NASA to Participate in ASCEND Conference, Brief Media on Tech Demo

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Oct 20, 2022, 17:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA leaders, including Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, will participate in the 2022 ASCEND conference, hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in Las Vegas from Monday, Oct. 24, through Wednesday, Oct. 26.

Agency speakers will deliver remarks and participate in panels highlighting various topics, including NASA's Moon to Mars exploration goals, the future of space technology, scientific advances, and more. The full program for the conference is available online.

Many events will be available online to registered conference attendees.

Among the activities NASA is participating in are:

Monday, Oct. 24 (All times are Pacific)

8 a.m. – Keynote address from Melroy on Going Back to the Moon by Design, followed a panel on Partnering for Innovation in Cislunar Space. Panelists include:

Moderator: Ellen Ochoa, former NASA astronaut and former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center
Jim Free, associate administrator, NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate
Sandra Connelly, deputy associate administrator, NASA's Science Mission Directorate
Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno, director of staff, U.S. Space Force
Todd Nygren, senior vice president, Engineering and Technology Group, The Aerospace Corporation
Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer, SpaceX

12:45 p.m. – Overview of NASA's Strategic Technology Framework. Panelists include:

Moderator: Julie Van Kleeck, space domain Lead and ASCEND executive producer, AIAA
Jim Reuter, associate administrator, NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
Michelle Munk, acting chief architect, STMD

Tuesday, Oct. 25

7 a.m. – Media briefing on NASA's Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) technology demonstration and other tech development for entry, descent, and landing. Participants include:

Trudy Kortes, director of technology demonstrations, STMD
Michelle Munk, acting chief architect, STMD
Ashley Korzun, LOFTID aerodynamics database lead, NASA
Neil Cheatwood, LOFTID principal investigator, NASA

Members of the media can register for this briefing online regardless of conference registration status.

8 a.m. – Accelerating Space Exploration Through Global Cooperation.

Panelists include:

Moderator: Larry James, deputy director, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Peter Gräf, director of applications and science, German Space Agency (DLR)
Krunal Joshi, counsellor, Space (ISRO), Embassy of India
Nicolas Maubert, space counselor, Embassy of France in the United States; and Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) representative in the United States
Masami Onada, director, Washington office, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Éric Vachon, director general, space science and technology, Canadian Space Agency (CSA)