Preserving the Race for Space 2024: From the Earth to the Moon and Beyond

Join us in Houston, Texas for a symposium on preservation of Space Exploration Resources! The NPS National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) is partnering with Space Center Houston, Cane River National Heritage Area, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and NASA to host a three-day symposium, which will bring together professionals with a stake in preserving what space exploration has left and is leaving behind. The symposium will feature talks held at the Space Center Houston, in Houston, TX, and tours of Johnson Space Center.

Registration Information

Registration is through Eventbrite.

Registration costs:
Regular Registration: $399
Speaker Registration: $299
Student Registration: $199

Symposium Venue Information

Talks will be held at Space Center Houston, room TBA

Parking:
Parking vouchers will be available for symposium participants. Please email Catherine at [e-mail] by August 5, 2024.

Symposium Hotel Information

HILTON HOUSTON NASA CLEAR LAKE
3000 E NASA Parkway, Houston TX 77058, USA
T: [phone]

To secure reservations at the NCPTT Special Group Rate, click the link below. The discounted group rate is available through July 22, 2024. Secure your reservation early to ensure availability.

Booking Link:
NCPTT Preserving the Race for Space Symposium 2024

Symposium Schedule

August 13, 2024
8:30-9:00 am	Welcome and Logistics
9:00-10:30 am	Session 1 Michelle Hanlon: Protecting Bootprints on the Moon: The Challenging Imperative of Extraterrestrial Preservation Zhang Zhihui and Zheng Yongchung: Future Lunar Exploration Faces Potential Controversies: a Chinese Perspective
10:30-11:00 am	Break
11:30 am-12:30 pm	Session 2 Meg Abraham: What's it Made of, What is it Not Made of, and How Was it Put Together? Lisa Young: Spacesuit Preservation at the National Air and Space Museum: New Approaches to Public Display Roland Miller: Documenting Historic Space Race Sites Pre and Post Demolition
12:30-2:00 pm	Lunch on your own
2:00-3:00 pm	Session 3 Jeremy Kent: Stories from the Moon: The History of NASA's Largest Apollo Sample Display Jeffrey S. Nesbit: Returning to Earth: Capsules, Airstreams, and Quarantines
3:00-3:30 pm	Break
3:30-5:00 pm	Session 4 Drew Adan and Cecilia Duykers: Flown Flora: NASA's Moon Trees and Public Memory Molly Stothert-Maurer: Archiving in Advance of Mission Completion
6:45-8:00 pm	Thought Leader Program with Space Center Houston Michelle Hanlon and Art Dula
August 14, 2024
8:30-9:30 am	Session 5 Jim Remar: Honoring the History of Space Exploration (Cosmosphere displays and initiatives) Robert Pearlman: Five Lessons Learned from 25 Years of collectSpace
9:30-10:00 am	Break
10:00-11:30 am	Session 6 David Bucek and Jordan Shelton: Apollo Mission Control Center Preservation Melanie Sanford: Saving 74 NASA Chairs: Restoration of the Seating in MOCR2--Visitor Viewing Area, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Paul Spana and Steve Pine: Resurrection of an American Icon: Authetication and Conservation of the lecturn used by President Kennedy
11:30 am-1:00 pm	Lunch on your own
1:00-5:00 pm	JSC Tour 1
August 15, 2024
8:30-9:30 am	Session 7 Jonathan Coopersmith: Preserving the present to ensure the future of the past Reagan Grimsley: Enduring Voices? Collection, Preservation, and Migration of Aerospace Oral Histories
9:30-10:00 am	Break
10:00-11:30 am	Session 8 Mike Toth: Doing More by Doing Less: Digitally Preserving the Space Race Matthew Peek: Making Space for History: Focused Approaches to Collecting Human Space Flight Archival Records Loren Grush: America’s First Six Women Astronauts
11:30 am-1:00 pm	Lunch on your own
1:00-5:00 pm	JSC Tour 2
6:00-8:00 pm	Reception and Book Signing Loren Grush and Roland Miller

Keynote

Michelle Hanlon
Co-Founder, For All Moonkind
Co-Director, Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law

Protecting Bootprints on the Moon: The Challenging Imperative of Extraterrestrial Preservation

In this age of unprecedented advancements in space exploration, the preservation of human heritage in space is an imperative that transcends national boundaries and requires international cooperation and collaboration. As the co-founder of For All Moonkind and a dedicated space lawyer, I will delve into the critical importance of safeguarding the sites and artifacts that memorialize humanity’s first forays off our Earth, starting with Luna 2 and, of course, including the iconic bootprints left by the first humans to tread on another celestial body.

This presentation will explore the multifaceted challenges associated with preserving artifacts and sites of historical significance that can be found off Earth. From the legal intricacies and the lack of a comprehensive international framework to the technical difficulties posed by the harsh outer space environment, we face a formidable task in ensuring these irreplaceable symbols of human achievement endure for future generations.

I will discuss the role of international cooperation in establishing protective measures, the importance of creating binding agreements under existing space law treaties, and the innovative approaches needed to address preservation in an era where private and national entities are increasingly venturing into space. I will also share the tremendous progress that For All Moonkind has made since its inception in 2018.

By examining the intersection of law, technology, and international policy, this presentation will provide a deep understanding of the urgent need to protect our extraterrestrial heritage. Starting with preservation, we can – and must -- build a legacy of responsible stewardship that honors the past and paves the way for sustainable exploration and utilization of outer space and its vast resources.

Join me and For All Moonkind on this journey to ensure that the footprints and history we leave on the Moon, and beyond, remain an enduring testament to human curiosity, ingenuity, and unity.

Important Dates for Speakers

April 25, 2024: Presentation abstracts due
May 10, 2024: Accepted presenters notified
August 7, 2024: Presentation files (ppt) due
August 13-15, 2024: Symposium
September 1, 2024: Papers for Proceedings due