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This is a follow up on Post #16
The book arrived today ... first impression: "Hefty" ... Glossy cover ... fine print ... plenty of references ... No mention of NewMars.com ... probably not surprising, but disappointing that 20 years of discussion did not yield at least ** one ** mention in a publication of the Mars Society.
To be continued:
SearchTerm:BookReview of Mars City Competition
SearchTerm:Review of Book of Mars City Competition
SearchTerm:City Million Mars Society Competition
SearchTerm:Mars-City-States Title - New Societies for a New World (c) 2020 ISBN 978-1-7363860-0-2
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New item in the mailbox:
MARS SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENT
View this email in your browserFinal Mission Summary
Crew 235 (NASA Spaceward Bound Utah)
Mars Desert Research StationThe following is the final summary report of Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) Crew 235, consisting of educators involved in NASA's Spaceward Bound Utah program.
Generally Speaking, This is How It Went
By Thomas Quayle (Science Lion Simba) and Jen Carver-Hunter
Mission Summary:
At the start of our mission, nine strangers came together with different hopes and expectations, all with the same end goal – come together with other like-minded individuals within the education community and emerge with new skills or ideas. Amazingly, every step of our journey together built the outcome that would meet and exceed everyone’s expectations.
Many of the crew interactions and experiences have been recorded in the journal reports that have been submitted each day of the mission. This report will focus on the accomplishment of our mission goals, which included completing a microbiology experiment and geologic fieldwork for collection, comparison, and analysis.
For our microbiology experiment, crew prepared agar, which they used to grow the fungi and bacteria that were swabbed from different areas inside the Hab. After allowing the specimens to incubate for 3 days, crew sorted and categorized the agar to identify the locations that were swabbed. This was done in a blind categorization so both crew teams approached it through flexible problem solving. The first team used a matrix system for identification while the second team used process of elimination and benchmarks to identify the tested locations for each sample. Every crew member felt the microbiology experiment was a success in that it would be transferable to a K-12 classroom environment.
For our geologic fieldwork experience, crew members used a presentation about Mars geology by Dr. Shannon Rupert as a spring board for identification of MDRS rock samples that represent the geology of Mars. We then used 3 EVAs over the next 3 days to collect rock samples we will use to create our MDRS-Mars rock collections. On the first EVAs, crew members traveled to Kissing Camels Ridge and followed the ridge to the west to collect petrified wood, which we were using as an analogous sample for the sulphur located on Mars. Crew members were delighted to find a diverse variety of samples, including a wide range of colors and textures.
All crew members agree that each facet of our experience at MDRS contributed to a successful mission. In addition to completing our science goals, we were able to complete all of our Sim goals as well as our collaboration/networking and teambuilding goals. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our lives are changed for the better, and we are all eager to return to our classrooms to share our week of Sim on Mars. In addition, we will continue working with Dr. Rupert to develop curriculum and materials that will allow MDRS to reach teachers far beyond the scope of the Spaceward Bound Utah program.
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For anyone thinking about designing a mission to Mars ... I note that the report above is #235
There is some overlap of membership of crews at these "missions", but never-the-less, the Mars Society is accumulating a substantial number of "veterans", some of whom might be interested in considering the real thing, or at least providing feedback to the designer to try to increase chances of success.
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Received 2021/05/16
MARS SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENT
View this email in your browserNASA’s Chris McKay to Talk Terraforming at 2021 Mars Society Convention
Dr. Chris McKay, a senior planetary scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center and one of the co-founders of the Mars Underground, will give a virtual address at the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 14-17, about the concept of terraforming the planet Mars.
A renowned astrobiologist and expert on planetary atmospheres and terraforming, Dr. McKay’s research focuses primarily on the evolution of the solar system and the origins of life. He is also involved in planning future Mars missions, including the human exploration of the Red Planet.
Over the years, he has been actively engaged in polar and desert research, having traveled to the Antarctic Dry Valleys, the Atacama Desert, Siberia, the Namib Desert and the Arctic to conduct research in these Mars-like environments.
Dr. McKay has also served as a Co-Investigator on the Titan Huygen’s probe, the Mars Phoenix lander and the Mars Science lander. He received his Ph.D. in AstroGeophysics from the University of Colorado and has authored or co-authored over 50 scientific articles on a variety of space-related subjects.
This year’s virtual Mars Society conference will be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For full registration details, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
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I love McKay's eternal enthusiasm.
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More about the 2021 Convention ...
