NASA's Delegation to the IAC
Keith’s note: Sources report that 50 or more NASA employees will be attending the IAC (International Astronautical Congress) meeting from 1-5 October in tourist-friendly Naples, Italy. Attention is paid on the official website to things to see outside the event that have nothing to do with the intent of the meeting. Registration is between 730-900 euros ($900 – $1,100). Add in airfare and hotel and you are looking at $3,000 per person – or around $150,000 for NASA’s participation. Of course you know that lots of the NASA attendees will add on extra days and bring a spouse for a mini-vacation.
The number of actual presenters from “NASA” seems to be rather small. I checked 30 sessions at random and I did not find a single presenter who is listed as being from “NASA”. There must be NASA speakers, right? I wonder how many attendees will file a trip report (an interesting FOIA topic)? Of course, professional meetings are important – no doubt about it – and more real work often gets done in the hallways and bars than in the sessions. I think Congress is overly sanctimonious and often goes overboard about most routine Federal agency meeting costs (there are glaring exceptions of course) when they allow their own members to go on luxury junkets around the world.
But given that there are several recent large meetings at NASA with questionable costs currently under investigation, you’d think that NASA would at least have a few more people listed as actually presenting at the meeting. So … how many of these 50+ NASA attendees are presenting? Oh yes, there seem to be a fair number of speakers representing CNSA and other Chinese government entitites. I am certain that Rep. Wolf will want a detailed list of every interaction.
Good grief, Keith!
If you can’t get a good boondoggle or two out of NASA a year, why bother working there?
NASA has cut way back on conferences the last couple of years. At least they are down to 50 people and its not in an expensive location.
Do you know how this compares to attendance/presenter numbers at IAC from previous years?
Do you know how the number of attendees and presenters compares with previous IACs?
It varies each depending on location. If your in Europe you generally get a larger audience. In recent years there have been between 2500-3000 attendees and presenters.
Dear Keith, Colleagues…
A few words about the IAC from a former NASA manager:
(1) the IAC alternates between countries & hemispheres every year. Last year was South Africa, the year before was Prague (as I recall), etc. It has been held in Texas, Kyushu, South Korea, etc. The IAC has to be held in a city with big conference facilities because 1000s of people attend. So, occasionally the meeting ends up someplace that is famous for being picturesque. This is no reason to boycott the meeting, and invite future boycotts against the US…
(2) the IAC involves many 100s of quality papers on activities from all over the world. Oddly enough, NASA and other US participants in the IAC learn a lot about what’s going on internationally by attending this one-of-a-kind annual conference. How can that be a bad thing?
(3) Many NASA civil servants (and contractors) are members of the technical committees of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) that organize the IAC each year. The diverse leaders of global space only get together rarely (1-2 times per year at most) to discuss what the various space agencies, companies, etc., are doing. This kind of face-to-face communication (especially with language barriers, etc.) does not happen by email or phone call. Is coordination and communications really something we would want to strangle?
And finally,
(4) the total number of program participants at the IAC is typically around 1200-1400 each year (not including family members that my accompany participants). So, NASA sends less than 4% of the total when it has roughly 50% of the total global civil space budget. That does not seem to rise to the level of abuse by any reasonable standard. And, how can the US be a leader of the international space community if we don’t show up?
Just my thoughts on the matter…
Didn’t NASA just walk away from a planned International mission to Mars causing great consternation among the European partners? Does NASA really want to be an “international” agency? How many NASA future missions will really be “international”?
How many of these papers have been recycled from previous ones just so the author could go on another government sponsored holiday to Italy? Most of the papers sound like fluff pieces. How much did it cost the government to get each paper cleared for ITAR?
While most aerospace corporations are cutting their conference budgets to ZERO in these lean and uncertain times, NASA has decided to buck the trend and fiddle while Rome burns, and send people to a conference of dubious technical value or merit.
If people want to know what the papers at the conference discussed, they can buy the proceedings and read them like the rest of us.
FYI the actual number of people who attend is generally between 2500-3000.
Someone at NASA just sent me this:
IAC 2012
NASA or JPL technical session listings: 63 total, 9 withdrawn
7 sessions with no papers listed — probably not uploaded yet by session organizers, might be more
NASA in those.
This does not include Plenary Events or Highlight Lectures.
A1-3 confirmed
ENABLING EXPLORATION AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE ON EARTH THROUGH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
Dr. Jeffrey R. Davis
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Johnson Space Center
A1-4
poster
Optimization of martian regolith and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene composites for
radiation shielding and habitat structures
Mr. Abhijit Baburaj
NASA
A1-6 withdrawn
Human Exploration Missions – Maturing Technologies to Sustain Crews
Dr. Donald Henninger
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Johnson Space Center
A1-7 withdrawn
Neurovestibular adaptation in vertebrate and invertebrate gravi-sensing organs following micro- and
hyper-gravity exposure and re-adaptation to 1G.
