Schedule By Day
Day 1 - Friday 09-04-2009 Day 2 - Saturday 09-05-2009 Day 3 - Sunday 09-06-2009 Day 4 - Monday 09-07-2009
2009 DRAGON*CON SPACE TRACK SCHEDULE
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| Friday 09-04-2009 | Return to top | ||
| 10:00am – 11:00am Cassini: Past, Present & Future by Kim Steadman203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
The amazing Cassini probe. It’s history, what’s it doing now and what does the future hold for it? We have the engineer to tell you all about it. – Look through Kim's powerpoint presentation that accompanied her Cassini talk. | |
| 11:30am – 12:30pm Space Telescope and Satellite Institute by Laura A Burns & Tyler Desjardins203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Hubble, Chandra, Kepler, Spitzer and soon the James Webb. The SSTI is mother, father and most importantly - doctor. – a pdf slideshow & a short video of how the James Web will open, accompany the audio. | |
| 12:00pm - 3:30pm LIVE SOLAR TELESCOPE by Steve Ramsden3rd floor pool area (Hilton) |
Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy by daytime star watching. See our own star, THE SUN, live in all its glory. (Weather Permitting) | |
| 1:00pm – 2:00pm Global High Speed Cargo Delivery - UPS in Space? by A.C. Charania203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
We are very much an 'I want it now' society. Even UPS not fast enough? Fed Ex too slow? How super fast cargo and passenger delivery could happen and the technical, economic and policy challenges. | |
| 2:30pm – 3:30pm Feminine Mystique: Women in Engineering and Science by Laura A Burns, Dr. Pamela L. Gay,203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Women are making their mark! These female engineers and scientists explain how they got involved, what they do and how to get your sisters and daughters to do the same. | |
| 4:00pm – 5:00pm Supporting 6 People in a Large Aluminum Container at 17,227 mph by Kriss Houghland203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
6, (and occasionally 13), astronauts on the ISS. MSFC is a big part of their support. The extra crew and expanding station increases the demands on the ground crew.
Find out more about expected changes aboard the ISS and their ground support teams. – Kriss' accompaning powerpoint presentation. | |
| 5:30pm – 6:30pm What's Wrong With Gravity: The Pioneer Anomaly by Dr. Stephen Granade203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Pioneer 10 is being dragged towards the Sun and we don't know why! Is the slow down because of the probe itself, or, is something wrong with gravity?! – Gravity can be a serious subject but Dr. Granade likes to add humor to his powerpoint presentations. | |
| 7:00pm – 8:00pm New Ideas For Space Exploration: The Center For Space Nuclear Research by Dr. Stephen D. Howe203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Airplanes flying for years without refueling. One year roundtrips to Mars and back. A traveling Lunar base. Topics from the Center for Space Nuclear Research's Summer Fellows Program. – It's just like being there! Watch Dr. Howe's powerpoint presentation while you listen to his talk. | |
| 8:30pm – 9:30pm How Are Scientists Looking for Life Beyond Earth? by Dr. Seth Shostak203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Searching for extraterrestrial life isn't done haphazardly. It's methodical. It's high tech. Remember Jodi Foster's character in 'Contact'? Hear from the real thing; a SETI Senior Scientist. | |
| 10:00pm – 11:00pm Ptolemy's Ptelescope by Dr. William C. Keel203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
This is the 400th anniversary of Galileo's sky discoveries. People had made telescopes before him – but what if it had happened a millennium earlier? – Get the full effect of Dr. Keel's talk. Watch the powerpoint while you listen. | |
| 8:30pm – 3:00am LIVE ASTRONOMY!! by Dr. William C. Keel203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Live Astronomy - we're doubling your experience this year. Once darkness falls see the skies over Atlanta and/or join Dr. Keel late night in 'TeleAstronomy' - you in GA - the telescope in ?? | |
| Saturday 09-05-2009 | Return to top | ||
| 10:00am - 11:00am Dragon*Con Parade by All the Dragon*Con Crazieson the streets of Atlanta |
What better reason to get up early on a Saturday morning after a long night of partying? I'm not putting one of my guests against it!! | |
| 11:30am – 12:30pm Celebrating Apollo 11 Forty Years On – The 'Small Step' That Changed the World by Hugh S. Gregory, Kriss Houghland &203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
In 1969 the 1st humans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, walked on the Moon. The US Space Program took 'giant leaps' to make this happen. It's been 40 years and it's still amazing! | |
| 12:00pm - 3:30pm LIVE SOLAR TELESCOPE by Stephen W. Ramsden3rd floor pool area (Hilton) |
Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy by daytime star watching. See our own star, THE SUN, live in all its glory. (Weather Permitting | |
| 1:00pm – 2:00pm Kids With Stars in Their Eyes: Making Your Children Love Space by Laura A. Burns, C. Les Johnson203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
It's fascinating! The visible night sky and what lies beyond excites you! The 'Kids' couldn't be bothered. Can parents get their kids excited about space? | |
| 2:30pm – 3:30pm SETI – Why I Don't Believe That UFO's Have Anything to Do With Aliens by Dr. Seth ShostakCrystal Ballroom (Hilton) |
Everyone knows someone, who knows someone, who saw a REAL LIVE UFO! What are all the lights in the sky really?! Just because we don't know doesn't mean nobody does. | |
| 4:00pm – 5:00pm Mars Rovers: Spirit and Opportunity at 5 Years – The Beginning of the End? by Trina Ray203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Never have so many people had such strong emotions towards – rovers! These girls are still giving their all after 5 years but old age is showing. How much longer can Spirit and
Opportunity last? – See what the Girls saw in Trina's powerpoint presentation and you'll understand her enthusiasm. | |
| 5:30pm – 6:30pm The Big Bang: How It All Got Started by Dr. Pamela Gay203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
It started atomically small and is still expanding. What was the Big Bang and how do we know it happened. – Pam Gay has powerpoint slides for everything and if that's not enough she has not just one, not just two, or even three, but four short videos too. | |
| 7:00pm – 8:00pm Defending Earth – What's Stopping Us? by A.C. Charania203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
It's out there! Somewhere in our solar system there’s an asteroid or comet on a collision course with Earth. Maybe not in 5 years or even 10 years. Not even on Friday the 13th, April 2036! But it's out there! Here's the latest on the technical, legal and policy aspects of protecting our planet. | |
| 8:30pm – 9:30pm The Cassini Story – Insights From the People Who Make It Happen by Dr. Kevin Grazier, Trina Ray & Kim Steadman203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Is it hard working on a probe millions of miles away? 3 JPL Cassini scientists in a 'behind the scenes' look at Saturn's robotic probe – Cassini. | |
| 10:00pm – 11:00pm Myths In the Movies: How NOT to do Space Exploration by Dr. Kevin Grazier, Dr. Phil PlaitCrystal Ballroom (Hilton) |
Take one science fiction tv and movie creator/writer; add two real world space scientists. Put them on the same panel to talk about how science is done in tv and movies. The result? What I like to refer to as a comedy team! Don't miss these friends and kindred spirits as they rip apart the biggest myths and fallacies in Sci–Fi TV and movies. If you were there for Kevin and Phil's panel in 2008, you know you don't want to miss the sequel; especially as this year we have the third member of the team. | |
| 8:30pm – 3:00am LIVE ASTRONOMY!! by Dr. William C. Keel203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Live Astronomy - we're doubling your experience this year. Once darkness falls see the skies over Atlanta and/or join Dr. Keel late night in 'TeleAstronomy' - you in GA - the telescope in ?? | |
| Sunday 09-6-2009 | Return to top | ||
| 10:00am – 11:00am Tale of Two Moons: Saturn's Enceladus and Titan by Trina Ray203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Enceladus, with its water geysers, is ever so intriguing. In Titan, we have possible parallels to a very young Earth. Saturn's moons have much we can learn from. – See Cassini' best images of Enceladus and Titan while you listen. | |
| 11:30am – 12:30pm Paradise Regained: Re-greening of Planet Earth by C. Les Johnson203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
What effect has modern civilization had on the planet and its ecological systems? How the resources of the solar system can be used for terrestrial benefit? | |
| 12:00pm - 3:30pm LIVE SOLAR TELESCOPE by Stephen W. Ramsden3rd floor pool area (Hilton) |
Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy by daytime star watching. See our own star, THE SUN, live in all its glory. (Weather Permitting | |
| 1:00pm – 2:00pm The Hubble Space Telescope: An Insider's View by Tyler DesJardins203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Every one loves Hubble! Imagine being a part of keeping it running and having the inside on the refurbishing as it happened. Hear a unique view of what the new and improved Hubble
has to offer. – The release of new Hubble's first pictures were still 3 days away but you can watch Tyler's presentation while he explains what's new on Hubble. | |
| 2:30pm – 3:30pm Brought to You By NASA: What if There Was No Space Program? by Ginny Mauldin–Kinney203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Rewards from the Space Program are many and almost completely unknown. What necessities of life would we be without if the Space Program never was? | |
