National Academies Convenes Space Science Week

The National Academies’ annual Space Science Week is taking place Tuesday through Thursday and is online-only for a second straight year. The event brings together meetings of all the standing committees of the Academies’ Space Studies Board, which provides guidance to NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy. Among the agenda highlights, the Committee on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space is holding a workshop on the prospects of conducting low-gravity experiments using commercial lunar landers, and the Committee on Planetary Protection is launching a new study on preventing biological contamination for missions to particular locations on Mars. 

The Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics will receive updates on the status and future of the Arecibo Observatory, satellite interference with ground-based observations, and the forthcoming astronomical sciences decadal survey. This year’s plenary events include reflections from European, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese space research organizations on their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a presentation from President Clinton’s science advisor Neal Lane and former Lockheed Martin CEO Norm Augustine on the recent study they chaired, The Perils of Complacency: America at a Tipping Point in Science and Engineering. Acting NASA Senior Climate Advisor Gavin Schmidt will deliver a public keynote address on space-based climate change observations.