MARS SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENT
View this email in your browserInterstellar Lab CEO Barbara Belvisi to Speak at 2021 Mars Society Convention
Barbara Belvisi, CEO & founder of Interstellar Lab, Inc., will give a virtual plenary address about her company and its mission at the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 14-17, 2021.
Established in 2018 and located in Los Angeles and Paris, Interstellar Lab develops bio-regenerative modules and life-support solutions to make human life sustainable on Earth, Mars and throughout the solar system.
Ms. Belvisi started her career as an investment manager in a FoF management company, then moved on to private equity and finally venture capital, raising over $80 million. At the age of 28, she left to focus on her passion: science and technology. As part of this, she helped launch The Family, a Paris-based incubator, and Hello Tomorrow, an event fostering scientific innovation.
In addition, she established her own asset management firm, Elephants & Ventures, in 2013, which led to the founding of Hardware Club in 2015, a hybrid fund that focuses on robotics, hardware and IT.
This year’s virtual Mars Society conference will be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For full registration details, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
The Mars Society
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MARS SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENT
View this email in your browserSupport the Mars Society When You Shop
Shop at AmazonSmile to support the Mars Society's efforts to educate the public, the media and government on the benefits of exploring Mars and creating a permanent human presence on the Red Planet.
It’s the same Amazon.com you know - the same products, the same prices, the same services - and 0.5% of each eligible online purchase you make is donated to the Mars Society.
For full details about the AmazonSmile program, please visit: https://amzn.to/3bWxAmq.
Thanks for your support & on to Mars!
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Robots Are No Substitute For Human Space Exploration (Blog)
By Evan Plant-Weir, Senior Writer, Red Planet Bound Blog
Space exploration is not just about gathering data.
By and large, the last few hundred days on Earth are not going to be remembered fondly. Few will recall the COVID-19 years with a sense of happy nostalgia. Ultimately, however, this time won’t be entirely defined by the beating we took at the hands of a pandemic. Despite the many tragedies and challenges therein, we still managed to pull off some pretty remarkable things.
Somewhere high on that list is the recent trifecta success in the robotic exploration of Mars.
In February, spacecraft from three nations reached Mars in close succession. Since then, these missions have collectively knocked it out of the park with a series of impressive firsts.
NASA – now a seasoned veteran of robotic Mars exploration – amazed us with the first controlled flight and audio recording on another planet. As if that’s not enough, their Perseverance rover converted Martian atmosphere into oxygen for the first time (an important prerequisite for Mars settlement).
With Al-Amal, the UAE became the first Arab nation to establish a scientific presence at Mars, achieving that milestone on their opening attempt.
The arrival of Tianwen-1 marks China’s inaugural visit to the red planet, and the only time that a nation has deployed an orbiter, lander and rover during their first successful mission to Mars.
We’re getting good at this.
In fact, we’re getting so good at sending robot explorers to the red planet that you may begin to wonder… why would we ever bother sending humans? Why trouble with the expense and risk of transporting squishy hominids when we can just send metal and silicone instead?
It is difficult to overstate the scientific and societal importance of robotic space exploration. Each of these orbiters, landers and rovers have value in and of themselves, but they are nowhere near the culmination of our potential.
These robotic forerunners are laying the groundwork for their human successors, whose capacity for science and exploration is not only vastly broader, but substantively deeper.
The human body is a far superior mechanical system for generalized planetary exploration. Our brains, too, are uniquely suited for the investigation of Mars because of one vital capacity that no rover can carry, and no communications satellite can transmit: direct conscious experience.
To read the full blog, please click here.
https://www.marssociety.org/red-planet- … 1d542e4e31
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Planetary Geologist Henrik Hargitai to Talk about Mapping Mars at Virtual Mars Society Convention
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Henrik Hargitai, a planetary geologist and mapping expert at NASA’s Ames Research Center, will give a virtual presentation about mapping the Red Planet at the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, set for October 14-17, 2021.
Dr. Hargitai is involved in a post-doctoral fellow at the NASA’s Ames Research Center and the NASA Astrobiology Institute, focusing on planetary cartography, fluvial geomorphology and the history and localization of planetary nomenclature.
Earlier this year, Dr. Hargitai edited a 60-page comprehensive atlas of the Red planet entitled, “Mars 36: Pocket Atlas”, the first of its kind that presents a planetary surface with physical geographic thematic layers. Landforms created by lava, wind, water, and ice are shown in the book on a topographic base map.
