The Artemis Project is Growing Too Fast

We have to agree that interest in the Artemis Project is growing faster than our ability to satisfy that interest. So far, that's primarily because we underestimated the communication power (and overhead) of the Internet. We are continually working on the organization of both the Artemis Project and Artemis Society International; but it does seem that the better we do this, the faster the project grows.

What we've done to fix it

We've done a lot to improve the Artemis Project business organization and the administration of Artemis Society International:

• Merged the Artemis Society International newsletter into Moon Miners' Manifesto, published by the Lunar Reclamation Society.

• Organized the ASI administration team to relieve the workload of the folks at ASI headquarters in Huntsville.

• Established a new membership service center, with services donated by Lunar Traders, to better serve you when you join Artemis Society International. We are now able to respond much more quickly to new membership requests and renewals, and can accept credit cards through a secure web server and via paper mail.

• Installed Website Director in the ASI Web Management System. This has reduced the workload of maintaining the files on the Artemis Project web by at least an order of magnitude, and enables us to respond to changes in the web much more quickly. WebSite Director also provides us with the tools we need to better control the quality of the material you find here on the Artemis Project web.

• Created a private intranet to serve the needs of the many committees and teams in Artemis Society International.

What still need to do

We're not out of the woods yet, however. There's still a lot to do:

• ASI needs leaders: Artemis Society International needs many more volunteers who can handle leadership positions within the Society. We need leaders all areas, especially administration, business management, and the technical areas of space flight. The Society has a lot of enthusiastic volunteers, but to get the activities organized, we need volunteers with experience in leadership positions who can plan and organize the work to be done; and who will accept the responsibility and authority for these positions and keep the commitment.

• Artemis Society International needs you: The stronger Artemis Society International is, the faster we'll get to the moon and beyond. Hundreds of thousands of people use our web site and other resources of the Society, but only a small portion of Artemis Project enthusiasts have shown their commitment by becoming members of the Society. That leaves a few dedicated ASI members trying to satisfy the needs of many others. So, please, if you want the universe opened to everyone, don't hesitate, join Artemis Society International today.

• Artemis Society International needs local groups: We're spread out all over the world, so we use the network to keep in touch. Electronic communication is great, but there's still no substitute for meeting face-to-face with your friends to accomplish great things. Local groups can reinforce the camaraderie within the Artemis Project, provide a forum where people meeting in a social setting can exchange ideas and plans, help prevent members from feeling isolated and maintain their enthusiasm, provide a forum for those who want to participate in the business side of the Project, and of course work on Society projects and help with ASI administration. So if you can, please join Artemis Society International and volunteer to be a local contact for your area.

  Existing space organizations, including local NSS and SEDS groups, can help fulfill the need by becoming an Artemis Society affiliate, too. The Artemis Project can enhance your organization's activities by providing a specific goal and hands-on project for your members to work on while you are providing educational services and promoting a general interest in space exploration and development.

• ASI Web Team needs your help: With more than 2,500 documents in the Artemis Data Book, the web team is faced with a never-ending challenge to keep up with the flow of document changes, fixing broken links, and formatting new documents for the web. We especially need experienced editors who can review new documents for spelling, grammer, and style. If you can help with this, please do join Artemis Society International and sign up for the Electronic Communications Technical Committee.

• The Artemis Project needs business experience: The demand for products and services related to the Artemis Project is expanding far faster that we can satisfy the demand. Almost every program participant, including The Lunar Resources Company is looking for people with extensive experience in business and a background in entrepreneurial enterprise.