The human exploration of the Red Planet has been discussed in arduous detail since the publication of Wernher von Braun’s “The Mars Project” in 1953, with studies emerging from NASA and the Soviet/Russian space agency for decades, and more recently China and other emerging space powers. Yet the date for human exploration always seems just out of reach, perhaps a decade or more away. But it seems that we have arrived at a new dawn—with more sophisticated robotic explorers of many nations reaching mars every two years, and serious planning by entities such as SpaceX underway, a Martian Renaissance is at hand. Nobody knows more about upcoming Mars efforts than the speakers and panelists at the ISDC’s Mars sessions—join us for expert insights and the latest information on this greatest of human adventures.
Mars
Session Chair Info
Dr. Pascal Lee
Planetary Scientist, Co-founder and Chairman, Mars Institute
Dr. Pascal Lee is a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute, the Mars Institute, and NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. He is also professor of planetary sciences at Kepler Space University, and chief scientist for Ceres Robotics, a NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) industry provider. He also serves as the National Space Society’s Vice-President for Planetary Development. Dr. Lee holds an M.E. in geology from the Read More
Mars
Session Speakers Info
Jim Bell
Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University
Jim Bell is a Regents Professor in the School of Earth & Space Exploration at Arizona State University, a Distinguished Visiting Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Director of ASU’s campus-wide “NewSpace” Initiative that connects faculty, staff, and students with commercial space companies. He is an active astronomer and planetary scientist focusing on the geology, composition, and mineralogy of planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Jim has supported or Read More
Stephanie Brick
Founder, Licensed Architect, Salutogenic Design & Consulting Group
Stephanie Brick, RA, WELL AP, LEED GA, MDS, BArch is a licensed architect and leading subject matter expert (SME) on implementing salutogenic and biophilic design in unique spaces, with an expertise in high-stress/highly disconnected facilities. With nearly a decade of civilian service, she blazed the trail in the U.S. Department of War as one of the leading experts in salutogenic design to improve health and well-being in the military and Read More
Reef Collins
Student Intern, Mars Institute and University of Central Florida
Reef Collins is a senior at the University of Central Florida focused on space operations and the goal of becoming a Flight Director at NASA. Combining an academic background in computational atmospheric modeling with hands-on mission architecture, his work centers on the operational realities of human spaceflight. He is currently designing and developing time-delayed communication protocols and symmetrical asynchronous broadcast (SAB) infrastructure for the NASA Haughton-Mars Project on Devon Island, Read More
Keith Cowing
Editor, NASAWatch.com and Astrobiology.com
Keith Cowing is the editor of NASAWatch.com and Astrobiology.com. He is a former NASA space biologist and space station payload manager; a space commentator on national and global television; is a Fellow of the Explorers Club; has trained at NASTAR and ZeroG; was co-lead of the ISEE-3 Reboot and Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery projects; organized and edited the proceedings of the NASA Risk and Exploration Symposium; is a three-time veteran Read More
Douglas Gage
Principal, XPM Technologies
Doug Gage is an independent technology consultant. At DARPA from 2000-2004, he sponsored/managed programs in robotic software, including Robonaut work at NASA JSC and rover autonomy work at NASA JPL. He served as external co-chair of NASA’s Capabilities Roadmapping Team for Autonomous Systems and Robotics. He has presented papers at multiple ISDCs, Mars Society conventions, and other venues on the general subject of how to keep humans safe, secure, productive, Read More
Rachel Long
Student, Aerospace Engineering, Mars Institute and UC Davis
Rachel Long is a researcher, pilot, and completing degrees in aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of California, Davis. She has conducted research with NASA, the Mars Institute, and the Center for Space Exploration Research at UC Davis. Her work spans pressurized rover design for the Moon and Mars, spacecraft life support systems, UAV-based wildfire detection, and eVTOL transit operations. Her research has been presented at national conferences and Read More
Ken Ruffin
Founder, Didymos Consulting LLC (dba Ruff-in-Space)
Ken Ruffin, member of both the NSS Board of Directors and the NSS Board of Strategic Advisors, an NSS Space Ambassador, as well as president of the National Space Society of North Texas (NSS-NT) has transitioned from an engineering career to a space industry career by leveraging his aerospace engineering education and substantial public speaking experience. Ken has spoken to nearly 250 audiences in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex, Texas, Read More
Erik Seedhouse
Associate Professor Space Operations, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Erik Seedhouse is a professor in Spaceflight Operations at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He holds pilot, scuba, and sky-diving licenses and in his spare time works as an astronaut instructor for the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences, a film consultant to Hollywood, a professional speaker, triathlon coach, and author. He regularly ventures into the mountains and has reached the summits of Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Elbrus, Rainier, Island Peak, Denali, Kosciusko, and in Read More