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Don Piccard Endorsement Letter

Jon Maxey

Angela Maxey

Hi Guys,

I really appreciate the opportunity to get involved with your International Peace Star Project.

I can remember, many years ago when (before the Bay of Tonkin affair) a local Vietnamese, standing next to a U.S. special advisor, remarked "How is it that such a great country that can put a new star in the sky can't bring peace to a small country like this?" That question still haunts me. It seems very natural, if not simplistic. I thought back to that star of two thousand years ago and its promise of Peace on Earth to Men of Goodwill and I realize the natural implication of peace from the starry sky with its immutable permanence and absolute stillness.

A new visible star moving across the sky will be even more noticeable than Echo and Echo II were a half century ago. It will raise the question: What is it, why is it there and what is its message? The portent of a new savior in this time of great need for peace? Curiosity will raise the question and the answer will be found, even to the remotest jungle or depth of the great cities. The answer will be available from the International Peace Star Project, sooner in the heart of civilization, and later in the outback, but the star will be there to incite curiosity, question and finally the answer.

Your project is not only feasible, but it is practical and amazingly enough very cheap. Just use any advertising evaluation system and you immediately see that the cost per impression is at an absolute minimum. Hardly measurable cost, so low. Ad to that the proven impression that a visible satellite actually makes and you have a public relations gem. Everyone that sees it - and that is practically the whole wide world's population - will have the automatic question. And seeing it night after night in prime time the question will endure until the answer is found and the message delivered. This is all proven fact and existing state of the art. There is no research to be done to perfect the system. It works. It worked for Echo, it worked better for Echo II and it will work even better, more visibly, more beautifully and even more inspiring for the International Peace Star.

I had a very small part in NASA's Echo projects, but I hope I can have a bigger one with yours.

Sincerely, Don Piccard,

National Aeronautic Association Life Member and Elder Statesman of Aviation; Inductee, The Federation Aeronautic International Balloon Hall of Fame; Founder of the Balloon Club of America.

Don Piccard has held many world class balloon records, holds numerous patents in balloon design and inflatable buildings and is internationally recognized as a major contributor to the art and science of aerostation. A typical search using Google (limit the search by putting "Don Piccard" in quotes) will bring up over 500 interesting to read citations. "Donald Piccard" some twenty and "Donald L.Piccard" some ten articles of a more formal nature.