RAeS talk: Space Activities in the State of Israel

The Royal Aeronautical Society is pleased to invite you to a Space Group Evening Lecture

Space Activities in the State of Israel
Dr Zvi Kaplan, Director General, Israel Space Agency

Thursday 17 June 2010
No.4 Hamilton Place, London

Although the State of Israel started its space activities relatively late, only less than three decades ago, its program presents a unique and original approach. Therefore, Israel was able to position itself as one of the leading nations in the very important niche, of earth observations from space. These achievements are becoming highly relevant today, and are allowing Israel to use its capabilities to develop friendly relationships worldwide, by forming joint collaborative bilateral space programs. Israel is now one of the few countries able to both manufacture satellites and place them in orbit with its own launch vehicle.

The vision of the ISA- Israel Space Agency is to develop space technologies, to utilize them as a lever in its international activities, and to assist the Israeli space industries in their commercialization. The highlight of the current space ISA activities is the "VENµS Mission" - a scientific and technological joint program with CNES –Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales of France. VENµS - Vegetation and Environment New Micro-Satellite is an ambitious Research and Development plan, aimed at positioning both countries at the high-end of the environmental research both in Europe and globally.

In that context, Israel Space Agency-ISA is in the process of initiating and establishing additional bilateral collaborations, aiming to implement advanced technologies of earth observation from space, and exploration of the solar system, briefly described.

Dr Kaplan will provide a rare opportunity for a UK audience to be briefed authoritatively on Israel’s impressive range of space activities.

Flyer - For more information please click here

RSVP is appreciated- Please contact the Conference & Events Department at conference@aerosociety.com or telephone +44 (0)20 7670 4345

Time – Commencing at 18:00hrs, refreshments served from 17:30hrs.

Free – There is no cost to attend RAeS Lectures and they are open to members and non-members alike.

Humans in Space International Space Art Competition

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In April 2011experts from around the world will gather at the International Academy of Astronautics Humans in Space Symposium to examine current human space exploration knowledge, plan future human space flight goals, and discuss working together to create the “Next Golden Age of Human Space Flight.

Young people will be witnessing, shaping, and participating in this “Next Golden Age” and invited to submit their ideas about the future of human space exploration through visual, literary, musical, or digital art to theInternational Space Art Competition.

Winners will receive a certificate of achievement, other prizes, and a prestigious invitation to attend the symposium to view their displayed art and observe what is occurring right now in human space exploration. The best art will be displayed in the online gallery for the world to see and on-site at the Humans in Space Symposium. For more information, see here.

Tee's Space Station Success

Final year astro student Tee (Tejal) Thakore has gained a place on the prestigious 2010 Space Station Design Workshop (SSDW) organised by the Institute of Space Systems of the University of Stuttgart in Germany. The SSDW is an environment for the multidisciplinary conceptual design of space stations and other orbital infrastructure. During the last week of July, Tee will join with 30 other international students from a variety of disciplines to:

• Design a manned space system and mission in a hands-on workshop environment
• Experience systems engineering, project management, and team organization
• Use advanced conceptual design methodology and customized software tools

Tee's SSDW success comes hot on the heels of her having won the prize for the best undergraduate individual project poster presentation. Let's hope there is hat-trick on the way!

Futures Day at Farnborough Airshow

An exciting new programme for young people is to be launched at this year's Farnborough International Airshow on 23 July.

Inspiring Young Minds towards a Career in Aerospace & Defence, is aimed at young people between the ages of 7 and 21 and will be launched on Futures Day.

Futures Day aims to stimulate interest through various activities in the morning including lectures, various demonstrations including the Tri-Nation Final of the Rocketry Challenge (UK, USA & France), interactive activities, a treasure hunt, and a careers fair with opportunities to meet both key people from the sector and young people already embarking on careers in the sector, and in the afternoon the air display. The programme will be the start of something exciting for young people to become more involved in STEM subjects and potentially follow a career in this successful sector. There is a Space Zone at the Show with contributors from national and international institutions and companies.

Undergraduates with an interest in Aerospace, Defence or Space are invited to attend this event free of charge. Simply email your details to Liz Norfolk on liz.norfolk@adsgroup.org.uk. If you have any queries please contact Liz on 07930 332294.

IAC 2010: Youth Plenary Event Announcement

Next Generation Visions for Space Operations

PLENARY EVENT
61st INTERNATIONAL ASTRONAUTICAL CONGRESS
Prague, Czech Republic
29 September 2010

Calling on space operations young professionals and students -It’s time to share your vision, ambitions and challenges as current and prospective members of the 21st century space workforce with space leaders in government, industry and academia at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Prague, Czech Republic, 27 September through 1 October 2010!

This is an incredible opportunity to address the international space community. We are organizing a plenary event to hear perspectives from 21-33 year olds who are working or aspiring to work in space operations. This event is scheduled on 29 September 2010 in Prague, Czech Republic, at the IAC (www.iafastro.org). Highlight how you are impacting space operations right now, share your vision and aspirations for future space operations, and underscore your desired role in this aspect of space activities. Plenary event participants will engage in a panel discussion and interact with an audience of hundreds of space leaders. You don’t want to miss this!

Sounds great! What do I need to do to participate?

ROUND ONE: 12 Seconds of Fame

By May 14, 2010, create a 12 second video telling us why you want to be or are involved in space operations without even once using the word “operations”. Post the video on 12 Seconds TV. You must appear continuously on the video and speak in English (the official language of the IAC). Then complete the application nere. The IAF will select a subset of candidates from these entries and notify all entrants by May 28, 2010.

ROUND TWO: Just YouTube it!

Those who are selected will be asked to create and post a three minute video on YouTube by June 11, 2010. During the video, you will respond to a set of questions related to space operations that we will provide you. From your video, we should get a snapshot of how you would participate in a plenary discussion on space operations (think of it as a verbal abstract!).

IAF will select the finalists from these entries based on their creativity,efficacy of messages and relevance to the space operations topic. All entrants will be notified of IAF’s decision on their applications by June 25, 2010.

Plenary participants will be responsible for finding a sponsor or sponsors for their travel to and accommodations at the IAC.

Battle for Ideas 2009 - Space Events

The annual Battle of Ideas has two space events this year:

• Friday 23 October - Space: From Infinite Ideas to Recurring Nightmares - 8 pm, Royal Observatory, Greenwich. More details here.

• Sunday 1 November - A Space Age Future: SciFi clips and Discussion - 1.15 pm, Royal College of Art, London. More details here.

Team Kingston at IAC2009

The 2009 International Astronautical Congress is taking place in Korea and Team Kingston is in attendance. On the left is James Arkwright who has just graduated from the MEng in Aerospace Engineering and Astronautics. On Monday afternoon James represented the UK in the intenational student paper competition talking about the hybrid rocket motor that he designed and built as his individual project. We'll find out later in the week if he has won a medal.

On the right is third year astro student Tejal Thakore who has been here since last week taking part in the Space Generation Congress and in connection with her role as co-ordinator of the Space Generation Advisory Council's 'Move an Asteroid' competition.