SpaceRef Management

Marc Boucher, Senior Editor and CEO

Boucher is an entrepreneur, technologist, programmer, explorer and bon vivant. He began work on his first Internet technology company in 1991 and hasn't looked back since.

His first effort was SportsWorld BBS (1992), a bulletin board system. Some of you might remember those those ancient 2400/9600 baud modems using dial-in systems of the early 90's. SportsWorld morphed into aTerra Technologies Corporation which then morphed into SpaceRef Canada Interactive Inc. in 2011. After that he went on to create Maple Square Inc. - Canada's Internet Directory (1996), which he sold, then co-founded SpaceRef Interactive Inc. (1999), and Moonviews LLC (2005). His most recent endeavour is Hyperix Search, Inc. (2007).

He have also help build several non-profit organizations. These include the Mars Society (1998) where he built their online brand and served as a director in its infancy. He also helped found the Mars Society Canada (1998) before leaving both organizations in 2001. In 2002 Boucher also co-founded the Mars Institute which is a non-profit research institute with an office at the NASA Ames Research Park. More recently he helped co-found the Canadian Space Commerce Association(2007).

Boucher is a professional Member of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and a member of International Astronautical Federation (IAF) Entrepreneurship and Investment Committee.

Responsibilities

- Oversee daily operations, project planning and execution.
- Business development.
- Manage finances and reporting.
- Personnel management (recruitment, hiring, training, evaluation and termination of staff).
- Maintaining SpaceRef's technical infrastructure including server hardware and software (Temporary).
- Developing and maintaining the Media Kit.
- Publisher of Space Quarterly magazine setting the editorial schedule.

Marc Boucher's personal web site: Innovation Thoughts by Marc Boucher

Keith Cowing, Editor-In-Chief and President

Keith Cowing is trained as a biologist (M.A. and B.A. degrees) and has a multidisciplinary background with experience and expertise that ranges from spacecraft payload integration and biomedical peer review to freelance writing and web site authoring.

Between 1990 and 1993, Keith was a NASA civil servant and served as Manager of Pressurized Payload Accommodations at the Space Station Freedom Program Office (SSFPO). As part of his prime responsibilities, Keith served as the Payload Accommodations Manager for the 2.5 Meter Centrifuge Facility, the Gas-Grain Simulation Facility, the Gravitational Biology Facility, and the CELSS Test Facility. Keith also participated in all SSF design reviews held during 1990-93, representing the interests of the scientific payload community. Keith was also the SSFPO lead on biospecimen containment and was a NASA representative to the NRC Committee on Toxicology's subcommittee on Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations.

Prior to his work at NASA, Keith worked for the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) on NASA Life Sciences Division Peer review and for the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) where he managed a subcontract in support of the NASA Life Sciences Strategic Planning Study Committee (a.k.a. the Robbins Committee). Keith is also a former member of the governing board of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology (ASGSB).

Responsibilities

- Managing editorial content for SpaceRef's network of web sites.
- Coordinate web site development with Marc Boucher.
- Supervision of editorial staff.

Keith Cowing's personal web site.

Randy Attwood, Managing Editor, Space Quarterly Magazine, Senior Editor, SpaceRef Network.

Randy Attwood has had an interest in space exploration and astronomy since the late 1960’s. He earned a Physic BSc. From the University of Western Ontario in 1979 and worked in the Information Technology profession from 1979 to 2006.

He often appears on Canadian television networks to provide background information for space and astronomy related stories. He has been an avid total solar eclipse and space shuttle launch chaser, having seen twelve of each.

Randy was President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) from 1998 – 2000. He is an active member of the Mississauga chapter of the RASC and runs monthly local public outreach events. He is President of a not for profit charity called the Earthshine Astronomy and Space Science Organization whose mandate is the creation of an astronomy and space science educational facility in the western Greater Toronto Area.

Responsibilities

- Ensure that magazine contents provide useful knowledge and are of high quality, valid, credible, authoritative, readable and relevant to the magazine’s scope and mission.
- Help to establish and enforce explicit editorial policies for the magazine, including policies on authorship, conflict of interest, ethical principles etc.
- Establish and implement procedures to help maintain and monitor magazine quality and identify errors and problems.
- Help evaluate all submitted material fairly, avoiding bias, conflict of interest, and external pressure in making editorial decisions.
- Explore electronic publishing alternatives and other innovative means of interactive information exchange.
- Oversee and evaluate the performance of the writers. Determine the publication sequence for accepted manuscripts in conjunction with the other editors and publisher.