Australian Institute of Physics

South Australian Branch

Announcing A

Free Public Lecture

Sponsored by:
Australian Institute of Physics (SA branch),
http://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/aip-sa

the Centre for Biomedical Engineering,
University of Adelaide

and the Astronomical Society of South Australia

Mars Direct: Humans to the Red Planet within a Decade

Dr. Robert M. Zubrin
Pioneer Astronautics
445 Union Blvd., #125 Lakewood, CO 80228

Wednesday, 15th March at 7:30pm in the
Bonython Hall,
University of Adelaide

Abstract:
In July 1989, on the 20th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing, 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 endeavour 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 the International Astronautical Federation congress in Germany, and the blue ribbon "Synthesis Group" headed by former Apollo astronaut General Thomas Stafford, as well as to various US government officials.

Resume:
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 100 published technical and non-technical papers in the field, as well the books "The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must" and most recently "Entering Space: Creating a Spacefaring Civilization." 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.

Dr Zubrin is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and Senior Vice President of the National Space Society. Most recently, he founded, and is President of the Mars Society; an international organization dedicated to furthering the exploration and settlement of Mars by both public and private means. Since its founding in August 1998 the Mars Society has rapidly expanded to over 80 chapters covering over 30 countries worldwide in North and South America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia. In the middle of the year 2000, the Mars Society will deploy its first major physical project on the road to humans on Mars. The Mars Arctic Research Station (M.A.R.S.) will be the world's first fully-simulated Mars Base. The MARS project will enable scientists, engineers and even astronauts to test the equipment and technology (habitation, transportation, life support, recycling, etc.), that may be deployed during a human mission to Mars.

Note:
Please direct enquiries to the following AIP contacts, and not to University Physics Departments:
AIP Vice-chair:
Dr John Patterson
8303 5291
Secretary:
Dr Laurence Campbell
8201 2093 (w)
8277 7036 (a.h.)
laurence.campbell@flinders.edu.au
Fax: (08) 8201 2905
Post: SOCPES, Flinders University of S.A.,
GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, 5001

Bookings for the lecture are not required, but AIP members are entitled to apply for up to 4 tickets each in the reserved seating area. Please contact the AIP-SA secretary (details above).

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Download a notice and advertise this talk!
Notice:(postscript | pdf)
Poster:(postscript | pdf)

Mars Society Web Site
The Mars Society web site can be found here.

Page prepared by:
Stewart V. Wright
Please send comments/suggestions to
swright@physics.adelaide.edu.au