Jun. 27, 2012 → Jun. 28, 2012

In this workshop we want to assess the future of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) experiments at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths and the role new telescopes like the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) will have. The unprecedented sensitivity, broad frequency coverage, and unique location of ALMA will have the potential to transform the science that can be done with mm-VLBI. With expected spatial resolutions as low as some microarcseconds at the highest frequencies and mJy sensitivities at the lower frequencies, quite a range of high-profile experiments should be possible. The science that can be addressed ranges from the precise astrometry and study of stellar masers down to observations of jets and the event horizon of supermassive black holes.

At this workshop we want to make an inventory of the science interests of the European user community of ALMA for VLBI experiments from wavelengths of 7 mm (for which receivers are yet to be built) all the way to sub-mm wavelengths. This should involve not only current VLBI users but also those who are just becoming interested in this rapidly evolving field.

The workshop is timely, as ALMA is quickly improving its capabilities, plans for phasing of the array are becoming more concrete, and digital VLBI equipment is also improving.

The main focus of the meeting will be on developing the European science case. However, in addition we also want to use the opportunity to start first discussions on the organization of the mm-VLBI efforts and review some of the technical capabilities available in Europe.

Jul. 26, 2012 → Jul. 28, 2012

A CanSat is an autonomous device capable of performing a certain mission, implemented inside a soft drink can. All basic functions of a satellite (communications, powering, etc) are implemented within a 330 ml can, which results in a great learning platform for all students interested in designing, manufacturing and analyzing satellite operations.

This initiative intends to offer students the first contact with a real project and all its typical phases, like mission design, PDR, CDR, certification, launch campaign, results analysis, etc. The objective is to motivate students giving them a real sight of their future career.

From LEEM, it is considered that approaching a high quality project, along with Space industry specifications, is a personal and professional challenge for University students. Through this opportunity, students can learn really useful skills for their future professional career, understanding the feasibility of a project, learning teamwork aptitudes and getting a global sight of all the parameters that lead to a successful project culmination.

Participants Registration is open until April 15th, 2012 at the dedicated website. All teams will then undergo a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) on May 10th in order to ensure the Competition Guidelines have been correctly understood. After this review, LEEM will consider if the team and its Cansat will be able to take part in the Competition. The Critical Design Review (CDR) will take place the 24th of June; all teams must submit their final documentation by this date. Finally, from 26th to 28th July; the “3rd International CanSat Competition LEEM-UPM” will be celebrated in Madrid.

The Contest is open to all high school and university students from any country.

With the aim of giving interested teams a start point for designing their CanSat, the main technical requirements are here sumarized:

- Mass: Less than or equal to 350 grams
- Diameter: That of a standard soft drink can. The device must be able to be released from a 70mm diameter tube by its own weight.
- Lenght: The total lenght of the device and its auxiliary equipment (antenna, recovery system...) must be less than two times the lenght of a standard soft drink can.

Sep. 14, 2012 → Sep. 16, 2012

Mars Society Australia is pleased to announce that the 12th Australian Mars Exploration Conference (AMEC2012) will be held this year in Canberra over the weekend of Friday 14th September to Sunday 16th September.

The conference aims to expand the breadth and depth of scientific, technological and cultural development in support of the human exploration of Mars. To this end, in addition to scientists and technologists, I extend our invitation to the social experts, managers, writers and artists who will be instrumental in forging such a culture.

Since 2001, the AMEC conferences have been an international forum for Mars exploration. Past AMEC guests have included speakers such as Apollo 17 geologist Dr. Harrison Schmidt, space simulation expert Dr. Vadim Gushin of the Moscow Institute of Biomedical Problems and Dr. Steven Squires, Principle Investigator of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover team. AMEC conferences are run by the Mars Society Australia, an incorporated, non-profit research body that does practical research in support of an eventual human mission to Mars.

May. 29, 2013 → May. 31, 2013

The International Conference on Spacecraft Formation Flying Missions and Technologies (SFFMT) follows a tradition of organization by national and international space agencies. The conference started in Toulouse (France, 2002), and was later organized in Washington DC (USA, 2004), Noordwijk (The Netherlands, 2008), and St-Huber (Quebec, 2011). In addition to the previous organizing institutions, namely CNES, NASA, ESA and CSA, today the program committee comprises representatives from many world space agencies.

