6 May 2022
The NASA Engineering & Safety Center (NESC) is sponsoring an exploratory hybrid workshop from 7–9 June 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and online, focusing on the feasibility and value proposition of using the Moon as a platform for unique astronomical science observations, while addressing key engineering challenges and risks. Challenges of the harsh Lunar environment that will be discussed at the workshop include: Lunar dust and charging, communication, power generation, extreme thermal environment, and lighting. Scientific robotic exploration aided by human intervention involving assembly and servicing of scientific experiments also carry unique challenges surrounding human space flight infrastructure and extravehicular activities.
Focusing on unique science concept studies from the Moon already funded by NASA (radio observatories from the far side of the Moon), challenges and requirements for needed technology and human space flight infrastructure development will be discussed. Through several interdisciplinary interactive sessions, a framework for synergistic science and human exploration activities will be developed along with roadmaps to bring the concepts to reality in the next few decades.
Registration for the workshop is now open. A draft agenda is available on the workshop website.