Last week we hosted our first annual Space Week, a week-long event to introduce students to the roles of data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in space exploration. We had an amazing line-up of presenters who shared their research and discussed what the future holds for space technologies across many different fields including aerospace engineering, biology, and agriculture. The themes included:
- Automation and AI in Deep Space
- Astronomers Using Data Science, AI, and Machine Learning Tools
- AI Creating Space Materials, Tools, and Crafts
- Tracking Space Junk
- Machine Learning in Astronaut Health
- From Earth to Mars: Observations in Biological and Physical Sciences
- The Internet (of Things) in Space
Thank you to everyone who participated and presented! Special acknowledgments to the organizers and the members of the AggieSat Laboratory for representing their student organization:
- Dr. Julie Howe
- Harrison Coker
- Dr. Manoranjan Majji
- AggieSat Laboratory
Events
What the Painful Example of Stardust Teaches Us about Nav-ACS System Engineering – by Dr. Tim McElrath
Dr. Tim McElrath presented a talk about his role in NASA’s Stardust program, the first spacecraft to bring samples from a comet back to Earth. Due to complications in the navigation and its orientation, McElrath and his team had to reinvent Stardust’s landing after it had already launched!
National Academy of Engineering Regional Meeting and Symposium
Presentations on how science fiction influences technology evolution, what engineering challenges we currently face in space travel, and the potential of establishing permanent bases on the moon and Mars.
Space Technology Trailblazers: Introspection and Exploration – led by Dr. Manoranjan Majji
A panel discussion on the current challenges and opportunities for space technology with presentations by Dr. Srinivas Bettadpur and Dr. Diane Davis.
AggieSat Laboratory Autonomous Rovers Showcase
The AggieSat Lab is a student-run space program with over 100 students who are interested in designing, building, and testing space systems through hands-on experience. They presented their work on autonomous rovers and discussed their potential for future space missions.
From Earth to Mars: Observations in Biological and Physical Sciences – led by Harrison Coker and Dr. Julie Howe
A seminar on advancements in agriculture, biology, and the physical sciences that could allow us to visit Mars and potentially live there! Featured presenters included:
- Dr. Aditi Pandey, NASA
- Dr. Brad Sutter, NASA
- Dr. Youjun Deng, Texas A&M
- Harrison Coker, Texas A&M
- Dr. Borja Barcenilla, Texas A&M
- Dr. Chiranjibi Poudyal, Texas A&M
Space Science is Data Science: Brahe, Battin, and Others – by Dr. Manoranjan Majji
Dr. Majji gave a brief history of space science, Kepler’s laws and their influence on modern data analytics, early approaches to space mechanics, and how gravity is modeled.
Presenters
Thank you to all our presenters for making Space Week a stellar success!
