Author: Earl White

Join Dr Jason Held of Saber Astronautics in Canberra on Tuesday 16th September for a technical seminar and learn about the how a ‘systems of systems’ approach can be applied to measuring the performance of lunar and Mars base designs. Dr Held will share the results of a recent space base design workshop and discuss how scenarios such as space weather events, power outages, structural breeches and life support system failures impact upon the design of bases for planetary exploration. FREE PIZZA will be provided prior to the seminar.
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The Mars Society Australia and the NASA based Spaceward Bound (SB) project is seeking expressions of interest from school teachers and scientists to take part in another expedition in 2009. This expedition will be an invaluable opportunity for Australia’s school teachers to work with NASA and MSA scientists in the field, learning how to bring new teaching methods on Space Science to their students.

Find out more about the expedition and how to apply here.
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Fascinated by the latest images from Mars? Curious about how impact craters have shaped the Moon? Want to know how the rocky bodies in the Solar System formed? Always wanted to see a meteorite up close? Join Dr. Jonathan Clarke for a FREE introductory course on planetary geology on 18 November that will cover the different processes that resulted in the formation and current state of the Moon, Mars and other rocky bodies in our Solar System.
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MSA would like to congratulate and welcome the 5 Australian educators who have been selected and have accepted to participate in Spaceward Bound Australia 2009. After receiving a large range of submissions from very highly qualified, experienced and motivated teachers from all over Australia late last year, and a lengthy review process, the successful teacher candidates were recently informed about their selection.
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One of the world’s leading planetary scientists Dr Chris McKay of NASA Ames will open this year’s Australian Mars Exploration Conference (AMEC2009) tonight (Friday 17th July) with a free public lecture.
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The Mars Society Australia is delighted to announce that Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) will be a major sponsor of the Spaceward Bound Australia 2009 (SBA2009) Expedition.
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Dr Pascal Lee will be presenting a series of public lectures in various Australian capital cities between 25th May and 1st June. Dr Lee is Chairman of the Mars Institute, a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute, and the Director of the Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center. He has worked extensively in the Arctic and Antarctica, viewed as “analogs” for the Moon and Mars. His itinerary will take him to Sydney (25th May), Adelaide (26th May), Brisbane (28th May), Canberra (29th May) and Melbourne (1st June).
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The 9th Australian Mars Exploration Conference (AMEC2009) will be held in Adelaide over the weekend of 17th – 19th July, 2009. Presentations over this exciting two-day event will cover a range of issues concerned with forging, nurturing and developing the pioneering culture and methods required to explore Mars. The call for abstracts for the conference will be open until 10th June, with notification of review results on 15th June. MSA welcomes abstract submissions from all interested parties.
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Dr Jim Bell, International President of the Planetary Society and science team member of many recent NASA planetary missions including the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunuity, will be giving a free public lecture this coming Friday 10th, July, titled “Mars Exploration
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A ‘News From the Field‘ web page for the Spaceward Bound Australia 2009 expedition is now online at http://www.marssociety.org.au/SBA2009.php. More information about the expedition (including a special media section) will be added shortly. The expedition will depart next week on Thursday 9th July. Once the expedition is underway, the page will feature daily updates of reports and photographs, documenting the journey from out in the field.
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