Space Travel with Earth Wisdom (Hybrid Event)

Mission: Human colonisation is about to expand beyond the outskirts of the Earth, with the hope to carry along only the beauty and the wisdom of this planet. Artificial intelligence and machine learning offer powerful new tools that could open new paths for humanity to embrace sustainability and bring life along with this expansion. This event brings together researchers at the intersection of space science, ecology, sustainability, and machine learning to discuss how we can approach space travel and co-create sustainable and ethical human colonies on Mars.

Agenda:

12:45pm - 1:00pm “Fueling”

Power up with Coffee/tea and tea-sandwiches prior to the symposium starting.

1:00pm - 2:30pm: “On the launch pad” Talks

Moderator: Marianna Felici, Research Scientist, Center for Space Physics, CAS”

Learn how Boston University researchers support NASA’s plans to land humans on Mars in the 2030s by harnessing the power of microbes and producing novel softwares for navigating the Martian environment, while supporting the fight against global warming! Each with a different study, faculty and students highlight their work.

Speakers:

• Yannis Paschalidis, Director, Hariri Institute for Computing, Professor, ENG, CDS
• Marianna Felici, Research Scientist, Center for Space Physics
• Brackney Pickett, PhD. Candidate in Astronomy, CAS
• Joshua Semeter, Director of Center for Space Physics, Professor, ECE, ENG
• Zoey Werbin, PhD. Candidate in Biology, CAS
• Dylan Mankel, PhD. Student in Biology, CAS
• Ilija Dukovski, Professor, Bioinformatics, CDS
• William Tomlinson, Director, Software & Applications Innovation Lab (SAIL)

2:30pm - 3:00pm: “Re-fueling” Coffee/Tea Break

3:00pm - 4:00pm: “Payload enhancement” Talk

Moderator: Ilija Dukovski, Professor, Bioinformatics, CDS

Ecology, botany, biology, and space science experts share their research, experience, and thoughts on space exploration and sustainability.

Speakers:

• Chris Moore, Astrophysicist, Center for Astrophysics
• Judith Sumner, Ethnobotanist and Author
• Ann Raiho, Head of Data Science, Funga

4:00pm - 4:30pm: “Re-fueling” Coffee/Tea Break

4:30pm - 5:30pm: “Ignition” Panel

Moderator: Marianna Felici, Research Scientist, Center for Space Physics, CAS

How do machine learning, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and technology fire up the science presented, and beyond? In a panel rendez-vous between academia and industry, audience, panelists, and speakers canvass space travel with their expertise and imaginativeness.

Panelists:

• Louvere Walker-Hannon, Application Engineering Senior Team Lead, MathWorks, and Programs Chair of NSBE Boston Professionals
• Ken Sebesta, Executive Director, RASTIC
• Phil Hattis, Laboratory Fellow, Draper

5:30pm - 8:00pm “Landing” Dinner

With a stunning view of Charles River at sunset, interact and dine with symposium speakers and participants to celebrate an FRP-year-in-the-life and connect in new dazzling collaborations.

Speaker Details:

Dr. Judith Sumner, Botanist

Biography: Judith Sumner is a botanist with lifelong interest in ethnobotany and plant uses. She is the author of books on medicinal plants, North American ethnobotany, and botanical aspects of the Civil War and World War II.

Research Description: Ethnobotany extends to colonizing space! On the practical side, I will discuss crop plants with potentially diverse uses. I will also investigate the biophilia hypothesis and its implications for space colonies--in short, can people survive long term without botanical nature as part of their daily environment?

Ann Raiho, Head of Data Science, Funga

Biography: Dr. Ann Raiho is a quantitative ecologist with a background in using all kinds ecological data to answer complex questions and make decisions. Ann is working on scaling Funga's analysis pipelines and keeping Funga FUN.

Research Description: Fungi are essential to life on Earth, and fungus rarely work alone. To successfully use these complex communities in space, we need to do everything we can to understand them on Earth first.

Phil Hattis, Laboratory Fellow, Draper

Biography: Dr. Hattis has been at Draper since 1974, leading work in Guidance, Navigation, and Control and systems engineering for launch, space, lunar landing, planetary landing, hypersonic, missile defense, and airdrop vehicles. He served four years on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and has been a lifelong student of space exploration history.

Research Description: System Engineering and design of guidance, navigation, and control capabilities for civil and national security space systems, including human spaceflight vehicles.

Learn more about the Focused Research Program First Trip to Mars: How to Pack Light

This Focused Research Program event is organized by Boston University’s Hariri Institute for Computing and supported by Department of Astronomy, Department of Earth & Environment, Department of Computer Science, and Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.