World renowned expert and author Dr. Robert Zubrin to speak at UND
Matthew Hillestad
UND Space Studies Colloquium: World renowned expert and author to speak at UND The spring 2010 colloquium series focuses on the general theme “Human Missions to Mars” and features several leading experts in the field, both from within UND and other organizations. The next colloquium talk (sixth in the series) will be presented by Dr. […]
https://blogs.und.edu/jdosas/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2019/02/und-logo-square-50x50.png
John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences
UND Space Studies Colloquium: World renowned expert and author to speak at UND

The spring 2010 colloquium series focuses on the general theme “Human Missions to Mars” and features several leading experts in the field, both from within UND and other organizations.

The next colloquium talk (sixth in the series) will be presented by Dr. Robert Zubrin, President, Mars Society.

Topic:Mars Direct: Humans to the Red Planet within a Decade

Place:Ryan Hall 111; Date: April 19, 2010; Time: 4:00 PM

About the topic: In July 1989, on the 20th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing, the first President Bush called for America to renew its pioneering push into space with the establishment of a permanent Lunar base and a series of human missions to Mars. While many have said that such an endeavor would be excessively costly and take many decades, a small team at Martin Marietta drew up a daring plan that could sharply cut costs and send a group of American astronauts to the Red Planet within ten years. The plan, known as “Mars Direct,” has attracted international attention and broad controversy, including coverage in such publications as Newsweek, Fortune, The Economist, Air and Space Smithsonian, the New York Times, the London Times, the Boston Globe and Izvestia. It has also been covered by the Discovery Channel, PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, National Public Radio, and the BBC. Its principal author, Robert Zubrin, has presented it to such fora as the International Astronautical Federation congress in Germany, and the blue ribbon “Synthesis Group” headed by former Apollo astronaut General Thomas Stafford, the Augustine Committee, as well as to various government officials, including House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former NASA Administrators Dan Goldin and Mike Griffin.

Now, with nation debating how to proceed with human space exploration, the “Mars Direct” plan is more relevant than ever: Can Americans reach the Red Planet in our time?

About the speaker:Robert Zubrin, formerly a Staff Engineer at Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Denver is now president of his own company, Pioneer Astronautics. He holds Masters degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering. He is the inventor of several unique concepts for space propulsion and exploration, the author of over 200 published technical and non-technical papers in the field, as well the non-fiction books “The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must” (Simon and Schuster 1996), “Entering Space” (Tarcher Putnam 1999), and “Mars on Earth” (Tarcher Penguin 2003). He is also the author of the novels “The Holy Land,” (Polaris Books, 2003) and “First Landing,” (Ace 2001), and most recently, the science-humor immigrant guidebook, “How to Live on Mars” (Three Rivers Press, 2008). He is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and former Chairman of the Executive Committee of the National Space Society. Most recently, he founded the Mars Society; an international organization dedicated to furthering the exploration and settlement of Mars by both public and private means. In that capacity, he personally led the construction and operation of a human Mars exploration training station on Devon Island, an uninhabited island in the Canadian Arctic 900 miles form the North Pole. Prior to his work in astronautics, Dr. Zubrin was employed in areas of thermonuclear fusion research, nuclear engineering, radiation protection, and as a high school science teacher.

Those unable to attend in person may view the live webcast by using one of the links found here.

This presentation will be archived at www.space.edu for later viewing.