In addition, Dr. Hargitai served for several years as the chair of the ICA Commission on Planetary Cartography and participated in two crewed simulations at the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in southern Utah. He is also the producer of numerous public outreach programs in planetary science for the media.
Dr. Hargitai received a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences (Physical Geography) and a Ph.D. in Philosophy (Aesthetics) from the Eötvös Loránd University, as well as Master’s degrees in Geography, Communications, and Teaching of Geography from the same university.
This year’s virtual Mars Society conference will be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For full registration details, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
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Virtual University Rover Challenge 2021 Gets Teams Roving
Although the COVID-19 global health pandemic forced the cancellation of the URC2021 Finals, many teams and their rovers were still anxious to test their capabilities and showcase their hard work. The URC staff developed a special event just for this situation: the Virtual University Rover Challenge 2021.
The Virtual University Rover Challenge 2021 offered teams the opportunity to build courses on their own campuses, and compete remotely with judges and fans tuning in online from around the world. Three URC missions were modified for this format: the Equipment Servicing Mission, Autonomous Navigation Mission, and Extreme Retrieval and Delivery Mission. 13 teams from 5 countries were able to compete June 3-6, with all sessions live streamed (and now archived!) via the URC YouTube Channel.
Each team's competition experience was unique - operating on test hardware that they built, and from their own campuses. Judges were fortunate enough to go on a virtual world tour, with the opportunity to see each team operating in their home environments. While the virtual event was no replacement for the URC Finals, this was a tremendous opportunity to see passionate students and their rovers hard at work again!
Equipment Servicing Mission
The Equipment Servicing Mission required teams to perform a series of dexterous manipulation tasks, operating equipment that is typically designed for a human. This includes opening a drawer, placing a toolbox in that drawer, and closing it; typing a command on a keyboard; and turning a screw to tighten it. MIST Mongol Barota from the Military Institute of Science & Technology in Bangladesh achieved the only perfect score of this mission.
To read the full announcement, (visit Mars Society web site)
Live video of Session 2 of Virtual University Rover Challenge 2021
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Mars Society Presents Red Planet Live Video Podcast
We are pleased to introduce our new Red Planet Live video podcast – a raw, off the cuff look into all things Mars. We will talk with planetary scientists, STEM industry experts, members of academia, and space advocates who all have a deep passion for the Red Planet.
Ron Craig will host the show on behalf of the Mars Society, and will lead and moderate tantalizing discussions with our guests every month as we dig into the questions and work being done to make the human exploration and settlement of Mars a reality.
So… Let’s talk HUMANS TO MARS!
Episode 1: Are We Ready to Make the Trip to Mars? With special guest Dr. Robert Zubrin, President & Founder of the Mars Society!
Join Ron Craig and Dr. Zubrin for an `out of this world` chat about what we need to do in order to put boots on the ground… on MARS!
Some say we are ready now… some say we are many years away… What’s the answer?
So please join us on Thursday, June 17, 2021 at 9:00 pm EST (6:00 pm PST) where we will ask Dr Zubrin…
Are we ready?
For details about Red Planet Live, please visit the Mars Society’s Facebook page or YouTube page.
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MIT’s Sara Seager to Talk about Possible Life in Venus’ Atmosphere at Virtual Mars Society Convention
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Sara Seager, a prominent astronomer and planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will give a virtual update about efforts to search for bio-signatures in the atmosphere of the planet Venus during the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 14-17, 2021.
Serving as the Class of 1941 Profess of Physics & Planet Science and Professor of Aeronautics & Astronautics at MIT, Dr. Seager, along with other researchers at MIT, Cardiff University, and several other schools, have found evidence of phosphine, a gas associated with living organisms, in the habitable region of Venus’ atmosphere. Further investigation will be carried out in the coming years with the launch of several spacecraft missions to Venus by NASA and the European Space Agency.
Dr. Seager’s current research interests focus on the discovery and characterization of exoplanets. She has two main goals: the discovery of another Earth and the search for signs of life by way of atmospheric biosignature gases. Thousands of exoplanets are known to exist with exoplanet atmospheres a firmly established field of research. Exoplanet atmosphere observations, are however mostly limited to giant exoplanets with puffy atmospheres. Her group aims to understand the atmospheric composition and the interior structure of small rocky exoplanets, of the kind with potential to host life.