The conference focuses on technologies and systems for spacecraft formation-flying and on-orbit-servicing, and offers the opportunity to discuss ideas and share experiences with participants from all over the world. The conference is intended as a forum for global experts and will act as a showcase for the most recent achievements in the area of distributed space systems. Particular attention will be given to actual national and international space projects, in an attempt to outline the activities which are paving the way for the transition of these breakthrough technologies into operational missions.

On 29-31 May 2013, the 5th SFFMT will be held in the Hilton Munich City Hotel in Bavaria, Germany. The conference is organized by the German Space Operations Center of DLR in collaboration with NASA/JPL (USA) and CSA (Canada). All information on this event, including the call for papers and the registration opening, will be posted on this website as it becomes available. On behalf of the conference committee and those who are sponsoring and supporting this international gathering, we extend a warm invitation for you to join us in Munich, Germany in May 2013.

Aug. 20, 2012 → Aug. 31, 2012

In August 2012 China will for the first time host the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in Beijing. This triennial gathering of astronomers from around the world to discuss and debate the most recent discoveries about the universe is an important part of the vitality of our science. Astrophysics remains one of the most exciting areas of human endeavor, and the venue of the Beijing GA will be equally impressive: the new China National Convention Center that is housed in the Olympic Park in a beautiful, spacious building and area that is full of amenities for conference participants and visitors.

The contributions of Chinese astronomy to human knowledge and our understanding of the cosmos have been of historical significance, from the earliest to modern times. GA participants will have an opportunity to experience the wide range of astronomical activities now taking place in China that include new projects, facilities, and institutes. They will also report on, and hear, the latest research results from every field of astronomy. An exciting scientific programme is being developed that will hold the interest of everyone. I am pleased to welcome all Union members and invited guests to join us in Beijing for what will be a memorable General Assembly.

Robert Williams
President, IAU

Jun. 18, 2012 → Jun. 22, 2012

In spring 2012, DREAM will be educating high school students and teachers about its science goals in order to prepare them for participation and interaction with DREAM scientists at a Lunar Extreme Workshops (LEW). The first LEW took place at Goddard Space Flight Center from June 20-24, 2011 and focused on how extreme solar storms affect the Moon. The 2012 LEW will take place at Ames Research Center from June 18-22. This LEW will bring DREAM scientists together with teachers and students (scientists-in-training) to investigate the effects of impacts on the lunar surface at all scales.

The target audience for involvement in the Lunar Extreme Program is high school students who have already been exposed to physics, Earth science, chemistry, computer modeling, or preferably a combination of the above and the teachers of those subjects. Teachers will be provided with small stipends for their time and participation.

Sep. 18, 2012 → Sep. 19, 2012

With LTE rollouts in Asia-Pacific now progressing at an aggressive pace, with the region set to surpass 120 million LTE connections by 2015, operators are competing to become the first to offer 4G services in this high-growth subscriber market.

Now in its 7th year, LTE Asia is the must-attend event for Asian operators looking to search for potential new partners and learn from the market leaders about their deployment experiences.

The event is now firmly established as THE central meeting place for the entire Asia-Pacific LTE ecosystem, and having successfully moved the show to Singapore in 2011, 2012’s event promises to be even bigger and better than before, with 750+ high-level attendees expected.

May. 27, 2012 → Jun. 03, 2012

Dear colleagues,

We are excited to announce a workshop on Planetary Origins and Frontiers of Exploration to be held May 27 - June 3, 2012 at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.

The theme was chosen to bring together experts in aspects of planetary formation, solar system evolution, and interpretation of exoplanetary discoveries. We plan to organize keynote talks around five topics: Solar system formation, Gas giants formation and interiors, Moons and icy objects as keystones, Exoplanets, and Extreme environments.

We plan afternoon trips to Tel Aviv and the Old City in Jerusalem, and a weekend field trip to the Dead Sea, Masada, Ramon Crater, with return to Tel Aviv area on June 3. The cultural, historic, geologic and geo-biological excursion promises to be stimulating.

We have identified keynote speakers and discussion leaders; our panels will include both junior and senior colleagues, and expected to include (so far) David Stevenson, Bob Pappalardo, Lindy Elkins Tanton, Kaveh Pahlevan, Jerry Schubert, Mark Wieczorek, Kevin Walsh, Athena Coustenis, Kevin Hand, Adam Showman, Heike Rauer, Doris Breuer, Yohai Kaspi, Itay Halevy, Ravit Helled, Frances Westall, Aharon Oren, Tsvi Mazeh, Re'em Sari, Julie Castillo, Tilman Spohn, and Oded Aharonson.

