International Lunar Conference Goal To Realize Humans Living, Working On Moon

International lunar experts will gather in Cape Canaveral FL this week to examine the issues and opportunities related to lunar exploration. The ‘Joint Annual Meeting of LEAG-ICEUM-SRR’ takes place on 28-31 October and is themed ‘Sustainable Moon, International Moon, Productive Moon.’ The conference combines three prominent lunar meetings: the annual meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG), created as an advisory board to NASA in 2004; the ‘10th International Conference on Exploration and Utilization of the Moon (ICEUM),’ organized by the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG); and the 10th Space Resources Roundtable (SRR), an annual symposium on ISRU at the Colorado School of Mines. This year’s joint forum will present and discuss new results from worldwide lunar activities and examine the scientific, engineering, international and commercial factors required to create a sustainable and global lunar exploration program. The chairs of the conference are Clive Neal of LEAG / University of Notre Dame, Steve Mackwell of LEAG / LPI, Bernard Foing of ILEWG / ESA, Leslie Gertsch of SRR / Missouri University, and Jeff Taylor of LEAG / SRR / University of Hawai`i. A Young Lunar Explorers event will precede the conference on Oct 26-27 at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne FL, and the Florida Tech Observatory will host lunar and sky observations on Oct 26. (Credit: NASA, LEAG, SRR)

The Chinese Society of Astronautics (CSA) and the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) present the ‘3rd CSA-IAA Conference on Advanced Space Systems and Applications’ on Oct 28-31 in Shanghai, China. The forum will feature discussions on all aspects of satellite applications, including communications (digital, direct, wireless, etc.), remote education and medical treatment, Earth observation, new satellite technologies, microsatellites, international networks and commercialization. The opening ceremony will include remarks by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation President Ma Xinrui and IAA Secretary General Jean-Michel Contant, as well as representatives from EADS Astrium of Europe and Lockheed Martin of the USA. Two tours are being organized to follow the event: one to the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, and one to the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (pictured) in Sichuan Province. Prospects for international cooperation in space have been increasing with the easing of East-West tensions and the emergence of the Asian economic revolution. 21st Century initiatives such as a human lunar base and human Mars mission will likely be international ventures. For their part, CSA and IAA have been cooperating since 1992 in various academic fields. The 2 groups previously held the '2nd International Space Academic Conference on Space Technology' in 2001 and the '1st Seminar on Space Activities Economic Benefits' in 1992. (Credit: IAA, CSA, CNSA)