Dr. Seager earned her B.Sc. degree in Mathematics & Physics from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard University. In addition, she has received a series of awards and honors, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (2012), the MacArthur Fellow (2013), and the Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society (2020), and, most recently, was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2020.
This year’s virtual Mars Society conference will be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For full details, including how to register, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Call for Papers
Presentations for the 2021 Virtual Mars Society Convention are invited dealing with all matters (science, technology, engineering, politics, economics, public policy, etc.) associated with the exploration and human settlement of the planet Mars. Abstracts between 100-300 words can be uploaded at the Mars Society convention registration site (https://lnkd.in/e-XKGGR). Please note that the abstract submission deadline is August 31, 2021.
The Mars Society
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One Week until Design Submission Deadline
Participate in the 2021 Mars Society Poster Contest
The Mars Society, the world’s largest space advocacy group dedicated to the human exploration and settlement of the Red Planet, invites members, friends, students, space advocates, and the general public to submit a creative poster for consideration as part of its annual design competition.
As always, the winning poster design will be used as the primary promotional graphic for the organization’s main event of the year - the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention - to be held virtually Thursday-Sunday, October 14-17, 2021.
With NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter having recently made its historic aerial flight over the surface of Mars as part of the Perseverance mission and the continuing development of SpaceX’s Starship flight system, which will help open Mars and the solar system to exploration, convention organizers have decided that the theme of this year’s international conference will be “Taking Flight”. Those making submissions will need to incorporate this theme into their planned layout.
The deadline for submitting a poster design is Wednesday, June 30th, 5:00 pm MST. All artwork submissions should be sent via email to: postercontest@marssociety.org. Please also use this address for any questions related to the contest and/or the submission process.
Technical requirements for the contest are as follows: 1) The poster size should be 11″ x 17″, 2) There are no restrictions with regard to use of color, 3) If your poster is selected, the designer will need to submit a full color poster as well as a gray-scale copy, and 4) Poster designs can be submitted in Photoshop or as a .pdf file (the former is preferred).
The winning poster design will be announced by the Mars Society during the week of July 12th. Thank you for your involvement and good luck!
Use of Image: Artist gives permission to The Mars Society to use digital images(s) of art work in online and print media. Poster Contest Disclaimer: The Poster Contest Artist, by submitting an application, agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless The Mars Society from and against any and all claims, demands or expenses (including attorney’s fees) for libel, slander, invasion of privacy, infringement of copyright, personal injury, damages, or any other claims, demand or expenses resulting from performance in connection with this agreement.
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Titan Dragonfly PI Elizabeth Turtle to Give Update at 2021 Mars Society Convention
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Elizabeth Turtle, Principal Investigator of NASA’s Dragonfly rotorcraft-lander mission to Saturn’s largest moon Titan, will give a virtual update about the spacecraft during the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, set for October 14-17, 2021.
Scheduled for launch in 2026 and arrival in 2034 and taking advantage of Titan’s dense atmosphere and low gravity, Dragonfly will explore dozens of locations across the moon’s frozen surface, sampling and measuring the composition of its organic materials, with the goal of researching the habitability of Titan’s environment and investigating the progression of prebiotic chemistry.
Dr. Turtle is a senior planetary scientist at the John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL), leading a team of scientists, space system engineers, and managers who have considerable experience in exploratory missions across the solar system.
Her main research focus is using remote sensing observations and numerical geophysical models to study geological structures and their implications for the surfaces and interiors of the planets on which they formed.
Prior to joining John Hopkins, Dr. Turtle worked at the University of Arizona’s Department of Planetary Sciences and at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona. She earned an undergraduate degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her Ph.D. in planetary science from the University of Arizona.
This year’s virtual Mars Society convention will be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For full details, including how to register online, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Call for Papers
Presentations for the 2021 Virtual Mars Society Convention are invited dealing with all matters (science, technology, engineering, politics, economics, public policy, etc.) associated with the exploration and human settlement of the planet Mars. Abstracts between 100-300 words can be uploaded at the Mars Society convention registration site (https://lnkd.in/e-XKGGR). Please note that the abstract submission deadline is August 31, 2021.
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Another preview of the upcoming conference:
MARS SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENT
View this email in your browserNASA Chief Scientist Jim Green to Address 2021 Mars Society Convention
With the Ingenuity helicopter continuing to operate on Mars, NASA has begun expanding its planning for additional aerial exploratory missions. As such, the Mars Society is very pleased to announce that NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Jim Green will be giving a virtual plenary address about “the future of flying on the Red Planet” during its 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 14-17, 2021.
