CRES – Chemically Rigidized Expandable Structures
CRES Expertise accumulated through the Contraves Space work M.C. Bernasconi Consultants Dr. Marco C. Bernasconi Overview Dr. Marco C. Bernasconi, in particular because of his long involvement with the developments at Contraves Space, possesses of a unique expertise in the field of inflatable, chemically-rigidized expandable structures for space applications (called herein CRES, for short). For historical reasons, work at Contraves centered on microwave antenna reflectors, as exemplified by the realization of the first “inflatable” offset reflector; however, work has been done in all classes of flexible-wall expandable structures (a superset of CRES — see diagram below) with the exception of [...]
Ethical Considerations in Astronautical Endeavours
Introductory Remarks Marco C. Bernasconi The OURS Foundation, Switzerland Paper IAA-95-IAA.8.1.01 presented at the XLVI International Congress of Astronautics, in Oslo (Norway),October 1995 Introduction Ethics is not a scientific discipline, but part of philosophy, and the philosophers even after three thousand years of inquiry have not managed to develop a method for ascertaining which of their many statements are – if not true – at least truly relevant for this Universe. Therefore, turning to ethics to obtain a guide for future-oriented action, one just opens the floodgates for a profusion of arguments and counter-arguments, and for being submerged by a [...]
Considering the Universe
Contribution by Dr. Marco C. Bernasconi The progress of the astronomical sciences has constantly opened new horizons to the humanity’s culture, not only by the discovery of new celestial objects, but mainly by showing the real dimensions of the Universe. In recent times, astronautical techniques have contributed substantially to the cosmic research effort, to the point that science has been advanced as the primary reason for spaceflight. In reality, although astronautics and astronomy have a common origin in the human drive to explore and to penetrate the mysteries of the heavens, this is not the case. The scientific research aimed [...]
The OUR-Space Peace Sculpture Project
Introducing a Cultural Dimension into the Space Environment Arthur R. Woods – Artist, Founder and President of the OURS Project. Member: I.A.A.A., I.S.A.S.T. Marco C. Bernasconi – OURS Vice President – Technical, Member: FBIS, A.I.A.A. Paper IAA-89-673 Presented at the 40th Congress of the International Astronautical Federation October 7-13, 1989 / Torremolinos, Spain Abstract Recent developments concerning the commercial use of outer space have made it possible for cultural events to take place in the space environment which can be seen and experienced by much of the world’s population. The opportunity to communicate to the global audience as well as [...]
How Civilizations Choose to Fail or Succeed
In his book “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed”, Jared Diamond, a geologist, examines a number of ancient societies that have collapsed including, among others, Easter Island, the Mayan culture and the Norse settlements in Greenland. The keyword is: “choose”. The Space Option concept implies that a choice related to space exists for humanity that has do with the success of our civilization. The Space Option Space noun 1. the unlimited or incalculably great three-dimensional realm or expanse in which all material objects are located and all events occur. 2. beyond the atmosphere of the earth. Option noun [...]
Making Cosmic Choices
If one believes that other technological civilizations have appeared throughout the Cosmos, then one can speculate they must have faced a similar choice that confronts humanity at this particular moment in its history. Did these distant civilizations decide to use their technology and knowledge to extend their civilization beyond their home planet in order to perpetuate their species, or did they misuse their technology and knowledge and let their civilization decline and their future be destroyed? This situation is called the Cosmic Choice – a decision which any technological species must make about its future at a critical point in [...]
Space Option Star in ELEO
Developing solar power satellites (SPS) as a major energy source for Earth will involve multiple orbital demonstrators. Satellites in low Earth orbits (LEO) will have far lower costs than demonstrators in geostationary orbit (GEO) or High Elliptical Orbits (HEO), but they have the major disadvantage that they can deliver power to a receiving and rectifying antenna (rectenna) for only a few minutes, and only once every few days. However, Equatorial Low Earth Orbits (ELEO) offers the unique advantage to effectively deliver power to the same rectennas about 10 times every day. The Space Option Star in Equatorial Low [...]
The OURS Projects
Arthur Woods In the 1970’s my art had become inspired by scientific information about the nature of the universe which was reflected in my primary mode of expression, which at this time was mostly painting. In 1975, my wife and I moved to Zurich which exposed me to a thriving contemporary art scene. Four years later we moved to the US and, after a year and a half, we decided that Switzerland was the better choice for our circumstances and we returned to Switzerland in 1980. Signs & Symbols Acrylic on Canvas, 70 x 70 cm Back in Switzerland, my [...]
Space, Art and the Future of Humanity
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at the beginning of the modernist era and of modern art, the avant-garde was characterized by its confidence and optimism about the future. The artists, writers and philosophers of this era held the firm belief that the industrial age was opening many new territories to explore and that art, in its most noble and explicit way, would find the necessary metaphors by which a radically changing culture could be explained. There was no sense that civilization would ever be threatened by the very forces that fueled their optimism. There were no statistics [...]
CRES Expertise accumulated through the Contraves Space work M.C. Bernasconi Consultants Dr. Marco C. Bernasconi Overview Dr. Marco C. Bernasconi, in particular because of his long involvement with the developments [...]
Introductory Remarks Marco C. Bernasconi The OURS Foundation, Switzerland Paper IAA-95-IAA.8.1.01 presented at the XLVI International Congress of Astronautics, in Oslo (Norway),October 1995 Introduction Ethics is not a scientific discipline, [...]
Contribution by Dr. Marco C. Bernasconi The progress of the astronomical sciences has constantly opened new horizons to the humanity’s culture, not only by the discovery of new celestial objects, [...]
Introducing a Cultural Dimension into the Space Environment Arthur R. Woods – Artist, Founder and President of the OURS Project. Member: I.A.A.A., I.S.A.S.T. Marco C. Bernasconi – OURS Vice President [...]
In his book “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed”, Jared Diamond, a geologist, examines a number of ancient societies that have collapsed including, among others, Easter Island, the [...]
If one believes that other technological civilizations have appeared throughout the Cosmos, then one can speculate they must have faced a similar choice that confronts humanity at this particular moment [...]
Developing solar power satellites (SPS) as a major energy source for Earth will involve multiple orbital demonstrators. Satellites in low Earth orbits (LEO) will have far lower costs [...]
Arthur Woods In the 1970’s my art had become inspired by scientific information about the nature of the universe which was reflected in my primary mode of expression, which at [...]
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at the beginning of the modernist era and of modern art, the avant-garde was characterized by its confidence and optimism about the [...]
