Odyssey February 2002: Annual Activities Report

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Odyssey, Feburary 2002. Editor: Kris Cerone

OASIS Annual Activities Report

By Steve Bartlett

OASIS promoted space development through several avenues during 2001: science and science fiction conventions, involvement in the California Space Development Council, communications, and group activities.

We performed space advocacy work at two conventions: the AgamemCon convention in June and the LOSCON convention in November.

For the fourth year running, the AgamemCon convention provided us an opportunity to show attendees the wide range of space activities in the Greater Los Angeles area. OASIS arranged for a full slate of space-related programming for the run of the convention, including dozens of panels and over twenty hoarse of guest speakers from NASA, local space companies, and elsewhere. These programs covered the gamut of space development: reusable and expendable launch vehicles, women in space, debunking the Apollo "Moon Hoax" claims, asteroid exploration, robotic Mars missions, Mars simulators in the Arctic, robotic probes, space medicine, underwater construction activities, space stations, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and many others.

Besides space programming and table staffing, OASIS hosted space-modeling activities for adults and children. Our members also constructed a Mars rover simulator and simulated Marscape for it to traverse for the gathering. Convention attendees operated the rover via remote control and could view its movements either by eye or with an on-board video camera.

We continued our convention work at the LOSCON gathering, where OASIS members staffed an information booth at this convention, spoke with science fiction fans and authors, and handed out Mars bars as part of our "Take a Piece of Mars" effort. OASIS also provided speakers for space-related convention panels.

In addition to work at these conventions, the Los Angeles chapter also furnished copies of its popular "Space on the Web" flyers to convention attendees at the International Space Development Conference in Albuquerque, NM and the World Science Fiction Convention in Philadelphia, PA.

OASIS members were heavily involved in the California Space Development Council throughout the year. This involvement included helping to manage CSDC activities, organizing gatherings, and coordinating with other CSDC members to promote space activities within the state.

The Greater Los Angeles chapter continued its long-standing history of communications excellence through several outlets. Our monthly newsletter, the Odyssey, provided chapter members and others with a local perspective on human and robotic space development. For a wider audience, the OASIS web site showed the world who we are, what we do, and the benefits of membership. Besides our own web site, OASIS members researched and published an extensive list of space-related web sites around the globe. Our telephone hotline continued to provide the latest information on upcoming space activities in the local area.

OASIS also had a successful membership drive in 2001, maintaining our membership at close to 100 people. The membership gathered for several activities during the year, including attending a live performance of space-related music at the Hollywood Bowl in September. The November chapter meeting featured a screening of bad science fiction movies, where attendees brought clips of their favorite camp classics to share. December saw the annual OASIS holiday party, with a variety of guests, tree trimming, and lively discussion. After most chapter meetings, the group would meet for dinner at a local restaurant to socialize and talk about space-related topics.

To cap off the year, our members gathered for a special screening of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey at the famed Egyptian Theater in Hollywood in December along with members of the Orange County NSS chapter. (Note: Near the beginning of the year, members from both chapters had sent letters to Warner Brothers Studios, the owners of the film, urging the company to re-release the film in 2001.)