Kirk Kittell's blog

Hi all. The ISU central campus in Strasbourg would like you all to know about the upcoming ISU symposium in France in 2010. Mark your calendars.

Preliminary program (.pdf, 3.3 MB)

Preliminary program for ISU's 14th Annual International Symposium, "The Public Face of Space", Strasbourg, 16-18 February 2010

During each academic year, the International Space University (ISU) organizes a three-day symposium as an interdisciplinary, international forum to help both the users and the providers of space-related systems to move forward from the discussion of problems to the formulation of innovative solutions. As an independent organization, ISU has developed a winning formula for a "different kind of symposium":

• Addressing all aspects of the subject - policy, business, legal, scientific, technical, etc.
• Creating ample time for discussion, in the sessions and during interactive events
• Fostering constructive dialogue among different sectors of the space community, or between different communities, that do not interact in more narrowly focused symposia

Our last Symposium ("Space for a Safe and Secure World", Feb 2009) drew almost 200 participants from agencies, industry and academia in more than 25 different countries. ISU's next symposium, the fourteenth in this series of annual events, will address space education and outreach in a very broad way. We shall also include considerations of public awareness and expectations, as well as workforce development and capacity building, all with the goal of producing recommendations for ways forward towards a sustainable space program. How we handle the promotion of space activities, as well as education and public outreach can do much to enhance the 'sustainability' of exploration and long-term investments in space. Potential economic benefits from space commerce as well as benefits from space environmental studies are therefore important elements that will also feature at this symposium addressing the 'Public Face of Space'.

The Preliminary Program attached here indicates how we have structured the event and lists all of the oral presentations and posters to be featured at the three-day event. With the exception of parallel sessions on Wed afternoon) all the half-day sessions will be plenary, and significant time will be reserved for panel discussions and active exchange of ideas among the participants. We greatly hope that you will join us here next February and, if you are planning to do so, we encourage you to register online before 22 January 2010 to benefit from the 'early-bird' fee (www.isunet.edu/symposium/register).

If you have any further queries, do not hesitate to contact our Symposium Team at symposium14@isu.isunet.edu.

ISU*USA loves to hear about alumni getting together. However, we're sad for our DC alumni who are losing Emeline Paat Dahlstrom (SSP 1989) and Eric Dahlstrom (SSP 1991)... but we're happy for our San Francisco alumni who will be gaining them.

Here's the DC crew saying goodbye from the Sine Irish Pub back in September.

Best of luck in your new home on the West Coast, Eric and Emeline. Singularity University is lucky to have you.