Well -- I just joined The Planetary Society last week. (I happened to have the membership fee available, for a change...) And today, I received a very nice set of nine 8x10 glossy photographs, one for each of the planets in the solar system.

I'm assuming that if UB 313, or Xena, or whatever it's called, ends up being named a planet, I'll get a supplementary mailing...

-the other Doug

Of course, you realize that goes both ways. If they decide to demote Pluto's status as a planet (unlikely), you'll have to mail back the extra photo you got!

FEBRUARY 2006
THE PLANETARY SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER

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IN THIS ISSUE:
=============================

TAKE ACTION - NASA 2007 Budget -
Fight for Science and Exploration

EXPLORE - New Horizons, Stardust
Sample Return

PARTICIPATE - Crater Contest Winners,
New Horizons Time Capsule, ISDC 2006,
Online Astronomy Course

WHAT WE DO - Space Advocacy:
NASA 2007 Budget Statement

===============================
TAKE ACTION
===============================
* The Fight for Science and Exploration
Our campaign to restore funding for NASA's science programs
is having an impact. Over the past few days, over 1500 of
The Planetary Society's Members and supporters contacted
the House Science Committee, demanding that NASA's science
programs be preserved. In addition, The Planetary Society
submitted a written testimony, arguing strongly against
the cutbacks. When the Science Committee held hearings on
the NASA budget on February 16, the results were clear:
a good part of the discussion dealt precisely with the
issues we raised.

Thank you all for participating in this effort.

We wish we could say it's over, we won. But we know
better -- it is going to be a long haul through the
Congressional budget process this year. Please
stay involved, as we fight to restore science and
exploration missions to their proper place in NASA's plans.

The latest on the campaign and testimony at:
http://planetary.org/programs/projects/space_advocacy/

Special Note to Non-U.S. Citizens: While we realize that
our non-U.S members were unable to participate in this
quick action campaign, we will have plenty of
opportunities in the future for you to lend your support
to the fight.

===============================
EXPLORE
===============================
* Scientists Begin Intense Study of Stardust Particles
Work is already beginning on analyzing the pristine grains
the Stardust spacecraft brought to Earth. On January 26,
Stardust@home leader Andrew Westphal headed home to Berkeley.
In the carry-on luggage for his flight, he took with him
what can only be described as a priceless treasure: one half
of an aerogel tile from Stardust, containing samples from
comet Wild 2.

Read the full story at:
http://planetary.org/news/2006/0131_Scient...e_Study_of.html

* New Horizons Launched on its Way to Pluto
Carried aloft on a pillar of fire and a cloud of smoke,
New Horizons began its journey to Pluto on January 19, 2006.
At exactly 2:00 p.m. EST, the mighty Atlas V rocket engines
roared into life. Slowly at first, and then with an
increasing rate of speed, the 60-meter (200-foot) tall
booster rose into the sky. Minutes later the five solid fuel
rockets attached to its base separated and fell back to Earth,
followed shortly by the rocket's first stage.

So began a voyage that in 9 years will take New Horizons to
Pluto and the outer edges of the solar system.

More about New Horizons and the Launch to Pluto:
http://planetary.org/news/2006/0119_New_Ho...its_Way_to.html

More About Pluto:
http://planetary.org/explore/topics/pluto/

=============================
Not a Member yet?

Join now and be a part of this great adventure.
https://planetary.org/join/membership/index.html

By becoming a member of the Planetary Society you can
do more than just witness advances in planetary exploration
and discovery, you can actually play a role in making them happen.

Join together with our International membership and help
shape the future of space exploration.

Find out more about Membership at:
http://planetary.org/join/why.html

===============================
PARTICIPATE
===============================
* New Horizons Digital Time Capsule
It's a long journey to Pluto -- 9 years will pass from
the time New Horizons launches in January 2006 until the
spacecraft arrives in 2015. Meanwhile, the Earth the
spacecraft leaves behind will not be the same as the Earth
that witnesses the images and data New Horizons sends back

from the last unexplored planet in our solar system. What
will Earth be like in 9 years' time? How will that world of
tomorrow have changed compared to our world today?

Show us what you think will change.
Send us an entry at:
http://planetary.org/explore/topics/time_capsule/

* The Great Comet Crater Contest
Announcing the Winners!
When NASA's Deep Impact mission slammed into comet
Tempel 1 in July 2005, The Planetary Society expected
to make an immediate announcement about the winners of
its "Great Comet Crater Contest" to guess the diameter
of the crater created by the impact. However, one learns
to expect the unexpected with space exploration; 6 months
after the impactor kicked up an opaque cloud of comet
debris, team scientists have learned a lot about comet
Tempel 1 but can still only estimate the crater's size
as being somewhere between 100 and 250 meters in diameter.

