AMSAT is very pleased to announced that Dr. Scott Sanford, NASA Principle Investigator and co-director of the NASA Ames Astrochemistry Laboratory, has accepted our invitation to provide a key presentation during our tour of the Ames Exploration Center. Dr. Sanford will speak on about sample return from comets and asteroids in general and specifically about the Stardust Sample and Return Mission to Comet Wild 2.
Dr. Sanford was one of the original team members to propose capturing dust from a comet and bringing it back to Earth. Stardust was launched in February 1999, and in January 2004 approached Wild 2 within 150 miles of the nucleus, collecting samples and capturing detailed imagery of the comet's surface. On January 15th 2006 Stardust re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and successfully completed it's mission after landing in the salt flats of northwestern Utah.
For Dr. Sanford, the investigation is just beginning as he and a team of 180 other scientists are hard at work to analyze the Stardust samples. This team will likely spend years unlocking secrets from the samples. Their efforts will lead to a better understanding about the formation of our solar system and perhaps even the origin of life on Earth and elsewhere in the Solar System.
So be sure to join us Sunday afternoon for what promises to be an exciting event. There is no charge for visiting the Ames Exploration Center or attending Dr. Sanford's presentation. Round trip bus transportation from the Symposium Venue to Ames is available and costs $14. You can register for the bus online through the AMSAT store.
The 2006 Space Symposium will be a joint meeting with the ARISS International Delegates and will also include the IARU Satellite Advisory Panel annual meeting, and a meeting of AMSAT International Delegates. For additional information please visit the AMSAT website at http://www.amsat.org. Click on the 2006 Space Symposium link in the left side menu.
This year you can register for the Space Symposium online. Online Registration can be found at http://www.amsat-na.com/symposium
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Emily Clarke, N1DID Symposium Chair
--------------------------------- N1DID formerly W0EEC - CM87tm
Donate to AMSAT at http://www.amsat-na.com/donation.php Support Project OSCAR - http://www.projectoscar.net Personal Website - http://www.PlanetEmily.com