Space Exploration seminars

This seminar introduces the physical properties of Jupiter's Trojan asteroids and the scientific aims of NASA's Lucy mission. It reviews the mission's planned encounters as described at the time of the talk. It also discusses the 2023 discovery of a binary asteroid whose companion has a contact-binary structure.

Julie Robinson explores what maintaining human life aboard the International Space Station teaches us about Earth. Space habitation requires engineered substitutes for the air, water, surfaces and living systems that our planet supplies. Long-duration occupation of the station has produced lessons about building and operating these life-support systems. The station is also an observing platform for the Earth system below. Robinson connects the engineering lessons of living in space with Earth observations, climate change, and ways that spaceflight can help communities understand environmental change and strengthen their resilience.

What happens to human sleep and circadian rhythms in space? There are many challenges that affect sleep in space, including unusual patterns of light exposure and the influence of microgravity. This talk will review the causes and consequences of sleep loss and circadian misalignment during spaceflight and will discuss how missions to the Moon and Mars will be different than missions to the International Space Station.