As a veteran planetary scientist and physicist, Dr. Green was appointed Chief Scientist at the U.S. space agency in 2018, representing NASA’s strategic science objectives and contributions to the national and international science communities. He also serves as principal advisor to the NASA administrator and other senior officials on agency science programs, strategic planning, science policy, and the evaluation of related investments.
Prior to this, Dr. Green worked as Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA headquarters from 2006-2018, overseeing a number of space missions including Mars Curiosity, the Dawn spacecraft to Vesta and Ceres, the Grail spacecraft to the Moon, the Juno spacecraft to Jupiter, the New Horizons flyby of Pluto and the MESSANGER spacecraft to Mercury.
Dr. Green received his Ph.D. in Space Physics from the University of Iowa. He has also received a number of awards during the course of his career. In 1988 he received the Arthur S. Flemming award given for outstanding individual performance in the federal government and was awarded Japan’s Kotani Prize in 1996 in recognition of his international science data management activities. Dr. Green also received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal for the New Horizons flyby of the Pluto system.
This year’s virtual Mars Society convention will be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For full details, including how to register online, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
--------------
Call for Papers
Presentations for the 2021 Virtual Mars Society Convention are invited dealing with all matters (science, technology, engineering, politics, economics, public policy, etc.) associated with the exploration and human settlement of the planet Mars. Abstracts between 100-300 words can be uploaded at the Mars Society convention registration site (https://lnkd.in/e-XKGGR). Please note that the abstract submission deadline is August 31, 2021.
The Mars Society
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Update from JPL’s Katie Stack Morgan about Perseverance during Mars Society Convention
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Katie Stack Morgan, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Deputy Project Scientist for NASA’s Perseverance rover, will provide an update about the mission’s current work exploring the Martian surface as well as future planning during the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 14-17, 2021.
The Perseverance rover set down on the planet Mars earlier this year in February, with the goal of searching for signs of ancient life and collecting samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for eventual return to Earth.
A research scientist at JPL since 2012, Dr. Morgan also serves as a member of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Science Team. Her research focuses on the Martian sedimentary rock record, using orbiter and rover image data to better understand the evolution of ancient surface processes on the Red Planet.
Dr. Morgan received her B.A. degree in Geosciences & Astronomy from Williams College, and her M.Sc. degree and Ph.D. in Geology from the California Institute of Technology.
This years virtual Mars Society convention will be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For complete details, including how to register online, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
--------------
Call for Papers
Presentations for the 2021 Virtual Mars Society Convention are invited dealing with all matters (science, technology, engineering, politics, economics, public policy, etc.) associated with the exploration and human settlement of the planet Mars. Abstracts between 100-300 words can be uploaded at the Mars Society convention registration site (https://lnkd.in/e-XKGGR). Please note that the abstract submission deadline is August 31, 2021.
The Mars Society
11111 West 8th Avenue, unit A
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Following up on the new topic created by Edward Heisler
MARS SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENT
View this email in your browserMars Society Selected to Receive $1 Million from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future
Today, the Mars Society was selected to receive a $1 million grant from Blue Origin’s Club for the Future. This generous grant will allow us to expand all of our activities, including conferences, publications, STEM outreach, engineering competitions, and student participation as crew members at our Mars analog research stations, helping us to learn how best to explore the Red Planet by engaging in comparable field exploration in some of the most Mars-like environments on Earth.
“Our recent auction for the first seat on New Shepard resulted in a donation of $28 million to our non-profit foundation, Club for the Future,” said Bob Smith, Blue Origin CEO. “This donation is enabling Club for the Future to rapidly expand its reach by partnering with 19 organizations to develop and inspire the next generation of space professionals. Our generation will build the road to space and these efforts will ensure the next generation is ready to go even further.”
“The Mars Society is extremely happy and thankful to receive this wonderful contribution from Blue Origin and the Club for the Future,” said Mars Society President Dr. Robert Zubrin. “We intend to put it to work by bringing the challenge of the space frontier to young people all over the world, inspiring them to develop their talents in every field. Youth loves adventure, space is the great adventure of our time, and entrepreneurial space is showing that freedom leads the way. On to Mars!”
