INTERSECT Program

Public Lecture

What is it like to work in space exploration and specifically on the M2020 Mission? How did the Australian Adrian Brown make his way from Melbourne to NASA as the Deputy Program Scientist for the Mars 2020 mission? What is the connection between the rocks of Mars and those of the Pilbara in Western Australia and how can our rocks help in the search for life on another planet? This mission is the first part of an ambitious plan to eventually bring samples from Mars back to Earth.

Here is your opportunity to learn firsthand about M2020 from one of the key NASA scientists. Participants even have the opportunity to ask Dr Brown questions.

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The sky is not the limit: Australia’s Future in Space Science

A new strategic plan for Australian space science has been under development for some time on behalf of the Australian Academy of Science. This has been informed by several expert working groups, surveys, and other consultation. This session will provide opportunity for public comment on the draft Plan.

Our society is increasingly dependent on space derived services, while the burgeoning pace of space activity will unleash new opportunities and risks. The Plan outlines a framework for space science to advance Australia’s interests and priorities by contributing to discovery and innovation, the economy, security, society, and the workforce. Space science is a fundamental enabler for space industry and applications, and Australia’s world-class expertise in space science is critical for effectively leveraging these opportunities and mitigating risks.

This is the opportunity to provide constructive feedback helping shape the Plan for the benefit of all Australians.

View the "The sky is not the limit: Australia’s Future in Space Science" PDF

Lockheed Martin Workshop

As space becomes increasingly accessible due to the burgeoning global space industry, the volume of data produced by space research missions is expected to continue rising exponentially.

Opportunities for accelerating scientific discovery come with challenges in scaling traditional scientific processing workflows. A possible model for addressing such needs is the adoption of cloud compute technologies and open source software. At the same time, the deployment of cloud compute technologies can allow researchers to address calls for scientific reproducibility.

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Lockheed Martin Workshop

The rise of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques is creating opportunities for space science missions with unprecedented capabilities. By augmenting traditional rule-based decision making with AI techniques (such as decision policies in deep reinforcement learning), robotic missions may become highly autonomous. Furthermore, ML advances will augment the capabilities of crews serving in extended space missions.

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What Would You Do? Law and Ethics in Space

Imagine you work with a company that has developed a lunar rover, and you want to compete for a contract with NASA to extract and sell water ice on the Moon. You need a launch partner, and you need to know how your activities on the Moon will be regulated. But what if there is a risk of colliding with space debris during the launch? What if debates at the UN raise concerns about protecting the lunar environment, or about who can share in the benefits of these commercial activities, under the Outer Space Treaty? What is the lawful thing to do, and what is the right thing to do? In this session, space law and ethics experts will talk you through a hypothetical scenario, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions and propose answers.

Moderated by Dr Cassandra Steer. Dr. Cassandra Steer is a Mission Specialist with the ANU Institute of Space (InSpace), and a Senior Lecturer at the ANU College of Law specialising in space law, space security and international law.

View the "What Would You Do? Law and Ethics in Space" PDF

Leadership Forum

The Leadership Forum is perfectly tailored for COSPAR 2021 participants. Featuring Keoki Jackson (USA) Lockheed Martin, Professor Russell Boyce, Chair for Space Engineering at UNSW Canberra and Chair COSPAR 2021; Elanor Huntington, Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at the Australian National University (ANU) and moderated by Darryl Krook, one of Australia’s most challenging Strategic and Organisational Development Consultant.

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Lockheed Martin Workshop

The widespread availability of machine learning (ML) technologies promises to disrupt scientific disciplines.

Popular open source ML frameworks are not only useful for data-driven model fitting, but also for efficient computation of physics-based models. This COSPAR 2021 workshop is dedicated to showcasing use cases of ML technologies to observational and simulation data.

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Space Agency Leaders’ Round Table

Moderated by COSPAR President, Dr Len Fisk, the key topics that will be discussed include:

• Hazards and challenges of climate change and relevant space observations.
• Observations and initiatives required for the forecasting of space weather.
• Scientists-industry relationships and the challenges of emerging private actors.
• Opportunities and projects for the sustainable use of small satellites for space research.
• International cooperation in planetary exploration, astrophysics, and human space exploration.

COSPAR Awards

As part of its Scientific Assembly COSPAR presents awards and medals to members of the space science community. This year’s awards are being presented online. Extended interviews with the Awardees are available on the COSPAR 2021 website.