Dr. Richard Boyle
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
A2-2 confirmed
ATV Experiments on Spacecraft Fire Safety
Dr. David Urban
NASA Glenn Research Center
A2-7 confirmed
Combustion, Fluid Physics and Acceleration Measurement Experiments on the ISS
Dr. George Schmidt
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
A3-1 withdrawn
ISECG Global Exploration Roadmap Early Design Reference Missions
Mr. Chris Culbert
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
A3-1 confirmed
A Strategy for Robotic Precursor Missions to Support Human Exploration
Dr. Christopher Moore
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
A3-1 confirmed
JPL Innovation Foundry
Mr. Brent Sherwood
Caltech/JPL
A3-2A
Space Environmental Effects on Dust Mitigation Technology: A MISSE-X Experiment
Dr. Carlos Calle
NASA
A3-2C confirmed
NASA’s Lunar Polar Ice Prospector, RESOLVE: Mission Simulation in Apollo Valley
Mr. William Larson
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Kennedy Space Center
A3-2D confirmed
poster
Using Lunar Mapping & Modeling Project to support return to the Moon and beyond
Ms. Emily Law
Jet Propulsion Laboratory – California Institute of Technology
A3-3A confirmed
Curiosity: the Mars Science Laboratory Mission
Mr. Richard A. Cook
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
A3-3B confirmed
NASA Mars Exploration Planning: Program Remediation, Planetary Protection Requirements
Dr. Catharine Conley
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
A3-4 confirmed
Dawn’s Exploration of Vesta
Dr. Marc D. Rayman
Jet Propulsion Laboratory – California Institute of Technology
A3-5
JET: Journey to Enceladus and Titan Mission Concept Overview
Mr. Steve Matousek
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
A3-5 confirmed
poster
Enabling Technologies for Future New Frontiers Mission Atmospheric Flight Vehicles
Ms. Jill Prince
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
A3-5 withdrawn
poster
Alternatives to the Laplace Nebular Hypothesis-Gas Giants First, Hoops, Jets, Gravitational Capture,
Capture, Planetary Child of Sun Form Reasonable Laplace Alternatives
Mr. James Struck
NASA
A5-4 confirmed
Possible Scenarios for Mars Manned Exploration
Dr. Daniel Dorney
NASA
A5-4 confirmed
Project 5S: A Safe Stepping Stone into the Solar System
Dr. John Brophy
Jet Propulsion Laboratory – California Institute of Technology
A6-1 confirmed
Light curve observations of upper stages in the low Earth orbit environment
Dr. J.-C. Liou
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
A6-2 confirmed
The effects of solar maximum on the Earth’s satellite population and space situational awareness
Mr. Nicholas L. Johnson
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
A6-4 confirmed
poster
LightForce: An Update on Orbital Collision Avoidance Using Photon Pressure
Dr. Jan Stupl
USRA / NASA Ames Research Center
B2-1 confirmed
Uplink and Downlink Electronics Upgrades for the NASA Deep Space Network Aperture Enhancement Project
(DAEP)
Mr. Remi LaBelle
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
B2-2 confirmed
Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) Testbed Software Development and Lessons Learned
Mr. Thomas Hartline
NASA Glenn Research Center
B3-1
SYMPOSIUM KEYNOTE: The International Space Station: the Present and the Promise for the Future
Dr. William H. Gerstenmaier
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
B3-1 confirmed
International Space Station Benefits for Humanity
Dr. Julie A. Robinson
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Johnson Space Center
B3-1 confirmed
THE ISECG GLOBAL EXPLORATION ROADMAP: AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT PREPARING FOR SUSTAINABLE HUMAN SPACE
EXPLORATION
Mrs. Kathy Laurini
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
The Netherlands
B3-2
Applying lessons learned from the ISS Maintenance Approach to future long duration missions
Mr. Mark Dillard
NASA
B3-3
Expanding the Capabilities of the International Space Station Research Facilities
Mr. William Jones
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Johnson Space Center
B3-3
International Space Station as Analog of Interplanetary Transit Vehicle for Biomedical Research
Dr. John Charles
NASA Human Research Program (from NASA?)