About Club for the Future
Founded by Blue Origin in 2019, Club for the Future is a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and to help invent the future of life in space. The Club and its collaborators are doing this through Postcards to Space, space-focused curriculum, and access to space on Blue Origin’s rockets. For more information, please visit ClubforFuture.org
About Blue Origin
Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos with the vision of enabling a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. To preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes that humanity will need to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. On July 20, Blue Origin will fly its first astronaut crew on board New Shepard to space and back. To watch the launch live on July 20th or sign up for updates, please visit BlueOrigin.com.
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For SpaceNut ... just curious ... is Mars Society using Google activity tracking?
They may not be including NewMars if they are. If you're not familiar with what Google activity reports look like, I can upload some samples from another web site where we set it up.
It can tell you a bit about where "guests" are coming from.
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Well I am not sure that the Admins really care whom is visiting either or both sites let alone the analog research one's. but it would hopefully be a desired tool to gain a broader outreach....
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NASA’s Carol Stoker to Detail Search for Life on Red Planet at 2021 Mars Society Convention
Dr. Carol Stoker, a veteran planetary scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center and a founding member of the Mars Underground, will give a virtual plenary address entitled “The Search for Life on Mars: What We Are Doing & What We Should Do” during the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 14-17, 2021.
Dr. Stoker has been involved with the Ames Research Center for 36 years, specializing in a range of Mars exploration science and technology. Most of her recent work has focused on developing instruments and robotic systems for space exploration and testing them in various terrestrial analog environments. These have included designing and testing drilling systems to access the subsurface of Mars to search for evidence of life.
As part of this, she has led numerous field experiments in Antarctica, the Canadian Arctic, undersea, and in deserts in the southwest United States to demonstrate the roles of robotic systems to search for life on other planets.
Dr. Stoker leads or has led several NASA research missions, including the Phoenix Mars Scout Lander mission as Co-Investigator, the Mars Underground Mole project as Principal Investigator and project lead, and the MARTE project as Principal Investigator, with the goal of developing a robotic drilling platform for use on the Red Planet.
She has over 100 science publications, and received a B.S. degree in Physics from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in Astro-genophysics from the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Once again this year's virtual Mars Society convention will be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For complete details, including how to register online, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
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Call for Papers
Presentations for the 2021 Virtual Mars Society Convention are invited dealing with all matters (science, technology, engineering, politics, economics, public policy, etc.) associated with the exploration and human settlement of the planet Mars. Abstracts between 100-300 words can be uploaded at the Mars Society convention registration site (https://lnkd.in/e-XKGGR). Please note that the abstract submission deadline is August 31, 2021.
The Mars Society
11111 West 8th Avenue, unit A
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Astrobiologist Charles Cockell to Discuss ‘Engineering a Free Mars’ at 2021 Mars Society Convention
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that veteran astrobiologist Dr. Charles Cockell, will give a virtual plenary address at the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention (Oct. 14-17) about the concept of “engineering a free Mars” by reviewing how humanity can “use engineering to drive extraterrestrial society away from tyranny and toward freedom.”
As Chair of Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Physics & Astronomy, Dr. Cockell’s research group focuses on the study of life in extreme environments, understanding the diversity, processes, and biosignatures of life in extremes, and the potential habitability of extraterrestrial environments.
Prior to this, Dr. Cockell served as a Professor of Geomicrobiology at Open University (UK), a research scientist involved in microbiology with the British Antarctic Survey, and a visiting scientist in the Department of Planet Sciences at the University of Arizona.
Dr. Cockcell has over 300 scientific publications and received his BSc degree in Biochemistry from Bristol University and DPhil in Molecular Biophysics from Oxford University's Corpus Christi College.
This year's virtual Mars Society convention will once again be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For complete details, including how to register online, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
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Call for Papers
Presentations for the 2021 Virtual Mars Society Convention are invited dealing with all matters (science, technology, engineering, politics, economics, public policy, etc.) associated with the exploration and human settlement of the planet Mars. Abstracts between 100-300 words can be uploaded at the Mars Society convention registration site (https://lnkd.in/e-XKGGR). Please note that the abstract submission deadline is August 31, 2021.
The Mars Society
11111 West 8th Avenue, unit A
Lakewood, CO 80215 U.S.A.
www.marssociety.org
https://www.facebook.com/TheMarsSociety
@TheMarsSocietyCopyright (c) 2021 The Mars Society
All rights reserved.
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JPL’s Vandi Verma to Give Update on Rover Mission Navigation at Mars Society Convention
Dr. Vandi Verma, JPL Supervisor of Operable Robotics for Mars Perseverance and Mars Curiosity, will provide a virtual update about navigating the two rover missions on the surface of Mars during the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, set for October 14-17, 2021.
