing insights into US progress in exploring space.

 

Prospective new members who wish to attend the meeting should email membership@lvaas.org.

---

—    LVAAS    —

THE LEHIGH VALLEY AMATEUR ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY -- 620B East Rock Road -- Allentown, PA 18103 -- 610-797-3476 -- www.lvaas.org

WELCOME!

Founded in 1957, the Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society (LVAAS) is one of the oldest continuously-operating amateur astronomy organizations in the U.S. The mission of LVAAS is to promote the study of Astronomy and to maintain a meeting space, observatories, and a planetarium.

LVAAS operates two astronomy sites: The South Mountain site in Salisbury Township is the headquarters of the Society. It has a planetarium with a Spitz A3P projector, a 21 foot dome, meeting space, the Red Shift store, library, workshop space, and three observatories. The Pulpit Rock site near Hamburg is LVAAS's members-only dark sky site. At 1600 feet above sea level, the site features five observatories and a pad for member's scopes.

Members who receive training on the scopes may obtain keys to the observatories. LVAAS also maintains a rental "fleet" of telescopes that members may rent at low cost. Members also receive access to The Observer, our online newsletter, as well as reduced subscription prices to Sky and Telescope and Astronomy Magazine. If you want to learn more about astronomy and LVAAS, please join us at our next public star party.

Click here for weather at LVAAS locations.