*****This is a hybrid meeting, with in-person and online attendance. The speaker will present on-line.
*In-person attendance:
Lawndale Library (Meeting Room)
14615 Burin Ave., Lawndale, CA 90260
(South of 105 Hwy and East of 405 Hwy/Pacific Coast Hwy (1))
(Near SpaceX Hawthorne, and close to Northrop Grumman Space Park)
(also online for a hybrid event)
(This event is not sponsored by the Lawndale Library)
*Online attendance:
Zoom connection information will be provided in the confirmation email after registration / RSVP. Please also check Spam, Junk, Promotion or other folder, in case it's filtered into those folders. If it's directly filtered for deletion and you could not find it, please provide an alternative email address. Thank you very much.
(If you are sick or don't feel well, please stay home and attend online on Zoom.)
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As we look at the ongoing challenges of returning humans back to the Moon, coupled with the ultimate goal of travel far beyond our nearest neighbor in space, it is important to look back at the challenges and lessons learned in the early NASA human spaceflight program, especially those from Projects Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab. With technology far less advanced than today, with slide rules in hand and leveraging computers less powerful than most of today’s smart watches, hundreds of thousands of incredibly talented and dedicated professionals succeeded in putting U.S. astronauts on the Moon before the Soviet Union, all the while pursuing aspirations for extended human operations in low Earth Orbit and long-duration missions to Mars.
This presentation will provide a ‘look back’ at U.S. human space flight between 1961 and 1975, with an emphasis on the concepts, technologies, and strategies that allowed the U.S. to surpass the former Soviet Union in a space race driven in the shadow of the Cold War. Ironically, many of the challenges of long-duration spaceflight from over 60 years ago remain in play – a clear reminder that human space travel will remain the final frontier for decades to come.
Senior Science Advisor/Chief Remote Pilot
Atkinson Aeronautics & Technology
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
College of Aviation, Department of Flight
(The speaker will present on-line.)
Tentative Agenda: (All Time PST (GMT -0800)) (US and Canada)
10:15 am: Check-in, Networking
11:00 am: Introduction and welcome
11:05 am: Presentation + Q/A
12:45 pm: Networking
02:00 pm: (Leave the Meeting Room by 2 pm PST)
Dr. Patrick Ford
Dr. Patrick Ford is Senior Science Advisor and Chief Remote Pilot for Atkinson Aeronautics and Technology. He has supported commercial and defense-related aerospace developments for over four decades, with a focus on systems engineering, research and development, ground/in-flight testing, and training for both crewed and uncrewed systems. He established, and served as the first Program Director for, the American Military University’s Space Studies Program and is currently an adjunct assistant professor with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s College of Aviation, Department of Flight, teaching courses on remotely piloted systems and robotics. A retired U.S. Naval officer, Dr. Ford received his Doctorate in Decision Sciences from Walden University, with a Specialization in Naval Warfare Operations Analysis, where his research culminated in the first-ever use of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) radar on a Group 3 or smaller UAS. He received his Master of Science degree in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, with a focus on long-duration human spaceflight. He holds Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advanced ground instructor, private pilot, and commercial UAS remote pilot certificates, as well as AUVSI TOP-3 Remote Pilot certification.
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