|
|
Contact: Mohamed S. El-Genk, 277-0446 |
|
|
January 15, 2003 Space Technology and Applications 2003 Forum set for
Feb. 2-5
STAIF is an international technical forum hosting five concurrent conferences
on various topics of space technology, nuclear power and propulsion and
space exploration. The forum promotes international participation and
provides for a timely exchange of information among technologists, academicians,
industrialists and program managers on technical and programmatic issues
related to inexpensive access to space and space commercialization, exploration
and the potential for performing scientific research and developing new
technologies. STAIF is attended by representatives from commercial industry,
government agencies, engineers from many countries, institutes of higher
education, and space scientists and engineers from many countries. The five conferences associated with space technology and applications
include: Thermophysics in Microgravity; Commercial/Civil Next Generation
Space Transportation; 20th Symposium on Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion;
Conference on Human Space Exploration; and 1st Symposium on Space Colonization. This year’s symposium on Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion is celebrating
its 20th Anniversary. “This is the symposium that started it all, eventually evolving
into the current STAIF meeting. It has been, and is, the most important
international symposium of its kind,” said UNM Regents’ Professor
Mohamed S. El-Genk, director of the Institute for Space and Nuclear Power
Studies and forum technical and publication chair. Special events include a science fiction presentation on Tuesday, Feb.
4 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Grand Pavilion Ballroom at the Hyatt. Six
science fiction authors will present their views on the relationship between
science fiction and science, and will discuss their most recent books.
The event will be followed by a booksigning. The authors to be featured
include: George R. R. Martin, Walter Jon Williams, Geoffrey A. Landis,
S. M. Stirling, and Doug Beason. A special session, Voyager Revisited, will be held on Monday, Feb. 3
from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Grand Pavilion II and III. The year 2002 marked
the 25th anniversary of the launches of Voyagers 1 and 2, the two spacecraft
that explored more of the solar system than any other spacecraft. These
two pioneering spacecraft advanced technology on a number of fronts, including
using the most advanced radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs)
of the time. This session will provide information to those who are interested
in space exploration as well as to those who are interested in developing
new nuclear power sources. STAIF-2003 is co-sponsored by NASA Headquarters and Field Centers, the
Department of Energy, Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories and
industry. Government, aerospace industry and universities will exhibit
and present papers at this conference. Questions concerning the forum can be directed to ISNPS-UNM at http://www.unm.edu/~isnps/ or http://www-chne.unm.edu/isnps or by calling at (505) 277-0446. ### |
|
|
Please let us know what you thought of this article. Comments to: paaffair@unm.edu |
The University
of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981
“Expanding
the Frontiers of Space” is the theme for the 20th annual University
of New Mexico’s Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies (ISNPS)
Space Technology and Applications International Forum (STAIF-2003) set
for Sunday-Wednesday, Feb. 2-5 at the Albuquerque Hyatt Regency Hotel.