News media representatives are invited to register in advance for the
third biennial Astrobiology Science Conference, a five-day meeting to
be held at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. The
meeting will be held March 28 through April 1 in a facility on the
historic Moffett Field parade grounds and in the NASA Ames Conference
Center (NACC).
At the conference, astrobiology experts from around the world will
gather to discuss exploration strategies, research targets and
current missions planned to further the search for life in the
universe.
The Astrobiology Science Conference will feature more than 50
presentations and five days of poster sessions by pre-eminent
researchers and scientists from around the world.
"This year’s meeting is structured around three big astrobiology
questions: Where do we come from? Are we alone? Where are we going
– on Earth and beyond?" said conference organizer Lynn Rothschild of
NASA Ames. According to Rothschild, each question will be carefully
examined through invited plenary lectures and contributed papers and
enriched by special sessions on topics such as the ethics of
exploration, the place of humans in astrobiology and the astrobiology
drilling program.
With a session by top NASA and European Space Agency officials about
what’s next in space exploration, a lecture on the latest science
results from the Mars Exploration Rover mission by the mission’s
principal investigator and a special session on new propulsion
mechanisms, the astrobiology conference is closely aligned with the
president’s recently announced space exploration vision, which
includes sending robotic and human missions to the moon and Mars.
News media planning to attend the conference can register by sending
an e-mail by March 23 to Kathleen.M.Burton@nasa.gov at the Public
Affairs Office at NASA Ames and include:
Name
Media Organization
Attendance Dates
Planned Interviews and Topics
Number in Party
On-site registration also is available at the conference.
Non-U.S. news media must bring a valid passport and current U.S. visa
and include the following data in their registration email:
Passport Number
U.S. Visa Number and Expiration Date
In keeping with NASA’s mission to educate and inform the next
generation of explorers, the conference will host "Astrobiology and
Humanity," a Sunday afternoon session open to teachers and the public.
The session, to be held on March 28 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. PST, will
feature hands-on educational activities and accessible lectures about
astrobiology.
Abstracts, a meeting agenda and further information about the
conference are available at:
NASA Ames Research Center is the location of the central offices of
the NASA Astrobiology Institute, an international research
consortium. Information about NASA’s astrobiology programs may be
obtained at:
http://astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov
and
To reach Ames, take the Moffett Field exit off Highway 101 and drive
east to the main gate. Members of the media will be required to show
a driver’s license or other government-issued photo I.D. at the NASA
Ames main gate.
