Intrepid Museum
Virtual Astronomy Live
Astronauts Dig Dirt
LIVE EVENT
Thursday, June 17, 2021
5:30 PM EST
What are the tools needed for collecting samples from other worlds? What is the training needed to prepare for this type of human exploration? Hear from scientists who are planning/conducting training, designing collector tools, and developing methods and science objectives for the astronauts to collect samples (dig in the dirt and rocks) on the Moon (and eventually Mars).
A pre-show will take place at 5:00pm EST with an interactive discussion with an Intrepid Museum educator.
The event is hosted and co-produced by John “Das” Galloway, founder of the Kerbal Space Academy.
This program is supported through a NASA Cooperative Agreement awarded to the New York Space Grant Consortium.
Participants
Kelsey Young
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Kelsey Young is a Research Space Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Young’s research focuses on the integration of science into human exploration. Specifically, Young investigates the science questions, tools and instruments, and operational concepts for the crewed exploration of other planetary surfaces. She conducts and leads fieldwork in impact cratered and volcanic terrains, investigates the incorporation of handheld and field portable technologies into human exploration, and serves as a classroom and field instructor for NASA’s astronauts. Young has served in leadership roles in several of NASA’s analog missions, which simulate human exploration in high-fidelity analog environments (from volcanic fields in Arizona to underwater habitats off the coast of Florida), and is currently preparing for the exploration of the lunar surface with the Artemis program.
Trevor Graff
NASA Johnson Space Center
Trevor Graff is the Chief Scientist for Jacobs in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Trevor has participated on five missions to Mars; including roles as science team member, instrument payload lead, and most recently as a project manager for unique flight hardware on the Mars 2020 rover. Additionally, he helps coordinate the tool, techniques, technologies, and training required for human exploration as part of the next generation of lunar exploration with NASA’s Artemis program. Trevor is a human test subject for space suits and exploration concepts and has served as a crewmember on several of NASA’s analog missions (including living and working for weeks in the world’s only undersea research habitat). Additionally, Trevor has served over 16 years in the United States Army.
Summer Ash
Moderator
Summer Ash has been both a rocket scientist and an astrophysicist. She is a freelance science writer and communicator whose work has been published in The Atlantic, NBC News, Smithsonian, Now.Space, Scientific American, Slate, and Nautilus.
John “Das”Galloway
Host and Producer
“Das” is a science outreach communicator who specializes in live, interactive video content. He is the creator of the Kerbal Space Academy, where he uses video games as a tool to start science and engineering conversations with viewers of all ages, and VECTORS Virtual Field Trips, which brings real-time interactive video to museums, events, and historical locations. “Das” also serves as a host and producer for NASASpaceflight.com.
Produced by Intrepid Museum in partnership with Kerbal Space Academy and Egress Productions, LLC.