Cosmic Explorations Speaker Series Returns for the 2021–2022 Season
August 27, 2021
The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is pleased to announce the return of the Cosmic Explorations Speaker Series (CESS) for the 2021–2022 season. The LPI’s CESS connects the public to exciting research, missions, and individuals in planetary and space science.
The 2021–2022 season’s theme will be NASA’s exciting new endeavor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The premier space observatory of the future, the JWST is an engineering triumph that will reveal the early universe, lifecycles of galaxies and stars, and features of faraway worlds. Scientific leaders will guide us through the universe in five thematic lectures focusing on various aspects of the JWST mission.
The first presentation of the series, “The Most Powerful Telescope in Space,” will be held virtually on October 28 at 7:00 p.m. CDT to celebrate the JWST launch planned for October 31. Join us to learn about the plans for the JWST mission, its unique capabilities, and the mysteries that it will illuminate.
This year we are also excited to introduce CESS+ virtual programs, which include additional presentations on diverse and ground-breaking topics in planetary science, from NASA’s return missions to Venus to the psychology of human space travel.
All programs in the series are currently being held virtually over Zoom and will be broadcast live on LPI’s YouTube channel.
The 2021–2022 Cosmic Explorations Speaker Series Lineup
| October 28, 2021 | The Most Powerful Telescope in Space |
| Fall 2021 | Unraveling the Birth of Planetary Systems |
| Winter 2021/2022 | Exploring Distant Worlds |
| Spring 2022 | Investigating the Origins of Life |
| Spring 2022 | Looking Inward: Exploring our Solar System with Webb |
CESS+ Lineup
| Fall 2021 | Asteroid Samples Return to Earth with OSIRIS-REx |
| Winter 2021/2022 | Exploring Inferno: NASA’s Return to Venus |
| Spring 2022 | Mapping the Interior of Mars |
