In this series, moderated by space journalist Anastasia Stepanova, each month features two sessions on the same topic: 1) a livestreamed interactive conversation with a guest expert, where you will be able to ask questions in the chat while the expert answers them live and 2) a follow-up Zoom meet-up with the same expert, where you will be able to ask questions directly and engage in a lively discussion. The main goal of Zoom meet-ups is to discuss the topic in more detail with the invited expert. 

When:

Schedule in May:

Livestream: May 7 at 8:00 — 9:00 PM Moscow time zone.

Zoom Meeting: May 21 at 8:00 — 9:00 PM Moscow time zone.

Topic in May: Scientific cosmonautics in Russia.

How did Russian scientific cosmonautics develop in the 90s and 2000s? What scientific discoveries have Russian scientists made in space over the past 25 years? What scientific launches are planned in the coming years?

Guest Expert: Vitaliy Egorov , a passionate space exploration evangelist, blogger, journalist, popular science writer, and founder/administrator of the group Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity on Vkontakte. With over 300k followers, the page is dedicated to spacecraft on the surface of Mars: the Curiosity rover, the Perseverance rover, and the Ingenuity helicopter. 

Curiosity, the largest and most capable rover ever sent to Mars when it launched in 2011, set out to answer the question: Did Mars ever have the right environmental conditions to support small life forms called microbes? Early in its mission, Curiosity’s scientific tools found chemical and mineral evidence of past habitable environments on Mars. It continues to explore the rock record from a time when Mars could have been home to microbial life. 

About the moderator:
Anastasia Stepanova , research engineer, space journalist, participated in many experiments and projects helping human exploration of space. PhD candidate in Space Resources at Colorado School of Mines, crew member of the international space projects Mars-160 and SIRIUS-19, the first female test subject in the experiment “Dry Immersion.”

NOTE: The first two sessions in May will be hosted in Russian. The next events will be in English. 

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The schedule in June:

Livestream: June 12 at 8:00 — 9:00 PM Moscow time zone 

Zoom Meeting: June 26 at 8:00 — 9:00 PM Moscow time zone 

Topic in June: Mars exploration through analog programs. 

How has the Mars environment been simulated on Earth? How many different Mars programs on Earth are actively helping to create the basis for human Mars exploration.

Guest Expert: James Burk is the director of Mars Society and space exploration enthusiast.

The schedule in July:

Livestream: July 2 at 8:00 — 9:00 PM Moscow Time 

Zoom Meeting: July 26 at 7:00 — 8:00 PM Moscow Time

Topic: Space Resources. 

What are space resources and why are they important for future space exploration and colonization? Join us to learn how space resources can ensure sustainable space exploration by reducing dependency on Earth-based supplies and facilitating long-term missions.

Guest Expert:  Dr. Chris Dreyer.  Dr. Chris Dreyer is a Professor of Practice in the Space Resources Graduate Program. He has two decades of experience in technology development. Dr. Dreyer’s interests include the development of space resources and advancement of space exploration of asteroids, the Moon, and Mars. Dr. Dreyer is the Director of Engineering in the Center for Space Resources at Mines, in which he guides the experimental research direction of the center. He is a co-founder of Mines’ Space Resources Graduate Program, the first program in the world dedicated to space resources.

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Join the " Let’s Talk About Space " series! We will meet every month and, together with the moderator — space journalist Anastasia Stepanova — talk to invited experts and learn about the latest space news first-hand!

Each month there will be two sessions on the same topic:

1) a live interactive chat with a guest expert where you can ask questions in the chat while the expert answers them live, and

2) A follow-up Zoom meeting with the same expert, where you can directly ask questions and engage in a lively discussion. The main purpose of Zoom meetings is to discuss the topic in more detail with the invited expert.

When:

Club meeting schedule in May :

Live broadcast: May 7 at 20:00 Moscow time.

Zoom meeting: May 21 at 20:00 Moscow time.

Topic: Scientific cosmonautics in Russia.

How did Russian scientific cosmonautics develop in the 90s and 2000s? What scientific discoveries have Russian scientists made in space over the past 25 years? What scientific launches are planned for the coming years?

Guest Expert: Vitaly Egorov , a passionate space exploration advocate, blogger, journalist, author of popular science articles, and founder/administrator of the Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) group on Vkontakte . The page has over 300,000 subscribers and is dedicated to the spacecraft on the surface of Mars: the Curiosity rover, the Perseverance rover, and the Ingenuity helicopter. Curiosity, the largest and most powerful rover ever sent to Mars since its launch in 2011, set out to answer the question: Has Mars ever had the right environmental conditions to support small life forms – microbes? Early in its mission, Curiosity’s scientific instruments found chemical and mineral evidence that Mars once had a habitable environment. The spacecraft continues to study rock layers from the time when microbes might have lived on Mars.

