11th Annual Mars Society Convention on 14th-17th August
Written by Ian O'Neill
Next week, Boulder, Colorado will play host to the eleventh annual Mars Society conference. There will be a huge array of speakers, lectures and workshops anyone can get involved in to learn more about the future of manned exploration on Mars. The Mars Society is an international organization working to raise public awareness about the opportunities we have on Mars and push for eventual manned settlements. Primarily, the Mars Society is pushing for better governmental spending in planetary missions, but there is an increasing awareness that many aims can only be achieved through private enterprise. The organization doesn't limit itself to political activities. For years the organization has managed a series of "Mars Analogues," isolated habitats where volunteers carry out extended experiments, studying everything from human psychology in confined living conditions to working in extreme environments (such as desert plains).
It is therefore of huge significance that the eleventh Mars Society conference will be bigger and better than ever, with a very impressive list of delegates…
The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in the winder Utah Desert snow (Mars Society)
The Mars Society is one organization that is close to my heart. For a long time now I have been enthralled with the possibilities mankind has once we push beyond the protective atmosphere of Earth. Indeed, NASA's Constellation Program promises to take us to the Moon by 2020 and then onto Mars sometime afterwards, but governmental programs often fall foul of political agendas and funding cuts. We all have big hopes for Constellation, and NASA will work its hardest to make it happen on schedule, but so much depends on who is in office and what party they belong to. This is where groups like the Mars Society (and the Mars Foundation, Moon Society, National Space Society etc.) have a big part to play in keeping enthusiasm for manned interplanetary exploration and planning for future colonization.
A big part of the work is public outreach projects, and this year the Mars Society Conference is holding a competition to design a project that will stimulate public and media interest in the settlement of Mars. There were many entrants in the "Mars Project Challenge," but only ten could be selected for the "final" that will be held next week in Boulder. Amongst the finalists is the Mars Foundation's "Mars Education Center," which I saw grow from the hard work of a few volunteers from a concept into a fully-fledged design for the public to interact with. I really hope they do well, it is an incredible plan.
So, if you are interested in going to the University of Colorado, Boulder to check out what's on show, visit the Mars Society's website. But before you do so, check out this impressive list of just a few of the speakers:
- Elon Musk - CEO/CTO, SpaceX
- J. Michael Straczynski - Creator, Babylon 5 Series
- Dr. Carol Stoker - Co-Investigator, Phoenix Mars Lander
- Dr. Chris McKay - Planetary Scientist, NASA Ames
- Dr. James Garvin - Remote Sensing Specialist, Earth System Science Pathfinder Project, Goddard Space Flight Center
- Dr. Guy Consolmagno - Vatican Observatory
- Dr. William J. Clancey - Computer Scientist, NASA Ames
- George Whitesides - Executive Director, National Space Society
- Dr. Carolyn Porco - Imaging Science Lead, Cassini
- Dr. Matt Mountain - Director, Space Telescope Science Institute
- Ted Peters - Director, Institute for Theology and Ethics
- Geoffrey L. Yoder - Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Joseph (Joe) Cassady – Director, Emerging Exploration Space Systems, Aerojet
- Dr. Michael Simpson - President, International Space University
- Michael Carroll - Founding Member, International Association for the Astronomical Arts
- Dr. David N. Spires - Senior Instructor, University of Washington
There will also be hundreds of space experts and enthusiasts, discussing all the recent developments in the Mars research, technology and science. So if you love the Red Planet, this conference should really be on your "to do" list.
Source: Mars Society
Filed under: Mars, Space Exploration
August 8th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Oh yes, I am absolutely coming to this!
I've been a member of the Mars Society ever since I read The Case for Mars when I was 14, but this is the first time I will be able to actually come to the convention. I can't wait!
August 9th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Now, I know that the Mars Society are good people but except for the wonderful robot probes, Mars can wait. I think we need to expand our presence in Earth orbit and on the Moon first and learn how to live in space - without the benefit of the Earth's magnetosphere and learn to use the resources of the Moon (or an asteriod or two that we can get to orbit here) before we worry about Mars. What is the hurry? You wanna land and get rocks and then abandon Mars like we did the moon after Apollo?
August 10th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
To land on Mars, collect some rocks and then abandon that planet would be the intention of an ignoramus.
To "wait" and ignore Mars altogether while we reach for goals that may never be completely fullfilled would also be the policy of "baby step" thinking.