| 4:00pm – 5:00pm NASA's Almost MMO by C. Les Johnson & Timothy ZahnCapitol Ballroom (Sheraton) |
An MMO by NASA?! Can an engineering bureaucracy developed MMO with educational content be worth playing? A sci-fi author and a NASA scientist think so. This is a joint panel with the MMO Track. | |
| 4:00pm – 5:00pm IMPACT JUPITER – Act II by Richar Jakiel & Richard 'Hawk' Altstatt203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Jupiter's been slammed again! Venus suddenly sports a bright white spot! Our solar system is far from a static place! – Richard Jakiel has the distinction of taking the last picture of Junpiter before another comet slammed into it. See his slides of before and after as he talks about the latest occurance. | |
| 5:30pm – 6:30pm T -60 Seconds and Counting: Launching the Space Shuttle by Kriss Houghland203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
From a minute before lift-off until orbit is established; launching the Space Shuttle is INTENSE. Water spraying, sparks flying, gases burning; what's happening may not be what you think! – You can not only listen but see what's really happening during a Shuttle launch with Kriss' slides and one, two, three, four video clips. | |
| 7:00pm – 8:00pm Galaxy Zoo by Dr. Pamela Gay203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Be an Astronomer at your own Computer! Ordinary people helping to classify thousands of galaxies. | |
| 8:30pm – 9:30pm The Great Space Observatories – 2009 Update by Dr. William C. Keel203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
It's been a big year for Hubble and Kepler began its search for new exo-planets. Spitzer and Chandra are still taking extraordinary images! Find out what's been happening to our Great
Space Observatories in 2009! . – You can hear and see the latest on the Great Space Observatories. | |
| 10:00pm – Till ?! 2nd ANNUAL MAD SCIENTISTS' BALL entertainment by ARCATTACKRegency VI & VII (Hyatt) |
Singing Tesla Coils. Lab Coats. Evil Geniuses. Mad Scientists. Loads of Minions. Lots of fun. Lots of dancing. Very Little Sleep. And Goodies! Wannabes Welcome! | |
| 10:00pm – 11:00pm Deep Space Explorers: Our Robotic Ambassadors by Hugh S. Gregory203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
From Fire to Ice, robotic explorers are going where no human being or Earth made machine has gone before. Whether they be rovers on Mars, orbiters heading for Mercury or a baby grand piano enroute to the stars via Pluto, they are extending our knowledge as never before. Come and find out where our robotic ambassadors are and what their status is. | |
| 8:30pm – 3:00am LIVE ASTRONOMY!! by Dr. William C. Keel203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Live Astronomy - we're doubling your experience this year. Once darkness falls see the skies over Atlanta and/or join Dr. Keel late night in 'TeleAstronomy' - you in GA - the telescope in ?? | |
| Monday 09-07-2009 | Return to top | ||
| 10:00am – 11:00am The History of Solar Observing by Stephen W. Ramsden203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
It’s been a fixture in the life of every human ever to exist. It's been feared and worshiped. How has mankind viewed the Sun from Stone age to space Age? | |
| 11:30am – 12:30pm Constellation\Orion Project: NASA's Next Big Thing by Ginny Mauldin–Kinney203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
The shuttles end in 2010. What will replace them? Are we still going back to the Moon? Just what is the Constellation/Orion Project? – Follow along with Ginny as she tells you what we thought was going to be NASA's Next Big Thing. | |
| 12:00pm - 3:30pm LIVE SOLAR TELESCOPE by Stephen W. Ramsden3rd floor pool area (Hilton) |
Celebrate the International Year of Astronomy by daytime star watching. See our own star, THE SUN, live in all its glory. (Weather Permitting | |
| 1:00pm – 2:00pm Mars Science Laboratory Rover by Kim Steadman203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
It's the next big rover – we mean BIG – that will take on Mars. Hear all about it! – You can see the powerpoint about it too. | |
| 2:30pm – 3:30pm Backyard AstroPhysics – You Don't Need a Ph.D to Do Astronomy by Dr. Pamela Gay & Dr. William Keel203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
Our glorious night sky.  You love astronomy but fear that word 'physics'? Let go of your fear; you can have the wonders of our universe with ease in your own backyard. – See the presentation that shows you how. | |
| 4:00pm – 5:00pm Space Track Wrap by Space Track Staff203 (formerly Henry) (Hilton) |
We end our Space Track weekend celebrating Apollo 11's 40 years and IYA. Come say goodbye and have some LN2 ice cream and other goodies. | |
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