The format is inspired by Gordon Research Conferences, with full-length talks followed by substantial time for discussion in the mornings, and shorter presentations in the afternoon.  Please consider contributing a presentation on topics relatable to planetary origins, not necessarily from the list of five above.

Some funding is available to support local accommodation, food, and travel expenditures in Israel, the level will depend upon the total number of participants. Student participants may be considered for additional support. Please send an  email with a request including justification, abstract, and CV.

If you plan to attend, please complete the registration form.  If you wish to present a talk or a poster, please also include a short abstract.

We hope you can join us for this rare opportunity.

Warmly,

Oded Aharonson (WIS, Israel; Caltech, USA), Julie Castillo (JPL/Caltech, USA), and Tilman Spohn (DLR, Germany)

Aug. 25, 2012 → Sep. 01, 2012

ISPRS2012 offers delegates eight exciting days of tutorials, presentations and technical tours. The main technical programme will consist of plenary sessions, oral presentation sessions with up to twelve parallel streams, and short presentation sessions with interactive, digital posters. And of course there will also be an engaging social programme that will be a mix of cultural and sporting events. Whether you prefer an evening dining at the theatre or a taste of Australian rules football, there will be something for you to enjoy. The social programme will be just a small sample of the highlights of Melbourne, Victoria and Australia.

Aug. 27, 2012 → Aug. 30, 2012

Calibration is becoming increasingly more challenging as measurement requirements for many of today's remote sensing applications become more stringent. The Annual Conference on Characterization and Radiometric Calibration for Remote Sensing provides a forum for scientists, engineers, and managers to present, discuss, and learn. Experts in the calibration community offer relevant knowledge and suggestions about calibration, characterization, and radiometric issues within the microwave, IR, visible, and UV spectrums. Individuals developing measurement requirements for today and future sensor systems are encouraged to participate and help close the gap between expectations and real world experiences. The continuity and advancement of our calibration community depends on your participation.

Jul. 09, 2012 → Jul. 10, 2012

The conference called Space: From Foray to Habitation will be held on July 9-10, 2012 (Monday and Tuesday) at the Sefton Hotel on the Isle of Man. The 1.5 day conference features three sessions, each addressing a broad set of issues relevant to the future of taking space into everyone's lives.

Education for a space-faring society:
Is the framework of traditional university instruction adequate to prepare citizens of a space-faring society?
How soon should students grapple with the frontiers of knowledge by participating in research?
What should scientific and engineering curricula comprise, and at what level of rigor?
What should be the role and emphasis of the humanities? What values and ethical norms will be most compatible with space-faring life?

Institutional barriers to space habitation:
Can truly pan-human collaboration for the inception and growth of a space-faring society overcome national institutional barriers?
What modes of government can assist progress?
What legal frameworks are appropriate to address ownership, off-world mining, reclamation and salvage, etc.
What sort of economic arrangements could exist among the various colonies of a space-faring society?

Technical barriers to a space-faring civilization:
How does the habitation paradigm change the nature of launch systems, re-entry/return systems, etc.?
How do we deal with human factors in prolonged spaceflight, and design wholly or partially closed systems? How are trajectory design and propulsion systems affected?
A space-faring society may consist of widely dispersed, small human groups making use of local resources. There is an obvious need for habitation technology- a portable, integrated set of technological elements enabling each human group to generate its own consumables, mine/extract local resources and repair or fabricate its own tools. Do the components of such a technology already exist and can they be integrated?

The conference is organized by the Scientific Preparatory Academy for Cosmic Explorers (SPACE), a nascent non-profit academy founded in 2012 dedicated to multidisciplinary and international higher education in space. This conference also serves as the kickstart ceremony of the SPACE.

Oct. 14, 2012 → Oct. 19, 2012

The conference focuses on causality and nonlocality in physics,  with emphasis on its implications with time machines.  In particular this issue will be dealt with from the viewpoints of General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, two theories that,  even though extensively verified on their own, are seemingly irreconcilable up today. There are three main objectives before this conference: (i) revive the interest in time travel, which is not prohibited by current laws of physics, (ii) provide the opportunity for debating the views of General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics on time travel, and (iii) contribute toward a comprehensive vision for the years to come future including anticipations of potential applications.