The word is out that President George Bush is preparing to set a major goal for NASA, with an announcement possibly coming as soon as the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brother’s flight December 17th. The Mars Society urges everyone to contact President Bush immediately urging that NASA adopt humans to Mars as its goal. Do it any way you like, but act today. A letter will have more impact than a fax, a fax will have more impact than an email. But do what you can, and do it soon. The critical decisions that could allow a breakout to Mars or doom our space program to three more decades of wasteful stagnation are being made now. Your letter sent today could make the difference. So write, AND fax, AND call, AND email, and get all your friends to do the same. Don’t wait, do it today. Humanity’s future in space could depend on it.

The deadline for your entries in the Why Mars contest is November 15th, 2003. To ensure that your thoughts will be heard on this important issue, and for a chance at some great prizes, email your entry to MSWhyMars@aol.com before the end of this week.

On the invitation of Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Mars Society president Robert Zubrin presented testimony to the full Senate Commerce Committee of Oct. 29 on the subject of the future of the US space program. The hearing began Oct. 29 at 9:30 AM in Russell Senate Office Bldg room 253. NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe and former Associate Administrator for Space Science.

On the invitation of Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Mars Society president Robert Zubrin will present testimony to the full Senate Commerce Committee of Oct. 29 on the subject of the future of the US space program. The hearing will begin Oct. 29 at 9:30 AM in Russell Senate Office Bldg room 253. NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe and former Associate Administrator for Space Science Wes Huntress will also be testifying.

Mars Society members consist of engineers, microbiologists, rocket scientists and other key players who are helping to shape the technologies that will enable us to get to Mars, explore the planet and possibly one day settle there. But the Mars Society is more than a technical society. Our members also include writers, anthropologists, philosophers and activists who believe that setting a positive course for the future of humanity begins now, with us.

It is now apparent that the Shuttle Orbiter cannot be used much longer as a system for transporting crews to Earth orbit. The Columbia disaster has made it clear that the antiquated Orbiters are becoming increasingly unsafe. Moreover, even if the Orbiter could be flown safely, it is clear that using a launch vehicle with a takeoff thrust matching that of a Saturn V to transport half a dozen people to the Space Station makes about as much sense as using an aircraft carrier to tow water skiers. The Shuttle was designed as a self-launching space station. Absent a permanent space station on-orbit, such a vehicle had some justification. But with the establishment of the ISS, the rationale for using a flying Winnebago as a space taxi is no longer sustainable.

Have you ever wanted to be a part of a space mission design team? Here’s your chance! The Mars Society unveiled its Kepler Prize Contest at the 2003 convention in Eugene, OR. The challenge for students and private individuals is to design an Earth Return Vehicle (ERV) for a humans-to-Mars mission. All skill levels are welcome, and will be judged against their peers. Winning teams will receive a trophy, while members receive individual tokens. The team will also receive a slot (one person, though this may be negotiable) on a desert research station mission, and an invitation to present their winning design at the 2004 convention.

Over 300 people gathered in Eugene Oregon August 14-17 2003 at the 6th International Mars society Convention to map out plans to make the human exploration of the Red Planet a reality. Over 100 talks were given, including plenaries by many mars society leaders as well as Mars Exploration Rover Deputy Project Scientist Albert Haldeman, NASA Astronaut John Grunsfeld, planetary scientist William Hartman, and leading science fiction author Greg Bear.

All crew members for the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) for the summer of 2003 have arrived on Devon Island! The crew, chosen from volunteers from around the world, will serve a 4-week rotation in the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island beginning in early July. During this time they will employ the Mars-like polar desert of Canada’s Devon Island to experiment with techniques for the human exploration of Mars.

This summer marks not only the closest approach of Mars to the Earth in thousands of years, but it is also the Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, as well as the Centennial of Flight. With this in mind, the Mars Society Education Task Force has cooked up an exciting day of educational activities just for educators. Add to this the fact that the latest a flotilla of probes is already enroute to the Red Planet, and we have the making of a true “Summer of Mars.”