About the presenter:
Anastasia Stepanova , research engineer, journalist and space specialist, participated in many experiments and projects that help humans explore space. Candidate of Science in Space Resources at the Colorado School of Mines, crew member of the international space projects Mars-160 and SIRIUS-19, the first female tester in the Dry Immersion experiment.

NOTE: The first two sessions in May will be held in Russian. The following events will be held in English. The schedule will be updated. 

Club meeting schedule in June: 

Live broadcast: June 12 at 20:00 Moscow time.

Zoom meeting: June 26 at 20:00 Moscow time.

Topic: Exploring Mars through Analog Programs.

How is the Martian environment simulated on Earth? How many Mars programs on Earth are actively helping to lay the groundwork for human exploration of Mars? 

Guest Expert: James Burke, Director of the Mars Society and space exploration enthusiast.

Club meeting schedule in July: 

Live broadcast: July 2 at 20:00 Moscow time.

Zoom meeting: July 26 at 20:00  Moscow time.

Topic: Space resources.

What are space resources and why are they important for future space exploration and colonization? How space resources can enable sustainable space exploration by reducing reliance on terrestrial resources and facilitating long-duration missions.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Chris Dreyer Dr. Chris Dreyer is a Professor of Practice in the Mines Master of Science in Space Resources. He has over twenty years of experience in technology development. Dr. Dreyer’s interests include space resource development and advancing space exploration of asteroids, the Moon, and Mars. Dr. Dreyer is the Director of Engineering at the Mines Space Resources Center, where he leads the center’s experimental research arm. He is also the founder of the Mines Master of Science in Space Resources, the world’s first program dedicated to space resources.

Club meeting schedule in August: 

Live broadcast: August 5 at 20:00 Moscow time.

Zoom meeting: August 19 at 20:00  Moscow time.

Topic: Exploring Astrobiology: The Search for Life Beyond Earth. 

This captivating field explores the potential for life beyond Earth and the conditions necessary for its existence. In discussion this, we will delve into the multifaceted realm of astrobiology, examining the latest research, discoveries, and implications for our understanding of life’s origins and diversity in the cosmos.

Guest Speaker:   Dr. Graham Lau is an astrobiologist, science communicator, and storyteller. Holding extensive academic knowledge in biology, chemistry, astrophysics, and geology, he specializes in examining life’s influence on its environment and our pursuit of extraterrestrial life forms. Dr. Lau’s research has taken him to the Canadian High Arctic and multiple global particle accelerators for x-ray spectroscopy studies. As the host of the NASA-funded "Ask an Astrobiologist" livestream, it illuminates the intriguing field of astrobiology for a broad audience. In his current role, Dr. Lau expertly steers the communications and marketing strategies for Blue Marble Space, a forward-thinking nonprofit. Additionally, he actively contributes to scientific progress as a Research Scientist with the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. Dr. Lau also oversees logistics for the University Rover Challenge, an undergraduate robotics competition centered on Mars rovers, fostering the next generation of robotic engineers. Dr. Lau’s passion for sharing knowledge extends beyond the field of astrobiology. He has inspired students worldwide through public lectures, podcast interviews, and his compelling perspectives on our cosmic significance, the Overview Effect, and the future of civilization. Beyond his scientific pursuits, Dr. Lau imparts wisdom as a meditation instructor and cultivates confident speakers as a public speaking coach. His diverse expertise underlines his commitment to education, personal growth, and the exploration of our place within the cosmos.
 

Club meeting schedule in September: 

Live broadcast: September 6 at 20:00 Moscow time.

Zoom meeting: September 27 at 20:00 Moscow time.

Topic: Preparing for Space

How does the isolation of long-duration space flights affect an astronaut’s mental and physical health? To study these effects, space agencies conduct analog experiments with test subjects in simulated environments, examining various factors that influence human well-being. Our guest speaker, Ashley Kowalski, spent eight months in an isolation experiment and will share her insights and experiences from the mission.

Guest Speaker: Ashley Kowalski served as the flight engineer for SIRIUS-21 (Scientific International Research In a Unique terrestrial Station), an eight-month, long-duration spaceflight analog mission held in Moscow, Russia. This was a collaborative project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center’s (JSC’s) Human Research Program and Russia’s Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) that studied the effects of isolation and confinement on human psychology, physiology, crew dynamics, crew autonomy, and the general behavioral health of the crewmembers. In addition to this astronaut analog mission, Kowalski served as the crew engineer for the first-ever, all-Aerospace analog crew sent to the Mars Desert Research Station (Crew #269), where the crew tested new technologies and methodologies that could help shape the future of human space exploration. Ashley A. Kowalski is a project leader in The Aerospace Corporation’s International Programs Division, where she works with, represents, and provides technical support to the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command International Affairs (SSC/IA) office.

After registering, you will receive an email with a link to the live broadcast/Zoom meeting on the day of the event.

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ALL AMERICAN CENTER IN MOSCOW EVENTS ARE FREE OF CHARGE / ALL EVENTS OF THE AMERICAN CENTER IN MOSCOW ARE FREE OF CHARGE

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