B3-6-A5.3 — no papers listed
B3-8-E7.7 — no papers listed
B4-6B confirmed
Modulating retro-reflectors: Technology, link budgets and applications
Mr. James Mason
USRA / NASA Ames Research Center
B6-5-B3.4 — no papers listed
C1-3 withdrawn
Simulation and Analysis of a Phobos-Anchored Tether
Dr. Andrew Klesh
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
C1-7 confirmed
Spatial Approaches to Moons from Resonance Relative to Invariant Manifolds
Dr. Rodney Anderson
Jet Propulsion Laboratory – California Institute of Technology
C3-1 confirmed
Implementation Architecture for Industrial-Scale Space Solar Power
Mr. Brent Sherwood
Caltech/JPL
C3-5-C4.7 — no papers listed
C4-4
Advancement of a 30 kW solar electric propulsion system capability for nasa human and robotic
exploration missions
Mr. Bryan K. Smith
NASA Glenn Research Center
C4-4 confirmed
High-Power Hall Propulsion System Development at NASA Glenn Research Center
Dr. Hani Kamhawi
NASA Glenn Research Center
C4-7-C3.5 confirmed
Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) – Development Status and Potential Near-term Mission
Applications
Mr. Thomas Hartline
NASA Glenn Research Center
D2-1
NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services: Building a Cargo Pathway to Orbit
Mr. Dennis Stone
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Johnson Space Center
D2-3 confirmed
Concept design of Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer for space exploration
Ms. Susan Motil
NASA Glenn Research Center
D2-3 confirmed
NASA and ESA partnership on the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Service Module
Ms. Kathleen Schubert
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
D2-6
NASA’s Space Launch System Advanced Booster Engineering Demonstration and Risk Reduction Efforts
Mr. Chris Crumbly
NASA MSFC
D2-8 confirmed
NASA’s Space Launch System: A Heavy-Lift Platform for Entirely New Missions
Mr. Steve Creech
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
D2-8 withdrawn
NASA Space Launch System Operations Strategy
Mrs. Joan Singer
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
D2-8
Atmospheric Flight Vehicle System Technologies for Human Exploration of Mars.
Mr. Charles E. Cockrell Jr.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
D3-1 confirmed
Evolving Architecture for HERRO (Space-based, Telerobotic-oriented) Exploration of the Moon, NEOs,
Mars and Venus
Dr. George Schmidt
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
D3-1 confirmed
What’s the Big Idea? Seeking to Top Apollo
Mr. Brent Sherwood
Caltech/JPL
D3-2 confirmed
Infrastructure Based Exploration – An Affordable Path To Sustainable Space Development
Mr. Robert Pittman
NASA Ames Research Center
D3-2 confirmed
Establishment of a Spaceport Network Architecture
Dr. Luke Roberson
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
D4-2-E6.4 — no papers listed
D4-4 confirmed
Employing the Use of GIS and Emergent Technologies to Aid in the Health Care in Developing Countries
Mr. Kevin Holm
NASA
D5-2 confirmed
Sharing Knowledge Across Space Organizations, the IAF Knowledge Management Technical Committee
Prof. Jeanne Holm
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
D6-2-D2.9 — no papers listed
E1-1 confirmed
SYMPOSIUM KEYNOTE: Inspiring the Next Generation
Mr. Leland Melvin
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
E1-5
Preparing young professionals for project and engineering leadership at nasa
Dr. Edward J. Hoffman
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
E1-6
Create Space on Earth: Leverage the Proximity Factor
Ms. Beth Beck
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
E1-7 withdrawn
LAUNCH: Innovative Sustainability Program Creates Niche Audience
Ms. Beth Beck
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
E1-8 withdrawn
Create Space on Earth: Leverage the Proximity Factor
Ms. Beth Beck
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
E1-9 confirmed
BEAUTIFUL EARTH: INSPIRING AND ENGAGING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THROUGH MUSIC, ART, AND SCIENCE
Ms. Valerie Anne Casasanto
NASA Goddard/University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
E3-5-E7.6 — no papers listed
E5-1 confirmed
Bridging the Gap: Use of Spaceflight Technologies for Earth-Based Problems
Ms. Alaina Brinley
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Johnson Space Center
E5-1 confirmed
Vetting Space Based Technology Societal Impacts
Ms. Nona Minnifield Cheeks
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Goddard Space Flight Center
E5-2
Optimize Use of Space Research and Technology for Medical Devices
Ms. Nona Minnifield Cheeks
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Goddard Space Flight Center
E5-2 confirmed
Using Real Options to See the Effect on Social Needs of Space Visualization Tools
Dr. Phyl Speser
Goddard SFC
E5-3 withdrawn
FAXing Structures to the Moon: Freeform Additive Construction System (FACS)
Dr. A. Scott Howe
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
E5-4 confirmed
The Convergence of Art, Science and Technology in Space Exploration
Dr. Yvonne Clearwater
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Note that all of the JPL authors do not say they are from NASA, as if this association is somehow beneath or distasteful to them.
That’s an absurd and offensive statement that should not be allowed on this board. JPL is not listed as NASA because to do so would imply that the authors are civil servants, which no one at JPL is.
