Highlights From Day 3 of ISSRDC 2023 and Save the Date for ISSRDC 2024 in Boston
The 2023 Genes in Space competition finalists on the stage at ISSRDC 2023.
It was a great week in Seattle, and the 12th annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference(Abbreviation: ISSRDC) The only conference dedicated exclusively to showcasing how the International Space Station is advancing science and technology and enabling a robust and sustainable market in LEO. This annual conference brings together leaders from the commercial sector, U.S. government agencies, and academic communities to foster innovation and discovery onboard the space station. ISSRDC is hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, manager of the ISS National Lab; NASA; and the American Astronautical Society. (ISSRDC) has come to an end. Enjoy a few highlights from Day 3 of the conference.
Adele Luta, exploration extravehicular activities integration manager for Oceaneering International, gives an address at the ISSRDC 2023 Women’s Networking Breakfast.
Day 3 kicked off with the Women’s Networking Breakfast, connecting women in the space industry. During the breakfast, Adele Luta, exploration extravehicular activities integration manager for Oceaneering International, discussed the value of living by “and” instead of “or” to open yourself to new opportunities.
Joel Montalbano, NASA’s ISSInternational Space Station program manager, moderated a panel at ISSRDC 2023 with representatives from NASA’s international partners, including Masaki Shirakawa of JAXA, Frank De Winne of the European Space Agency, Mathieu Caron of the Canadian Space Agency, and Hazzaa AlMansoori of the United Arab Emirates Astronaut Office.
The morning keynote featured representatives from NASA’s international partners, who discussed the importance of collaboration in space and how they are helping to inspire the next generation of explorers. Hazza AlMansoori, chief of the United Arab Emirates astronaut office, said, “We’re really just joining this race, but we cannot do it by ourselves; we have to do it together. This is the beauty of the International Space Station and collaboration and the international community coming together.”
Angela Hart, program manager for the Commercial LEO(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles. Development Program Office at Johnson Space Center, gave a Lightning Talk on NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration CLD(Abbreviation: CLD) CLDs are commercially owned and operated platforms in low Earth orbit as part of the NASA CLD Program. NASA intends for there to be a continuity of space-based research from the International Space Station to these new commercial platforms as they are ready. requirements at ISSRDC 2023.
In a Lightning Talk, Angela Hart, program manager for the Commercial LEO Development Program Office at Johnson Space Center, discussed the importance of identifying the right requirements for future commercial LEO destinations. “We have a big challenge in this plan to go to commercial LEO destinations and really develop this commercial LEO economy,” she said. “We know this strategy that we have is a major paradigm shift from what we have done before, and we know it’s going to take different ways of doing business to be successful.”
Meghan Everett, NASA’s ISS Program deputy scientist, moderated a fireside chat on the motivations and inner workings of NASA’s Human Research Program at ISSRDC 2023.
Meghan Everett, NASA’s ISS Program deputy scientist, moderated a fireside chat on the motivations and inner workings of NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP), which performs critical spaceflight research on the ISS to prepare for Artemis and Mars exploration missions. The panel emphasized the importance of partnerships between government and the commercial space industry to address the challenges expected during future space exploration.
On Day 3 of ISSRDC 2023, science communicator Maynard Okereke, known as Hip Hop M.D., moderated a panel discussion on the space workforce of the future. Panelists included Michelle Lucas, founder and CEO of Higher Orbits; Laurie Labra, VP of operations in KBR’s Human Exploration Division; Jim Pawelczyk, associate professor at Penn State University; and Erika Wagner, senior director of emerging market development at Blue Origin.
Science communicator Maynard Okereke, known as Hip Hop M.D., moderated a panel discussion on the space workforce of the future and how to fill gaps in the industry. “We are really thinking about a vision where someday there are millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth, and that means that we need to find a creative, collaborative workforce that’s ready to pick up on that vision, be passionate about that vision, and be ready to execute,” said Erika Wagner, senior director of emerging market development at Blue Origin. “That passion for mission—the ability to come and bring your whole self to the table and to create this future—is what we look for.”
Katherine Calvin, NASA’s chief scientist and senior climate advisor, gave the luncheon keynote on Day 3 of ISSRDC 2023.
The luncheon keynote was given by Katherine Calvin, NASA’s chief scientist and senior climate advisor. Her talk explored satellites and instruments on the ISS that NASA is using to observe Earth, track environmental pollution and weather events, and better understand climate change.
Caitlin O’Brien, a 2022 ISS National Lab James A. Abrams Space Leader fellow, was a presenter at the STEM education technical session on Day 3 of ISSRDC 2023.
In today’s technical sessions, talks covered a wide array of topics, including science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. One talk by Caitlin O’Brien, a 2022 ISS National Lab James A. Abrams Space Leader fellow, discussed how to make space accessible for all. O’Brien leads multiple programs to help expand outreach to underrepresented communities.
2023 Genes in SpaceAn annual national research competition for students in grades 7 through 12 to design pioneering biotechnology experiments that are conducted by astronauts on the space station. The program is funded by Boeing and miniPCR bio and supported by the ISS National Laboratory® and New England BioLabs. competition winner Isabel Jiang, a high school student from Hillsborough, CA, receives her award at ISSRDC 2023.
Day 3 wrapped up with the presentation of ISSRDC awards. During the session, the 2023 Genes in Space winner, Isabel Jiang, was announced. Jiang, who is a high school student from Hillsborough, CA, proposed to investigate the mechanisms that make latent viruses reactive in space. Awards were also given to educators that achieved excellence in inspiring students through space station science as well as researchers that led innovative experiments on the ISS and achieved compelling results. One group of researchers that received an award for compelling results leveraged the ISS National Lab to produce the first cool diffusion flame from gaseous fuel. The team’s results are featured in our latest issue of Upward.
Stay tuned for more post-conference content in the coming weeks, and save the date for ISSRDC 2024 in Boston July 29-August 1.