Wow, we are already in the second week?! We cannot believe it! Time is going by so fast… Well, this is what was expected of such an intense, unforgettable program – the international Space University’s Space Studies Program SSP22. This week was all about learning!
What a lineup of incredible speakers and activities, with core lectures with some of the most impressive space professionals of all time. Let’s dive into what happened:
The week started with the “one and only” astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman sharing a little bit about his personal experience and giving us an amazing lecture on the topics of the electromagnetic spectrum, astrodynamics, and microgravity. We think that there is no one better to explain these topics than someone who has experienced them firsthand! Also, the online participants had the unique opportunity to have a chat with Jeff during a “Ask Me Anything” session on Wednesday. We also had the amazing opportunity to have Scott Madry doing a “Ask Me Anything” session about his life, career, and core lecturers. Truly breath-taking!
Do you think it stopped there? No way! Buckle up because there is more.
The week continued with insightful lectures by Tara Ruttley, Associate Chief Scientist for Microgravity Research at NASA Headquarters, on Countermeasures and Human Adaptation, the Neurovestibular System, and Cardiovascular Systems & Spaceflight, so we are sure the online participants learned all about human performance in space. James Schier, NASA’s chief architect, presented the basics of understanding how we communicate to and from satellites, followed by Anna Morozova, who explained everything about the Space Environment and Space Weather and how they can affect our space ad ground-based technological systems.
If you think participants are not learning how to manage space projects, you are mistaken, as Celeste Pereira presented the diverse types of projects and programs (for example, technology development and flight hardware supply), explained the distinct phases of a project, the main tasks, and key persons during her Organization and Management of Space Projects lecture. We are sure the future managers among our alumni deeply appreciated learning about the ins and outs of project organization and management.
Oh, and in between all of these, participants had the opportunity to continue with their mentorship sessions, and we are only halfway through the week. James Green talked about the Carrington event and whether a Carrington-like event is likely in our future, and Michael Benson brought us such an amazing and interesting perspective on the impact of science fiction and popular advocacy on spaceflight history. Jacques Arnould offered a concise review of space ethics, relevant to achieving a human presence on the moon and Mars in the coming years. If you think it is all work, you are wrong! The participants had fun during their intercultural night! They represented their countries and taught a bit about them to their colleagues. Super fun!
What about the seminars? Well, we had amazing workshops such as “Follow the Money” with Emma Lehnhardt, Aerospace Human Factors with Adelia Drego and Steffan Nählinder, Earth Observation Data Applications for Healthcare with Su-Yin Tan, and Imagery Systems for Lunar Exploration with Jeremy Myers. During such an intense week, online participants worked on their Team Projects. You had to be there to see how amazing it was! So much to do, so many amazing experiences… This is just how unique SSP22 is.
Diego Greenhalgh and Vinicius Aiola, Teaching Associates, Online, SSP22