The Planetary Society has, therefore, selected at random
three grand prize winners from the 1,865 contest entrants
who submitted a guess within the estimated size range.

More on the Contest and Winners at:
http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/comet_crater/

* 25th International Space Development Conference
-- ISDC 2006
The Planetary Society and The National Space Society
invite you to Los Angeles on May 4-7, 2006, to participate
in the 25th annual International Space Development
Conference -- ISDC 2006. Mark your calendars today for
this exciting gathering of the space community.

Featured Speakers Include: Apollo astronauts
Buzz Aldrin and Rusty Schweickart, Burt Rutan, Elon Musk,
Chris McKay, Rick Searfoss, Charles Elachi, Bill Nye,
Bruce Murray, and Louis Friedman.

Check back often for the latest ISDC 2006 updates at:
http://planetary.org/explore/topics/isdc2006/

* Worldwide Astronomy 101
Free online Astronomy and Planetary Science Course
Get your introduction to astronomy and planetary science
from The Planetary Society's Director of Projects,
Bruce Betts. In his own, inimitable way, he'll
cover everything from galaxies and stars to each of the
bodies in our solar system.

Classes will be broadcast live on cable television in
Southern California and the Internet every Monday and
Wednesday from 3-4 PM. Internet viewers can log on to
the webcast live. All broadcasts will be archived for
later viewing.

Read the syllabus and find out more at:
http://planetary.org/special/bettsclass/

===============================
WHAT WE DO
===============================
* Space Advocacy Update
Planetary Society Charges Administration with Blurring
its Vision for Space Exploration
The NASA Budget released on February 6 shortchanges
space science in order to fund 17 projected space shuttle
flights. Despite recent spectacular results from NASA's
science programs, this budget puts the brakes on their growth
within the agency. It seriously damages the hugely productive
and successful robotic exploration of our solar system and
beyond.

More on the NASA Budget at:

http://planetary.org/programs/projects/spa...007_budget.html

_________________________

You have been subscribed to The Planetary Society's
e-mail update because, at some point in the past,
you indicated a desire to receive additional
information in this format. If you need to change
your email address, please send an email to
tps.mbl@planetary.org.

Feel free to send this newsletter on to your
friends, colleagues, and family.

In the Dawn thread the following was posted:


Did it take a lot of time to get access to the For Members area ? I emailed the Planetary Society for login information last Monday and still haven't received a reply .

It took a few weeks I think.

Doug

And I thought it was just me who had that experience. I'm still waiting. I just renewed my TPS membership, too

I had to call them.

That shouldn't be happening

Send me an email (blog@planetary.org) and I'll get you the info.

--Emily

I emailed our webmaster about it and she apologizes to anyone who's had a long wait. She said, "If the email comes to comments@planetary.org I send out the replies every Friday. But there is always a chance that I miss some, particularly if they change the subject header, don't have a subject, or send it with an attachment. [This is because a ton of spam also comes in to that email address.] If they don't send member info I have to send it to Membership to handle" and that imposes an extra delay.

Sorry for anyone who can't get access. Again, do email me if you run in to this problem (or even if you don't )

--Emily

I just wanted to say thank you publicly to Emily for handling this so quickly. She set me up with a login and password, and I'm already scanning through TPS' Members Forum

So in my case the delay is normal since it's not yet Friday (although I'd love to get access immediately ).

Thanks to Emily for clarifying this.

BTW I also renewed my TPS membership yesterday.

EDIT Like Alex I would like to thank Emily for quickly solving this problem. I'm reading the TPS's forum as I write this .

At the risk of sounding pessimistic, do any of the politicians actually
pay attention to these petitions? I am sure they get plenty of them
on many subjects virtually every day. Is there any recorded proof
that they work?

And this is not a reflection on TPS, but on how and if these actions
work in general.


Thousands Sign Planetary Society Petitions to Save Our Science

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Thousand...ur_Science.html

Los Angeles CA (SPX) May 05, 2006 - The Planetary Society reports progress in
its "Save Our Science (SOS)" Campaign to rescue NASA's space science program,
currently under attack in the proposed NASA budget for fiscal year 2007.

I think one could make a strong case that the formal founding and funding of New Horizons was as a direct result of TPS petitioning.

Doug