By Wes O’Donnell
Managing Editor, AMU Edge
Did I mention it’s completely free?
Last year, the Space Education and Strategic Applications Conference (SESA), co-organized by the American Public University System and the Policy Studies Organization, brought space pioneers, government officials, academics and hundreds of attendees together online to discuss the future of space strategy.
This year marks the second annual SESA conference and it’s shaping up to be better than ever. SESA brings together space influencers, innovators, groundbreakers, and decision-makers within all areas of the space community – astronauts, astrobiologists, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, associations, and policymakers.
For space enthusiasts, this conference, taking place September 23 – 24, 2021, is completely free of charge and held online. Register before the deadline of September 10!
This year’s program will include two keynote speakers: NASA Astronaut Eileen Collins and President of Pioneer Astronautics Robert Zubrin.
Col. Collins became the first female to pilot a U.S. spacecraft with the Discovery shuttle flight in 1995, and the first female commander on the 1999 Columbia shuttle flight. Her planned speech is titled “Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars” and reveals encouraging perspective and insights on the leadership skills needed to break barriers and become a successful pioneer in your field.
Robert Zubrin is president of Pioneer Astronautics, an aerospace R&D company located in Lakewood, Colorado. He is also the founder and President of the Mars Society. Formerly a Staff Engineer at Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Denver, he holds a master’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Washington. Zubrin is the author of 20 patents and over 200 published technical and non-technical papers in the field of space exploration and technology. His keynote speech “The Case for Space: The Revolution is at Hand” promises to inspire tomorrow’s space explorers.
But that’s not all. SESA also boasts symposia discussions, panel sessions, workshops, and roundtables from some of the world’s top industry thought leaders.
Listed below are some of the incredible programs:
Space Law and Education: Future-Proofing our Curriculum
Chair: Michelle Watts, American Public University System
The Role of the Commercial Sector in US Governmental Space Activities
Therese Jones, Senior Director of Policy, Satellite Industry Association
Private Sector Visionaries are the Way Forward
Gary Deel, American Public University System
The Legal and Ethical Issues of Space Flight Participants: Exploring the Realm of Space Tourism in the United States
Mark Kelso, American Public University System
Futurism: Legal Topics in the 21st Century
James Barney and Allison Becker, American Public University System
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Space and STEM Careers
Kelvin Coleman, Deputy Associate, Federal Aviation Administration, Commercial Space Transportation
National and International Space Law: An Overview
Chris Johnson, Secure World Foundation
The Braided River Model for STEM Workforce Development
Rebecca Batchelor, University of Colorado
Hendratta Ali, Fort Hays State University
Kathryn Gardner-Vandy, Oklahoma State University
Drone and Space Technologies: The Intersection of Engineering, Science, and Education
Kandis Boyd-Wyatt, American Public University System
Stevenson Demorcy, CEO, STEAMedDrones
NASA’s Strategic Partnerships
Chair: Gregory Clements, Mission Directorate Liaison – HEO (Detailee), NASA Office of the Chief Technologist
Max Briggs, iTech Program Executive and Entrepreneur Engagement Lead, NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate
Dionne Hernandez-Lugo, Technology Utilization Lead, NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate
Nicole Rayl, Chief Technologist for NASA Science Mission Directorate
Ken Wright, Innovation Lead, NASA Office of the Chief Technologist
Democratizing Access to Space and Space Sustainability
Randa Milliron, CEO, Interorbital Systems
Krystal Azelton, Director of Space Application Programs, Secure World Foundation
Dramatizing the “Invisible Infrastructure” of Space and Satellite
Robert Bell, Executive Director, Space & Satellite Professionals International
Sharyn Neremberg, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Hugues Network Systems
Education, Space Operations, and Policy
Lesley Conn, Senior Manager, Research & Analysis, The Space Foundation
TBD: 3 speakers
Engagement with Social Issues through Science Fiction
Beyond Science Fiction as Entertainment: Why Every English Department Should Offer Science Fiction
Melissa Rigney, American Public University System
The Original Space Explorers: Science Fiction Writers in the Pulp Magazines of the Gernsback Years
Batya Weinbaum, American Public University System
The Scully Effect: The X-Files and Women in STEM
Jolene Mendel, American Public University System
Science and Survival in the Sci Fi of Indigenous Writers
Susan Lowman-Thomas, American Public University System
Misogyny on Mars: the Gendered Space Culture of 2021
Layla S. Martin, Harvard University
Adam Mann, University of California, Berkeley
Teaching Space Education
Chair: Elizabeth Kennick, President, Teachers In Space, Inc.