Dr. Verma joined JPL’s Mobility and Robotics Systems division 14 years ago, with research interest in robotic software that enables autonomy and commanding under uncertainty for coordinated manipulation, mobility, sampling and science.
Since 2008, she has been driving Mars rovers (MER, MSL) and operating the robotic arm and sampling system and is also involved in Perseverance’s current operations on Mars. In addition, she has worked on numerous research robotics projects and has deployed robots in the Arctic, Antarctica and the Atacama Desert in Chile.
This year’s virtual Mars Society convention will once again be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For complete details, including how to register online, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
This year's virtual Mars Society convention will once again be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For complete details, including how to register online, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
--------------
Call for Papers
Presentations for the 2021 Virtual Mars Society Convention are invited dealing with all matters (science, technology, engineering, politics, economics, public policy, etc.) associated with the exploration and human settlement of the planet Mars. Abstracts between 100-300 words can be uploaded at the Mars Society convention registration site (https://lnkd.in/e-XKGGR). Please note that the abstract submission deadline is August 31, 2021.
The Mars Society
11111 West 8th Avenue, unit A
Lakewood, CO 80215 U.S.A.
www.marssociety.org
https://www.facebook.com/TheMarsSociety
@TheMarsSocietyCopyright (c) 2021 The Mars Society
All rights reserved.
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Poster contest winner ...
Mars Society Announces 2021 Poster Contest Winner!
The Mars Society is very pleased to announce that the winner of this year’s Mars Society Poster Contest is Olivier Gourdon of France. He is a designer and artist by trade, currently serving as a workshop manager in the graphic design industry, and having previously worked in the newspaper and communication agency field. Olivier was also part of a French team in the 2020 Mars City State Design Competition.
Graphic artists who participated in the annual design contest were asked to submit a poster using the theme “Taking Flight” for the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, a virtual conference that will run from October 14-17, 2021.
Olivier’s winning poster will be proudly displayed on the Mars Society web site and social media platforms as part of its promotional efforts for the upcoming four-day global convention about all things Mars-related.
The Mars Society would also like to extend its congratulations to the contest’s second place winner – Maya Soukup, a graduate student studying geology at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada. In addition, contest organizers would like to thank all of the other design participants in this year’s competition.
For additional information about our 2021 International Mars Society Convention, including registration details and call for papers, please visit our web site (www.marssociety.org).
The Mars Society
11111 West 8th Avenue, unit A
Lakewood, CO 80215 U.S.A.
www.marssociety.org
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Ingenuity will be a topic ...
NASA Ingenuity Operations Lead to Give Update at 2021 Mars Society Convention
With NASA-JPL’s Ingenuity helicopter making history on an almost weekly basis with flights above the Martian surface, the Mars Society is pleased to welcome Theodore (Teddy) Tzanetos, Ingenuity Operations Lead, as a virtual plenary speaker during its 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 14-17, 2021.
Mr. Tzanetos serves as a Robotics Technologist in JPL’s Robotics Mobility Group, focusing on the Mars science helicopter mission. His expertise involves embedded system development with an emphasis on state estimation for inertial navigation.
Mr. Tzanetos graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with B.S. and M.Eng. degrees in Computer Science & Electrical Engineering.
This year’s virtual Mars Society convention will once again be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For complete details, including how to register online, please click here. Regular updates, including a list of confirmed speakers, will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
--------------
Call for Papers
Presentations for the 2021 Virtual Mars Society Convention are invited dealing with all matters (science, technology, engineering, politics, economics, public policy, etc.) associated with the exploration and human settlement of the planet Mars. Abstracts between 100-300 words can be uploaded at the Mars Society convention registration site (https://lnkd.in/e-XKGGR). Please note that the abstract submission deadline is August 31, 2021.
The Mars Society
11111 West 8th Avenue, unit A
Lakewood, CO 80215 U.S.A.
www.marssociety.org
https://www.facebook.com/TheMarsSociety
@TheMarsSocietyCopyright (c) 2021 The Mars Society
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International Collaboration in Space: Doorway to a Wiser Humanity (Blog)
By Evan Plant-Weir, Senior Writer, Red Planet Bound Blog
International collaboration in space is an important catalyst for the growth of our species. Not only does is bolster our total scientific and economic productivity as a planet, but it also constitutes an important mechanism for our transition into a more planetary-minded people.
