Moon

Presentations and panel discussions will cover the space policy laid out by the current administration and discuss the Lunar Orbiting Gateway program and related technologies and operational issues as well as the progress in global alignment of the space faring nations for the speedy execution of this project. Various sessions will look at the future of our Moon, the discovery and use of lunar resources (including both volatiles and regolith), potential sites and habitat architectures specific to the lunar surface, systems that support these goals in cis-lunar space, and lunar surface support systems. This symposium will feature latest data from recent and ongoing missions, discuss key infrastructures such as advances in power, propellant production, communications and emerging promise of lunar commercial and government markets and missions.

Track Chair:

Madhu Thangavelu

Department of Astronautical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering & School of Architecture, University of Southern California, National Space Society Board of Directors

Madhu Thangavelu conducts the ASTE527 graduate Space Exploration Architectures Concept Synthesis Studio in the Department of Astronautical Engineering within the Viterbi School of Engineering, and he is also a graduate thesis adviser in the School of Architecture at USC. He holds degrees in both engineering and architecture and has contributed extensively to concepts in space architecture, especially dealing with extraterrestrial development. He is the author or co-author of over 70 technical papers in space architecture, lunar base design and human factors, and co-author of the book The Moon: Resources, Future Development and Settlement (1999) published by John Wiley and Sons and the second edition by Springer/Praxis in 2007. He is the invited author of the chapter “Living on the Moon” in the Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering, a major reference work published by John Wiley and Sons in 2010 and the online second edition updated in 2012. He is a member of the USC team that won the NASA NIAC Phase I award in 2011 and Phase II award in 2012. As a former AIAA officer, he served as Vice Chair for Education in the Los Angeles section. He is on the faculty of the International Space University, an international organization that provides training for a promising new generation of leaders and space professionals around the world. He is a strong advocate for articulating the philosophy of space: Scientists and Engineers(in particular) have a tendency to get lost in the tools and toys they make, though some of us do arrive at philosophy for the meaning of what we do and why, via the long route of experience. By then, alas, for the most part, our life’s work is done. It is a good idea to set us all on a solid foundation in space philosophy, so we can all have a steady handle on our works, as nature reveals her secrets… slowly, ever so slowly, but surely…

Track Chair:

Madhu Thangavelu

Department of Astronautical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering & School of Architecture, University of Southern California, National Space Society Board of Directors

Madhu Thangavelu conducts the ASTE527 graduate Space Exploration Architectures Concept Synthesis Studio in the Department of Astronautical Engineering within the Viterbi School of Engineering, and he is also a graduate thesis adviser in the School of Architecture at USC. He holds degrees in both engineering and architecture and has contributed extensively to concepts in space architecture, especially dealing with extraterrestrial development. He is the author or co-author of over 70 technical papers in space architecture, lunar base design and human factors, and co-author of the book The Moon: Resources, Future Development and Settlement (1999) published by John Wiley and Sons and the second edition by Springer/Praxis in 2007. He is the invited author of the chapter “Living on the Moon” in the Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering, a major reference work published by John Wiley and Sons in 2010 and the online second edition updated in 2012. He is a member of the USC team that won the NASA NIAC Phase I award in 2011 and Phase II award in 2012. As a former AIAA officer, he served as Vice Chair for Education in the Los Angeles section. He is on the faculty of the International Space University, an international organization that provides training for a promising new generation of leaders and space professionals around the world.
He is a strong advocate for articulating the philosophy of space: Scientists and Engineers(in particular) have a tendency to get lost in the tools and toys they make, though some of us do arrive at philosophy for the meaning of what we do and why, via the long route of experience. By then, alas, for the most part, our life’s work is done. It is a good idea to set us all on a solid foundation in space philosophy, so we can all have a steady handle on our works, as nature reveals her secrets… slowly, ever so slowly, but surely…