Hasshi Sudler, Villanova University
Chris Murphy, Gloversville NY High School and High Altitude Achievement
Joe Latrell, CEO, Mini-Cubes, LLC
Stephanie Hofacket, Associate Director of Teaching and Learning, Challenger Center, Las Cruces
Kendra Toole, former Launch Engineer at Blue Origin, SpaceX, ATK
Chas Miller, Spaceport Engineer, Spaceport America
Barbie Buckner, Education Specialist, NASA
Space Power and Security in the 21st Century
Space Race 2.0 Between the US and China: Strategic Implications for Space Security
Kenneth Wooten, American Military University
Preventing an Arms Race in Outer Space: Historical and Current Trends in Space Weaponization
Lauren Buchanan, Rice University
Russian Power Competition in Space: Implications for the US
Mark A. Duree, American Military University
Deterrence in Outer Space: Securing The Next Frontier
Angel Smith, Rice University
Towards a Theory of Space Power and the Threat to US Space Hegemony
James J. Rooney, American Military University
Space for Everyone: A Panel for Students and Young Professionals, by Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)
Ryan Udell, SEDS, Director of External Affairs
Ian Burrell, SEDS-USA Chair
Harper Cheyenne, SEDS-USA Vice Chair
Anthony Razzo, SEDS-USA Member at Large
Nicole Chase, SEDS-USA Director of Projects
Space and Life Cycle Assessments: Integrating ISO 14040
Shelia Scott Neumann, American Public University System
Andrew Ross Wilson, Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
Science and Elitism
Layla Martin, Harvard University
Lamar Glover, California State University, Dominguez Hills
Telecommunications in Space
STEM Educational Outreach with the AMSAT CubeSatSim: A Low Cost Satellite Simulator
Alan B. Johnston, KU2Y, Villanova University, AMSAT Vice President for Educational Relations
Novel Electromagnetic and Antenna Concepts for the Next Generation Space Enterprise
Yahya Rahmat-Samii, University of California, Los Angeles
Satellite Communication Technical Study at STEM School of American Public University System
Richard Moazzam, American Public University System
Opportunities in the Space Sector for non-STEM Professionals
Nicholas Borroz, Rotoiti, University of Auckland
Introduction to a New APUS Concentration in Human Factors in Space Systems Design
Space Studies (STEM) Program Educating a Diverse and Expert Space Workforce
Ed Albin and J.D. Polk, American Public University System
The Exploration Environments
Kristen Miller, American Public University System
Human Factors in Space Systems Design
Arnauld Nicogossian, American Public University System and George Mason University
Commercial and Military Space: Contributions to Human Presence in Space
Arnauld Nicogossian, American Public University System and George Mason University
Systems Engineering for Future Human Settlements: Moon,Mars, and Asteroids
Ed Albin, American Public University System
Exploring the Intersection Between Science, Technology, Education, and Policy: A Review and Analysis of the Existing Literature
Emily A. Fogarty, American Public University System
Early Biden Administration Space Force Policymaking
Bert Chapman, Purdue University
Creative Minds Pushing Scientific Boundaries
David Becker, American Public University System
Jaclyn Fowler, American Public University System
Space Regulatory Regime: Past, Present, and Future
Charles Lee Mudd Jr., Principal and Attorney, Mudd Law
Andy Williams, External Relations Officer, Executive Office of the Director-General, European Southern Observatory
Giuliana Rotola, SGAC Space Law and Policy Project Group Co-Lead
Space Economic Policy Analysis
Tim Chrisman, Co-Founder, Executive Director, Foundation for the Future
Tina Highfill, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Kevin O’Connell, former Director, Office of Space Commerce
Cybersecurity in Space
The Inextricable Interwovenness of Cyber, Energy, and National Security
Andre Slonopas, American Public University System
Protecting Space Capabilities: Securing Our Advantage in the Tactical Battlespace
Brad. E Rhodes, LTC(P), CY, G6, 76th ORC
Cybersecurity in Space: Threats and Governance
P.J. Blount, Executive Secretary, International Institute of Space Law
Building Capacity in Space Law: An American Experience
Mark J. Sundhal, Global Space Law Center, Cleveland State University
Steven Robinson, Global Space Law Center, Cleveland State University
Hailey Hillsman, Global Space Law Center, Cleveland State University
Scott Parry, Global Space Law Center, Cleveland State University
Earth to SESA: Connecting Earth Sciences to Space Studies in Higher Education
Chair: Kristin Drexler, Environmental Science and Planetary Sustainability, American Public University System
Lorenza Cooper, Atmospheric Sciences, Weather, and Climate, American Public University System
DeNeice Guest, Geology, Geomorphology, and Mineral Exploration, American Public University System
Jim Myers: Geography, GIS, and Remote Rensing, American Public University System
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