Experts to Debate Our Future Destinations in Space in Sunnyvale on Friday

Asteroid Ida

The question of where humanity should go next in space will be the topic of a round table on Friday, Oct. 29 at the Sheraton Sunnyvale Hotel.

“Moon, Mars, Asteroids: Where to Go First for Resources?” will bring together some of the world’s top experts to debate our next step in the settlement of space. The round table, sponsored by the Space Studies Institute, will be held from 7:00 to 10 p.m., including a post-debate reception. Admission is free to registered conference attendees and the general public.

Moderated by NASA Ames Director Pete Worden, the discussion will feature:

• Dr. Mike A’Hearn, University of Maryland, Dept. of Astronomy
• Mark Sonter, Asteroid Enterprises Pty Ltd
• Dr. John Lewis, Space Studies Institute
• Dr. Greg Baiden, Penguin Automated Systems
• Dr. Paul Spudis, Lunar and Planetary Institute
• Jeff Greason, XCOR Aerospace

The round table is part of SSI’s Space Manufacturing 14: Critical Technologies for Space Settlement conference, which will be held in Sunnyvale and at the NASA Ames Conference Center in Mountain View from Oct. 29-31. The conference will bring together scientists and entrepreneurs will meet in Silicon Valley to help plan humanity’s future on the high frontier.

Speakers will present a wide range of research topics, including affordable space transportation, extraterrestrial prospecting, lunar and asteroidal manufacturing processes, robotics and tele-operations, closed environment life support systems, space solar power and energy, and off-planet property rights.