The Agenda for the First European Interstellar Symposium is here! You can find it below or download it below.
Day 1 (02/12/2024) (Pre-conference)
09:00 – 17:00 Registration desk
09:00 – 17:00 Introductory seminars on various topics related to interstellar travel: interstellar propulsion, environmental life
support systems, interstellar communication, space law.
17:00 – 20:00 Opening Reception TBD
Day 2 (03/12/2023)
08:10 – 18:00 Registration desk
08:40 – 09:00 Welcome by the organizers, Conference Agenda Review
09:00 – 09:45 Keynote Lecture 1: Pete Worden (Breakthrough Initiatives) TBD
09:45 – 10:20 Coffee break
10:20 – 12:00 Session 1: Propulsion I
Focus on propulsion, navigation, and other technologies to travel safely from Earth to other stars.
10:20 – 10:40 G. Matloff (Physics Dept., New York City College of Technology, CUNY)
Ultimate Biosphere Survival: Interstellar Migration from the Post-Main Sequence Sun
10:40 – 11:00 N. Maraqten (Initiative for Interstellar Studies), A. Genovese, W.van Lynden
Simplified Evolutionary Neurocontrol for Lower Bound Payload Estimates of Low Thrust Solar Oberth Maneuvers
to the Heliopause
11:00 – 11:20 D. Sengupta (Imperial College London), M. Berthet, O. Çelik, A. M. Hein, K. Fujino, K. Tanaka
From Interplanetary to Interstellar: Current Status of Exploration using Space Sails And Required Developments
11:20 – 11:40 J. Karlapp (Dresden University of Technology), M. Tajmar
Deployment strategies for 3D interstellar solar sails
11:40 – 12:00 L. Norder (Delft University of Technology), S. Yin, M.H.J. de Jong, H. Aydogmus, F. Stallone, P.M. Sberna, M. A.
Bessa, R. A. Norte
Pentagonal Photonic Crystal Mirrors: Scalable Lightsails with Enhanced Acceleration via Neural Topology
Optimization
12:00 – 12:20 A. Keşkekler (TU Delft), L. Norder, R. Norte
Towards Optical Levitation of Centimeter Scale Photonic Crystal Lightsails
A. Herasimenka (University of Luxembourg), L. Dell’Elce, A. Hein
Optimal Solar Sail Trajectories for Fast Deep Space Missions
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch (Catering)
14:00 – 17:00 Session 2: Ethics and space law
14:00 – 14:20 P. Laine (Finnish Astronautical Society)
Seeding life with an interstellar probe. Technical and ethical considerations
14:20 – 14:40 A. Sandberg (Institute of Futures Studies), A. Soryl
To Seed or Not to Seed: The Ethical Implications of Directed Panspermia
14:40 – 15:00 F. Neukart (University of Leiden; Terra Quantum AG)
Advancing Interstellar Exploration: Integrating Technological, Ethical, and Socio-political Dimensions
15:00 – 15:40 Coffee break
15:40 – 16:00 K. Wisian (University of Texas at Austin)
Should Military Issues be Incorporated in Interstellar Missions?
16:00 – 17:00 1st Working Track
20:00 – 21:30 Public Outreach Event: Next destinations for Interstellar Travel
Highlight Talk: Sara Seager, MIT, An Enduring Mystery of Astronomy: Can We Find Signs of Life Beyond Earth?
Panel Q&A: tbd
Day 3 (04/12/2023)
08:45 – 18:00 Registration desk
09:00 – 09:45 Keynote Lecture 2: Paolo Villoresi (University of Padova)
Harnessing the light emission for extreme space optical communication
09:45 – 10:20 Coffee break
10:20 – 12:00 Session 3: Communication in space & about space
10:20 – 10:40 TBD
10:40 – 11:00 A. Ellery (Carleton University)
Remote control of self-replicating starships
11:00 – 11:20 N. Antonietti (INAF), C. Maccone, L. Derosa, D. Caliendo
Interstellar communications among future human colonies
11:20 – 11:40 K. Heins (Limitless Space Institute)
Integrating Interstellar Research and STEM Education: Pioneering the Future of Space Travel
12:00 – 13:30 Lunch (Catering)
13:00 – 13:45 Keynote Lecture 3: Martin Tajmar (TU Dresden)
Overview of Breakthrough Propulsion at TU Dresden
13:45 – 15:00 Coffee break and networking
15:00 – 17:00 Session 4: Propulsion II
15:00 – 15:20 G. Jackson (Hbar Technologies, LLC)
Antimatter Versus Fusion Deceleration Concepts for Exoplanet Exploration
15:20 – 15:40 R. Garattini (University of Bergamo)
Traversable Wormholes powered by Casimir Energy with Temperature and Charge
15:40 – 16:00 N. Buldrini (FOTEC Forschungs- und Technologietransfer GmbH), A. Genovese
Interstellar Precursor Missions with Advanced FEEP Ion Thrusters
16:00 – 16:20 A. Genovese (Initiative for Interstellar Studies), N. Buldrini
Interstellar Precursor Missions by Combining Laser-Powered Electric Propulsion with an Oberth Maneuver
16:20 – 16:40 A. M. Hein (I4IS), A. Hibberd, M. Lingam, M. Eubanks, D. Fries , R. Kennedy, J. Schneider
Project Lyra: Opening up the space between the stars – Missions to Interstellar Objects and Nomadic Worlds
16:40 – 17:00 2nd Working Track
18:00 – 20:00 Gala Dinner
Lightning talks
20:00 – 22:00 Science Fiction Authors Night with Les Johnson (NASA, US), Brandon Q. Morris, Joshua T. Calvert (open to
public)
Day 4 (05/12/2023)
09:00 – 10:00 Keynote Lecture 4: Mona Nasser (University of Plymouth)
Voyaging Through the Vast: Transforming Clinical Research Methods for Interstellar Expeditions
10:00 – 12:00 Session 5: Space habitat, materials, life support systems
A. Vermeulen (Delft University of Technology), A. Derm, A. Papic, I. Nikolic, F. Brazier
Biological and mechanical reproduction strategies for interstellar exploration and settlement
L. Cortes Satizabal (RWTH Aachen University), K. Heins, C. Boltersdorf, T. Gries
The use of Textiles as a processing form for space applications
E. Gulacsi (Astro SpArch), M. Sabou, T. Olsen, R. JB Cordero
Simulated Galactic Cosmic Ray Radiation Reduction Using Fungi
A. M. Hein (I4IS), Y. Demirbas Pech, C. Smith, D. Fries, C. Olthoff, S. Summerford, M. Rebisz
Project Hyperion: Systems Architecting of an Interstellar Generation Ship
M. Frenzl (Complex Structures Research Collaboration), A. Shanbhag
A top-down instructed bottom-up production method for space exploration utilising in-situ resources
A. Ellery (Carleton University)
Industrialising extrasolar asteroids to build our home among the stars
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch (Catering)
13:00 – 14:00 Working Tracks Outbrief
14:00 – 17:00 Visit to Luxembourg space companies