The Journey to Mars – how do we make it relevant to the needs of our nation?
Our Executive Director, Dr. Mary Lynne Dittmar, was joined by Dr. Jan Davis and Madhurita (Madi) Sengupta yesterday to speak on this topic at this week’s Humans to Mars Summit.
Dr. Davis is the Vice President and Deputy General Manager of Jacobs Technology as well as a retired NASA astronaut, and Madi is the Program Manager of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
The panelists spoke about inspiring and engaging students with the space industry and the Journey to Mars, ensuring leadership and economic development in space remain relevant to our national needs.
Pointing out that a high percentage of NASA’s workforce is between the ages of 45-60, Dr. Davis makes it clear that a national need exists for engaging students in space to ensure the human resource pipeline of the industry.
Dr. Davis’ favorite part of her job is talking to classrooms, she says. While working in the astronaut office, she put together an educational resource for teachers and kids called Liftoff to Learning. She mentioned that kids today might not be familiar with what we’re doing in space, and a successful curriculum could utilize the Journey to Mars as a way to inspire and educate them. The pipeline of the industry lies in the effectiveness of our outreach to inspire and involve the next generation.
Speaking about incorporating inspiration and initiative into the educational system, Madi said it’s also important to recognize the need for this to continue into the workforce. Dr. Dittmar also tied in workforce development as being critical to maintaining leadership.
The International Space Station (ISS) continues to be a critical element of the Journey to Mars. It is also a tool to inspire and engage students and the international community in a way that promotes workforce development internally and collaboration abroad. Click here to learn more about a student-astronaut collaboration on the International Space Station.
As an example of the international collaboration facilitated by the ISS, Dr. Dittmar mentioned that when she worked on the ISS program, there used to be 16 countries involved and there are now 90 countries that have touched some part of the program. As we move toward Mars, there will be many opportunities for international contributions.
Many countries are now interested in getting into the space business as they understand and appreciate the benefits, Madi notes.
Economic development is another segment aligned between national needs and the Journey to Mars. Small businesses, out of which the highest percentage of patents emerge, will be immensely impacted through investment in NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), Orion crew capsule, and ground systems.
The Humans to Mars summit continues today and tomorrow – tune in to watch the live webcast here.