| | |  | Artist's impression of the SMART-1 mission | |
Galilean Academy celebrates 400 years with conference on Earth-Moon relations and space exploration
3 November 2000
Information note N° 09-2000
An International Conference on Earth-Moon relationships will take place in Padova from 8 to 10 November 2000. This is part of an interdisciplinary initiative celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Galilean Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts in Padova (Accademia Galileiana di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti). The conference will open in the Aula Magna of the historic University palace.
"Our aim is to bring together a number of distinguished scientists from different fields of Natural Sciences - such as Astronomy, Biology and Medicine, Chemistry and Geology”, says conference organiser Prof. Cesare Barbieri, “to discuss these Earth-Moon relationships and their origins."
A most prestigious speaker at the conference will be David R. Scott, who after his Gemini 8 and Apollo 9 experience, became Apollo 15 commander and walked and drove on the Moon in August 1971. He will talk on the 'Perspective on the Earth from the Moon.'
The European Space Agency (ESA), co-sponsoring the conference, will present SMART-1, the first of the so called 'SMART' missions - conceived to test new technologies in space – that, by a happy coincidence, is the first European mission to the Moon. "The SMART-1 mission will be launched at the end of 2002.”, says SMART-1 Project Manager Giuseppe Racca, " and will test new ways of propulsion and navigation in the solar system. It will also carry new technology instruments to the Moon and obtain unique maps of the lunar surface composition, topography and resources”.
“SMART-1 will help understanding the origin and early evolution of the Earth-Moon system, 4.5 billion years ago”, adds Bernard H. Foing (SMART-1 Project Scientist). “We also use the Moon as a laboratory to study geophysical processes (volcanism, tectonics, crater impacts, ices and volatiles) at work on Earth and other planets. We are in an exciting phase of international exploration, starting now with orbiter and penetrators precursor missions, to be followed by landers, rovers, lunar robotic villages for resource utilisation. This prepares the possibility for permanent human presence on the Moon and in the Solar System".
This roadmap for exploration was discussed last summer at the International Conference on Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon organised by ESA and the International Lunar Exploration Working Group. Some 200 participants made recommendations for the next steps in scientific, technical, programmatic areas, and decided to create a Lunar Explorers Society to foster these goals with the public.
"The Padova Earth-Moon relationships conference will certainly expand the activities of Lunar Explorers and, with the participation of scholars of Literature and Arts, will include the humanistic, social, historical, cultural and mythical dimensions", concludes Cesare Barbieri.
For media wishing to attend the conference and press event, please see ESA Information Note 09-2000.
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