Friday was a busy space-filled today! The Space Studies Board of The National Academies is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year by holding special talks around the world. On Friday they hosted a double panel session at my workplace followed by a talk at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

The first panel was on the achievement of the past 50 years of space exploration. The first panelist to speak was Ernst Stuhlinger, the 93-year-old German rocket scientists who I heard talk in October. He spoke for twenty minutes straight about his entire career history leading up to the launching of the first U.S. satellite. He went into far more detail than the last time I heard him talk. It was truly impressive to hear this legend speak so thoroughly about the exciting experiences of his past.

Former astronaut Owen Garriott spoke next. I had met him twice before at NASA Academy events. His missions were on the space stations Skylab and Spacelab, so he spoke of the research done on the biological affects of weightlessness on humans in long-duration spaceflight.

Space scientist Rick Chappell spoke next. He began by pondering that we're taught about science in science classes and exploration in history classes, but how exploration and science are the same thing (I disagree, but he was the panelist). I had to leave halfway through his talk because I had a prior appointment. By the time I returned, the second panel on the next 50 years of space exploration was about to begin.

Todd May, a top guy within the NASA Science Mission Directorate, spoke first in the second panel. He discussed creating a great workplace environment at NASA. He briefly outlined the major mission successes of the past year.

John Horack, the manager of the MSFC Science and Mission Systems Office, spoke next. This is the third time I've heard him speak, and he's just fantastic in his down-to-earth, straight-forward, inspirational eloquence. He warned us not to let the Vision for Space Exploration distract us from the true purpose of "The Mission" of NASA. He lamented that the Saturn V rockets weren't utilized to their full capacity, and recognized that we have the chance to utilize the new Ares rockets to their full capacity this time around. He spoke of the need to integrate science and technology.

Fellow NSSTC X-ray astrophysicists Martin Weisskopf (the Chandra Project Scientist) spoke next. I believe he was also in the audience for the Riccardo Giacconi talk a few months ago; Martin echoed Dr. Giacconi's sentiments that now is a fabulous time for astrophysics intellectually, but practically speaking, the funding is lacking. Missions are becoming more complex and therefore more expensive, and missions are talking longer from conception to launch. We need to make sure that we're executing missions in the best way.

Planetary scientist Barbara Cohen then spoke about the scientific benefit of future lunar missions. When people say that we've already been to the Moon and we don't need to go back, they don't realize that we've been to very little of the Moon, done very little, and know more about Mars (where humans have not yet been) than we do about the Moon. Because the Moon is a dead planet with no atmosphere, its surface acts as a record for lunar, Earth, and solar system history. She mentioned the possibility of international collaborations on future robotic missions. As a geologist, she gave the advice: "Don't send a robot if a human can do it better."

Finally, the CEO of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Larry Capps, spoke about education and public outreach. He pressed that the challenge will be to increase public appreciation for the Vision for Space Exploration, build national excitement, increase industry buy-in, put emphasis on colleges and universities, and focus on K – 12 outreach. He talked about the successes of Space Camp. He stated that leaps require passion and curiosity.

That evening, I attended the guest talk by Wes Huntress, the director emeritus of the Carnegie Institute Geophysical Lab. I heard him speak once before during a NASA Academy summer. He outlined the reasons we explore space: to fulfill a drive to learn and expand, to understand fundamental questions and determine threats, to expand our economic sphere and utilize resources, and to unify nations in mutual achievement (although, realistically, I would have added military advantage to that list). He discussed many places of interests for missions in our solar system: the Moon, L1 and L2 points, near Earth asteroids, Mars, the asteroid belt, Jupiter and its moons, Saturn and its moons, Pluto, Charon, other Kuiper belt objects, and beyond the solar system. He gave his opinion that NASA should reinstate its investment in technological developments. It was a very informative talk.