Spring Space Forum



Purdue SEDS Presents


Spring Space Forum 2013: The Next Step: The Future of Propulsion and Space Exploration
March 2, 2013

SEDS is an international student organization with the goals of furthering space exploration and educating the public about the history of space travel, as well as its future. The Purdue chapter of SEDS hosts an annual event called Spring Space Forum aimed at getting more Purdue students and the surrounding community informed and involved in different topics related to space. This year, Purdue SEDS has decided on a theme of future propulsion and space destinations. In the coming decades, human space ventures will be dependent on the technology we develop to get there. Purdue SEDS invited various speakers from the aerospace industry to speak on their research and expertise in one of two fields, propulsion and space destinations. On the day of the event, our guests will give a 30-40 minute presentation, followed by a panel discussion and ending in questions from the audience.

Speakers:


Paul Graham

Project Director and Founding Member, OpenLuna

Dr. Mark Clampin

James Webb Space Telescope Observatory Project Scientist, NASA

Scott Murphy

X-51 Chief Engineer, United States Air Force

Bryan Palaszewski

NASA Glenn Propulsion Research

Spring Space Forum Schedule, Fowler Hall


1:15pm The Future of Propulsion


Scott Murphy
Bryan Palaszewski
Forum and Q&A

3:15pm Refreshment Break


4:00pm Destinations and Exploration


Paul Graham
Dr. Mark Clampin
Forum and Q&A

7:30pm Dinner with SEDS Members


Origin and History

 

Every spring, SEDS hosts an event known as the Spring Space Forum. The goal of the forum is to invite prominent members of industry, academia, and other space-related fields to discuss a current relevant issue. The topics generally pertain to current space events, and we seek to invite speakers with relevant knowledge and influence on the specific topic.

 

Previous topics have included "Astronauts or Astrobots," "How to Build a Mars Colony," and "The Next Space Age: NASA or the Newcomers." We have had speakers such as Robert Zubrin, author of The Case for Mars, Sigmar Wittig, former chair of the European Space Agency, John
Gedmark, Executive Director of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, and Dr.
Michael Griffin, former Administrator of NASA. Each year we seek to introduce new speakers and hear their perspective on a topic of emerging interest in our field.

Executive Board

 

Co-Directors

Ethan Kayser - kayser[at]purdue.edu

Matt McDougall - mtmcdougall[at]purdue.edu

Bio's can be found here.