LVAAS General Meeting
Sunday, October 8, 7 p.m. at South Mountain and via ZOOM
"NEOs: A Clear and Present Danger from Space"
John Conrad
All about Near Earth Objects (NEOs), those asteroids and comets that could threaten Earth and mankind in the future, like the “dinosaur-killer” asteroid that did impact the Earth 65 million years ago. Furthermore, we’ll describe the international Planetary Defense program, whereby NASA – and other nations’ space agencies – are developing what hopefully will be an arsenal of PHA (Potentially Hazardous Asteroids) threat mitigation tools and techniques.
You’ll learn about NASA’s first mitigation test: the DART spacecraft, which recently demonstrated kinetic deflection of a Near Earth Asteroid.
John Conrad followed his childhood interest in space and spaceflight – at the dawn of the Space Age – through Astronautical Engineering degrees from the US Air Force Academy and Purdue University straight into leadership in space programs for the Air Force, NASA, DOE, and industry. Now retired, he gives frequent talks to schools, astronomy clubs, museums, libraries, and other learning venues that draw on his extensive experiences, including:
- Managing satellite rocket launches
- Designing and operating military and civil spacecraft
- Data applications in areas such as Earth science and intelligence
- Astrodynamics and astronomy
In his role as a NASA Solar System Ambassador, he is able to bring you the latest results from NASA scientists and engineers, providing insights into US progress in exploring space and addressing the most challenging and complex of mankind’s problems and pursuits.
Prospective new members who wish to attend the meeting should email membership@lvaas.org.