Who pays 100% of their salaries?
The US taxpayer. What’s your point? You can’t represent yourself as a government employee if you are not. There are laws about these types of things.
“Who pays 100% of their salaries?”
CalTech does, actually. When I was at JPL, I found it amusing that NASA would say we were NASA employees and subject to their regulations whenever it was convenient and would also say that we were CalTech employees and they didn’t have to do something that they would have to do for their regular employees when it wasn’t convenient.
Keith,
I’d say this thread was worth it’s weight just to get that list. Well done. Of course, those of us not associated with the IAC organizations will have to wait apporximately forever to see the relevant content, but it’s interesting to at least know what sort of “new” work is being done at NASA. Odds are, if you tried to complile a list like this from nasa.gov, you’d never succeed.
Steve
someone else at NASA sent me this:
confirmed
Paper code: IAC-12,E1,1,1,x16315
Place2012-10-01 15:15, #1, TS18 (Sardegna, Palacongressi)
Title: SYMPOSIUM KEYNOTE: Inspiring the Next Generation
Session 1. Ignition – Primary Space Education
Symposium E1. SPACE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH SYMPOSIUM
Congress IAC-12
Type of presentation: oral
Main author: Mr. Leland Melvin, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States
session 2
Title: Lift Off – Secondary Space Education
Description: This session will focus on all aspects of secondary space education, for students of age
12-18.
Date: 2012-10-02 10:15RoomTS18 (Sardegna, Palacongressi)
IPC members
Chairman: Ms. Shamim Hartevelt-Velani, European Space Agency (ESA), The Netherlands;Chairman: Prof.
Vera Mayorova, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Russia; Rapporteur: Mr. Dennis Stone,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Johnson Space Center, United States;
Not confirmed
Paper code: IAC-12,E1,5,2,x15150
Place: 2012-10-04 10:15, #2, TS18 (Sardegna, Palacongressi)
Title: Preparing young professionals for project and engineering leadership at nasa
Session5. Enabling the Future – Developing the Space Workforce
Symposium: E1. SPACE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH SYMPOSIUM
Congress IAC-12
Type of presentation: oral
Main author: Dr. Edward J. Hoffman, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United
States
Not confirmed
Paper code: IAC-12,E1,6,9,x13508
Place: 2012-10-04 15:15, #9, TS18 (Sardegna, Palacongressi)
Title: Create Space on Earth: Leverage the Proximity Factor
Session6. Calling Planet Earth – Space Outreach to the General Public
Symposium: E1. SPACE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH SYMPOSIUM
Congress IAC-12
Type of presentation: oral
Main author: Ms. Beth Beck, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States
Withdrawn
Paper code: IAC-12,E1,7,8,x13138
Place: 2012-10-05 09:00, #8, TS18 (Sardegna, Palacongressi)
Title: LAUNCH: Innovative Sustainability Program Creates Niche Audience
Session: 7. New Worlds – Innovative Space Education and Outreach
Symposium: E1. SPACE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH SYMPOSIUM
Congress IAC-12
Type of presentation: oral
Main author: Ms. Beth Beck, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States
Session 8
Title: Space Culture: Innovative Approaches for Public Engagement in Space
Description: This session is co-sponsored by the IAF Technical Committee on the Cultural Utilisation
of Space (ITACCUS) and will focus on the activities of institutions such as museums, space agencies
and non-profit organisations involving space that engage the cultural sector.
Date: 2012-10-01 15:15 RoomTS18 (Sardegna, Palacongressi)
IPC members
Chairman: Mr. Frank Friedlaender, Lockheed Palo Alto Research Lab., United States; Chairman: Dr.
Roger Malina, Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, France; Rapporteur: Ms. Valerie Anne
Casasanto, NASA Goddard/University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), United States;
confirmed
Paper code: IAC-12,E1,9,5,x16200
Place2012-10-05 14:00, #5, TS18 (Sardegna, Palacongressi)
Title: BEAUTIFUL EARTH: INSPIRING AND ENGAGING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THROUGH MUSIC, ART, AND SCIENCE
Session9. Extended Mission
Symposium: E1. SPACE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH SYMPOSIUM
CongressIAC-12
Type of presentation: oral
Main author:Ms. Valerie Anne Casasanto, NASA Goddard/University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC),
United States
It’s a good conference for talking with international collaborators. Hard to get international travel permission, though.
Geoff,
Considering the number of people who attend, and perhaps more significantly, the fact that people from all technical countries attend each year, it would seem that a lot of smart people agree with you about the value of getting together face to face. I think NASA upper management must realize this as well, or the money simply wouldn’t be made available. As we all know, synergy most often starts in a hallway conversation rather than in a meeting room or report.
Steve