LEAG Annual Meeting
October 1–5, 2007
"Enabling Exploration: The Lunar Outpost and Beyond"

Hilton Houston Hobby Airport Hotel
8181 Airport Boulevard
Houston, Texas  77061


MEETING GOAL: Define pathways to offset cost and risk of achieving the next steps in space exploration.

The first day will be devoted to community briefings/updates. The sessions on Tuesday through Friday will each culminate in a general discussion with the speakers forming a panel of experts answering questions from the audience. Each session is focused by the “questions to be addressed.” Specific presentation titles and speakers are being finalized and will be updated frequently.

Oral sessions will be in Southwest Grand Ballroom C, posters will be in Southwest Grand Ballroom D/E, and lunches will be in Southwest Grand Ballroom A/B.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

4:00 to 6:00 p.m. — Registration, Southwest Grand Ballroom Foyer

6:00 to 8:00 p.m. — Welcome Reception, Southwest Grand Ballroom Foyer

Monday, October 1, 2007

8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon — Plenary:  Community Updates

Briefings should include information regarding barriers/opportunities for international and private sector participation in this new era of NASA's exploration of the Moon.

1:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. — Workshop and Working Group Briefings


SESSIONS

The overarching question to be addressed by all sessions is:
How can risk/cost be reduced through cooperation and partnerships in technological developments and demonstrations?

 

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. — International Partnerships (updates on scheduled and proposed lunar missions from other nations)

Questions to be addressed:

What are the synergies between the exploration goals of other nations and the Vision for Space Exploration?
What are the (perceived) obstacles to international coordination in the Vision for Space Exploration and what are the solutions?

1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. — In Situ Resource Utilization and Outpost Sustainment Demonstrations

Questions to be addressed:

What are critical ISRU, surface operation, and transportation-related demonstrations that are needed to transition from establishment of an outpost to long-term sustainability of robotic and human lunar exploration?

What opportunities are there for private sector space and/or international coordination in proving and integrating ISRU and other capabilities required for outpost sustainability into the current NASA lunar architecture? How do these opportunities support other international space agency and commercial space development objectives?

What precursor demonstration missions would significantly reduce the cost and/or risk of establishing the outpost and long-term robotic and human exploration of the Moon and beyond?

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

8:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. — The Role of Robotic Missions

Questions to be addressed:

What can we learn from robotic missions before the next human landing?

What do we need to learn from robotic missions before lunar settlement and commercial development?

What role could be played by small, robotic lunar missions?

What role could state governments play in lunar exploration?

Can the CEV SIM Bay be used for deployment of robotic exploration missions?

10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. — Commerce:  Incremental Steps from Earth to Lunar Enterprise

Questions to be addressed:

What progress has been made regarding the themes and recommendations from the LEAG-2005 meeting and what are the key roadblocks (if any) preventing progress?

What opportunities are there for private sector participation within the current architecture?

How can increased private sector participation be better facilitated to ensure the sustainability of the outpost?

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. — Poster Session I and Reception

Thursday, October 4, 2007

8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon — Sample Return and Lunar Exploration

Questions to be addressed:

What technologies exist and what technologies need to be developed in order to reduce risk/cost for (1) robotic sample return, (2) human sample return, and (3) robotic-human sample return?

What analysis can be done on the surface robotically and with crew versus required sample return?

What are the limiting technologies for analysis on the lunar surface versus sample return?

What are the roles of NASA, non-U.S. space agencies, and the private sector in sampling the Moon?

1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. — The Role of Technology in Field Exploration and Astronaut Training

Questions to be addressed:

What were the lessons learned from Apollo (i.e., what worked and what didn’t?)?

What technologies need to be developed to facilitate field operations for the establishment and maintenance of a lunar outpost, as well as for scientific exploration?

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. — Poster Session II and Reception

Friday, October 5, 2007

8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. — Site Selection and the Lunar Outpost

Questions to be addressed:

What are the drivers for the site of the lunar outpost and have they changed from the criteria previously used?

Building upon the wealth of material that has been previously published, what is the “ideal” site for operations, science, exploration, ISRU, commerce, and/or international coordination?

1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Report from Moderators

Presentations from the moderators will form the basis of the final report.

 


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