Humanity is fumbling through its adolescence. We grapple with the messy contradictions found at the intersection of our violent past, and our aspirations for the future.
We have matured enough as a species to see the urgent need for global coordination, but in the wake of millennia-old conflict we remain divided and distrustful as nations.
This isn’t something that can change overnight. Like the transition of an individual human from chaotic infancy into the wisdom of adulthood, it takes time. What we can do right now, however, is patiently sow the seeds of a more collaborative and unified human community.
There are various avenues through which we can chip away at this hopeful dichotomy. International collaboration in space exploration, and the pursuit of a multiplanetary future are among the most promising.
Whereas it is naïve to imagine that there will be no strategic competition beyond our atmosphere, partnership in space exploration represents one of the most effective ways for sustaining a thread of peaceful international association.
Working together in space offers superior efficiency for the scientific and technological development of our species as a whole. It opens a backchannel for constructive partnerships, even between otherwise opposed nations. Perhaps most importantly, it strengthens the narrative of shared human goals and lays groundwork for the older, wiser humanity we aspire to become.
Getting the Job Done
In the most practical sense, international collaboration in space addresses sheer logistical realities. It can be far more efficient to combine the scientific talent pool and research infrastructure of multiple countries into any given initiative.
The sum of humanity’s capacity for science and technology is distributed across the planet. Concentrations of specialized knowledge are divided asymmetrically between nations. By sharing human resources, individual countries can make use of experience that might otherwise have taken decades to develop.
For physical assets, too, a collaborative approach offers benefit to all parties. Logistically demanding and expensive research facilities can “keep the lights on” by filling the needs of other institutions who themselves can then avoid the initial cost and risk of building them.
By combining resources, a collective of nations can achieve greater efficiency, deeper capability and can avoid duplication of effort. All the while, society is enriched by the resulting discoveries and innovations.
The deeper we delve beyond the atmosphere, the more essential this international economy of scale becomes.
As we seek to establish a permanent, self-sustaining presence on Mars over the next century, the need for human expertise, R&D infrastructure, and manufacturing capacity will be substantial. The demands of this vital goal will exceed the capabilities of any single nation. Becoming multiplanetary will require nothing less than a combined, global effort.
This association by necessity is fundamental to virtually all the great challenges we face as a species. The simple fact that we are in this together is most evident, however, from beyond our atmosphere.
Even between nations on the brink of nuclear war, partnership in space exploration has proven to be an effective means for bringing humanity together in peaceful collaboration.
To read the full blog, please click here.
The Mars Society
11111 West 8th Avenue, unit A
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Mars Society Convention to Hear from NASA’s Karl Stapelfeldt about Exoplanet Exploration
The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Karl Stapelfeldt, Chief Scientist for NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program, will be giving a virtual presentation about the ongoing search for planets orbiting other stars during the 24th Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 14-17, 2021.
Working at JPL in California, Dr. Stapelfeldt is involved in refining the content and direction of NASA exoplanet missions, technology developments, and scientific research. Over his 30-year career, he has been a member of the Hubble and Spitzer space telescope instrument science teams, and has participated in a number of concept studies of future space telescopes.
His research focuses on star and planet formation through astronomical observations of protoplanetary and debris disks, using data from Hubble and Spitzer, the European Space Agency’s Herschel space observatory, and the ground-based Atacama Large Millimeter Array.
Dr. Stapelfeldt earned his B.S.E in Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Physics from Princeton University and a Ph.D. Astronomy from Caltech. In addition, he has taught astronomy courses at UCLA and USC, and served for five years as Chief of the Exoplanet and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
This year’s virtual Mars Society convention will once again be free of charge (although donations are welcomed). For complete details, including online registration, a list of confirmed speakers, and sponsorship opportunities, please click here. Regular updates will be posted in the coming weeks on the Mars Society web site and its social media platforms.
--------------
Call for Papers
Presentations for the 2021 Virtual Mars Society Convention are invited dealing with all matters (science, technology, engineering, politics, economics, public policy, etc.) associated with the exploration and human settlement of the planet Mars. Abstracts between 100-300 words can be uploaded at the Mars Society convention registration site (https://lnkd.in/e-XKGGR). Please note that the abstract submission deadline is August 31, 2021.
The Mars Society
11111 West 8th Avenue, unit A
Lakewood, CO 80215 U.S.A.
www.marssociety.org
https://www.facebook.com/TheMarsSociety
@TheMarsSocietyCopyright (c) 2021 The Mars Society
All rights reserved.
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