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Louis Friedman,
Project Director, Cosmos 1 |
Cosmos 1 - together we made a difference
We, here at The Planetary Society, are absolutely energized. The surging
support for our solar sail project from people around the world left us
gratified and so far exceeded our expectations that there is no way we
can call the Cosmos 1 mission a failure.
Still, we can't help but feel profound disappointment
that we never got the chance to test our spacecraft.
The Russian Volna rocket failed in its first stage,
and while we have some tracking data indicating that
our spacecraft may have made it into orbit and even
worked briefly, it would have been a badly wrong orbit,
one that would have caused the spacecraft to re-enter
quickly.
Even as I write this, scientists and engineers in both
the United States and Russia are looking at that tracking
data to establish the fate of Cosmos 1. In Russia, a
commission is being formed to investigate the launch
failure. As we learn the results of these investigations,
we will keep you posted.
 Now
is not the time to think about what might have been.
We still have a list of accomplishments to be proud of.
We built the first solar-sail spacecraft, one that may
have reached orbit in working condition and ready for its
mission. We conducted the first space mission by a privately
funded space-interest group.
With very limited resources,
we created an international partnership of experienced scientists and
engineers who worked together toward an extraordinary goal. We built a
private partnership with a science-based entertainment company, Cosmos
Studios, based on a shared vision of the value of exploration. We engaged
national space agencies - notably NASA - and won their respect, then spurred
on their programs in solar sailing. And we certainly captured the public's
imagination and passion for exploring space.
I am proud of our Planetary Society team, Cosmos Studios,
and the spacecraft manufacturers the Lavochkin Association
and the Space Research Institute.
Right now, I want to take a moment to thank each and
every member of The Planetary Society - you made it happen. I am deeply
impressed with the depth of support our members gave Cosmos 1. It buoyed
my spirits when I had to confront the loss; and it should lift all of
us - in The Planetary Society and everywhere on Earth - to think about
what we can still accomplish, and to set our sights on our next goal in
space.
Together, we make a difference. The exploration of space
becomes not just a symbol of the reach of human endeavor,
but a motivation to create a positive future - here and on other worlds
- for humankind.
Thank you,
Louis Friedman
Project Director, Cosmos 1,
and Executive Director, The Planetary Society
For the latest Cosmos 1 updates go to:
http://planetary.org/solarsail
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