Panels & Talks

Human Health and Performance Challenges for A City on Mars

ASCEND 2024

This session dives into the human health and performance challenges that a first crew to land on Mars may face based on insights from the book 'A City on Mars' by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith. Kelly Weinersmith talks with leading experts in space medicine, physiology, psychology, and engineering, exploring the multifaceted issues of living and working on Mars. By addressing the human health and performance challenges comprehensively, this panel provides an overview of what it will take to ensure the well-being and efficiency of the pioneering Martian crew. Learn valuable insights into the practical and ethical considerations of establishing a human presence on Mars.

Erika Nesvold, Co-Founder, JustSpace Alliance
Shawna Pandya, Director, Space Medicine Group, International Institute for Astronautical Sciences
Pat Remias, Vice President, Space Systems Development, Blue Origin
Kelly Weinersmith, Co-Author, "A City on Mars"

Shakespeare on Mars

Humanity in Deep Space

Shakespeare on Mars? Our continued and successful transition to a spacefaring species hinges upon surmounting a range of hard technical problems and human challenges. In addition to modern science and knowledge, we should explore what wisdom and lessons we might gain and glean from some of the preeminent past and ancient thinkers, including Socrates, Hypatia, Laozi and Shakespeare, etc. How might they guide us in humanity's unprecedented journey off earth? Our panel for this discussion includes Erika Nesvold and Christopher Phillips. Our moderator is Kris Kimel, founder of Humanity in Deep Space and co-founder of the commercial space enterprise, Space Tango.

Space for Everyone: The Journey to Mars

Boston Museum of Science

Hear from a panel of speakers with ideas on making ethical decisions around sending humans to Mars to foster a more inclusive space exploration industry.

Panel Speakers:

  • Erika Nesvold, JustSpace Alliance, author of Off-Earth

  • Kartik Sheth, Astrophysicist, NASA HQ

  • Neela Rajendra, Chief Inclusion Officer, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

  • Kim Macharia, Executive Director of Space Prize

Intersteller Reseatch Group Public Outreach Panel

8th Interstellar Symposium

Moderated by Les Johnson.

Panelists:

  • AJ Link

  • Alan Stern

  • Philip Lubin

  • Erika Nesvold

How Would You Select a Crew for the First Interstellar Mission?

8th Interstellar Symposium

Moderated by Erika Nesvold.

Panelists:

  • Aisha Said

  • AJ Link

  • Evie Kendal

  • Martha Lenio

  • Dan Hawk

Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space

Google Talks

Can we do better in space than we’ve done here on Earth? Author Erika Nesvold joins us to discuss her book “Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space.” Space settlement is rapidly becoming ever more likely. Will it look like the utopian vision of Star Trek? Or the dark future of Star Wars? Erika challenges us to decide.

A timely reminder that it's not just rocket science, this thought-provoking book explores the all-too-human issues raised by the prospect of settling in outer space.

Disability in Space

Space Education and Strategic Applications

The physical challenges of space for the human body means all space travelers require accessible technology to function and perform tasks. But the growth of commercial human spaceflight also means that more and more people will be able to go to space without being subject to the strict physical requirements of government space agencies. Some organizations are already studying the experiences and requirements of disabled space travelers, including AstroAccess’ parabolic flights with disabled participants and ESA’s parastronaut program. Our panel will include experts in disability studies and space technology to discuss how technology and policy can make our future in space more accessible for everyone.

Law & Order, or Game of Thrones? The Legal Landscape of Space Exploration

How Will We Govern Ourselves in Space?

A new golden age of space exploration is upon us, with growing numbers of countries and private enterprises eager to establish themselves in space for the sake of scientific inquiry, national prestige, adventurous tourism, billionaires’ bragging rights, mineral riches, and even as a hedge against any future calamity that might devastate our home planet.

Our motivations for exploration may vary, but the spaceward rush raises questions about how we will govern ourselves beyond the bonds of Earth. Cold War-era space treaties, vague notions of how legal frameworks on Earth might migrate to settlements in space, and cautionary tales from both history and science fiction offer some guidance, but we could benefit from a larger conversation about how we want to govern them.