ASTRA History

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1971   Bottom of Page Jan.9? Dr. Daniel Pablo, G.U. Aeronautics, 'Computer Simulation of Extra-Vehicular Activity'. Jan.16. Chris Boyce, 'On the Interpreting of Extra-terrestrial Cultures', Part 2. Jan.20. Visit to G.U. Aeronautics Dept.. Jan.23. Pat McNally, 'The Origin of Life'. Jan.30. Les Cordingley, 'Telescope Systems and Mounts'. Feb.12. At 24 hours' notice, we are required to quit the ASTRA rooms, allegedly for safety reasons. It's widely believed that we had been caught in political crossfire, because the party which had just lost control of the town had its headquarters on the ground floor. We were required to move into a derelict shop called 'Bruce's Cave'. Attempts were made to save Ed Buckley's Scorpius mural, which still had about 100 stars to be added, but there was no way to remove it from the wall. We weren't allowed to hold meetings in Bruce's Cave, so officially we were 'stock taking' on Saturday afternoons. The directions were that we were "meeting in front of the old HQ gate at 2.30 p.m." Desperate attempts were made to find venues for formal meetings, with great difficulty which we didn't understand at the time. Feb.19. Visit to Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, shown round by Dr. Campbell (see 1963). 21 participants, an ASTRA record at that time. May 1. Planning meeting for Part 2 of the Interstellar Project, covering Direct Contact with Other Intelligence. May 19. Lecture by Mr. Dalziel, Curator of Airdrie Public Observatory, at St. John Centre, Hamilton, followed by Observatory visit. August. Margaret Schwiglhofer appears on STV's 'Dateline Scotland' programme, showing paintings by Ed Buckley. Immediately afterwards ASTRA is offered new premises at 12 Guthrie St., Hamilton. In one of the very few sympathetic, though tongue-in-cheek press reports we ever had in the town, the Hamilton Advertiser reports "Spaceflight Society Moves from Cave to New Premises". Aug.14. Organised visit to Apollo 10 capsule and moonrock at Museum of Transport, Glasgow. Sept.15. Official opening of new premises by John Macvey, who had been our accredited representative at the Apollo 15 launch. Nov. 17-21. First International Spaceflight Exhibition, opened by Provost Sherry of Hamilton, including: display of Soviet space photographs (Novosti Press Agency), Apollo 15 photographs (Royal Scottish Museum - supplemented by material lent and later donated by John Macvey), rocket and satellite models (British Aircraft Corporation), Space Shuttle display board (Hawker Siddley Dynamics), NASA films (British Interplanetary Society), paintings and models by Ed Buckley and Gavin Roberts, one poster (count 'em - one) from NASA HQ, and by rush mail, the first Mariner 9 photos from Mars orbit, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena. This was the beginning of a vital relationship with JPL which is still far from over. Dec.15. Ed Buckley, 'An Artist's View of the Solar System'. This talk and Prof. Nonweiler's 1970 lecture led to the Interplanetary Project (see 1973).  -o0o-   Top of Page 1970 1972

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