Public Lecture on Thursday, May 13
May 4, 2021
The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) invites inquisitive adults interested in current topics in space science and exploration to join us for the final presentation in the 2020–2021 Cosmic Explorations Speaker Series. Dr. Melissa Trainer from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center will present “Dragonfly: Exploring an Organic-Rich Moon” The presentation will be held virtually on Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. CDT.
The Cosmic Explorations Speaker Series features some of the hottest topics in our solar system and beyond with the scientists who are making the discoveries. Dr. Trainer is a Deputy Principal Investigator for the Dragonfly mission to Saturn's moon Titan. Dr. Trainer is also the lead for the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer, an instrument that will measure the composition of Titan’s surface, help us understand Titan’s chemistry, and look for chemical hints of life.
Over the next ten years, five spacecraft will launch into the solar system to explore ten incredibly diverse objects. This armada of spacecraft will set their sights on the Moon, Europa, Titan, and seven asteroids. The 2020–2021 Cosmic Explorations Speaker Series, “To the Moon, asteroids, and beyond: The coming decade of solar system exploration,” features scientific leaders of these exciting missions, each describing how their mission will contribute to our growing, ever-changing knowledge of the solar system.
Recordings of past presentations can be viewed on the LPI YouTube channel and in the Cosmic Exploration Speaker Series archive.
Join this eventWatch Live on YouTube
2020–2021 Cosmic Explorations Speaker Series
| September 3, 2020 | Dr. Cathy Olkin, Southwest Research Institute Lucy mission to Trojan Asteroids |
| October 15, 2020 | Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Arizona State University Psyche: Journey to a Metallic World |
| November 12, 2020 | Dr. Jennifer Heldmann, NASA Ames Research Center VIPER mission to the Moon |
| January 28, 2021 | Dr. Rachel Klima, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Europa Clipper mission Europa Clipper: Mission to an Ocean World |
| May 13, 2021 | Dr. Melissa Trainer, Goddard Space Flight Center Dragonfly: Exploring an Organic-Rich Moon Join this event |
