Psychosocial factors, physiological factors, human factors, group dynamics and crew selection and evaluation, as they pertain to space travel, space habitation and extreme environments (including deep caving, polar and desert environments, and space analog environments).
Non-technical: Launch Vehicle Economics; The Role of Private Enterprise in Space Development
Technical: Human lunar and Mars exploration and settlement; Mars entry, descent, and landing techniques; Human Venus Exploration; Solar Electric Propulsion; Parametric Studies of Human Mars Missions.
The prospects for human immortality, the impact of science on politics (and vice versa), space exploration and development, the craft of writing, and the search for extraterrestrial life.
Economics and justification for Mars settlement, development and expansion of Mars industrial capability, identification, location and exploitation of Mars resources, Mars mining, refining, and manufacturing systems, Mars polymer production processes.
Mars surface suits, Mars analog operations, building and maintaining simulated habitats, general Mars topics, space for private industry, computer systems for space and surface exploration
The Science of Music, Systems of Systems in Geology and Geophysics, Space Careers for Women, Systems of Systems in Aerospace, Disaster Recovery Systems – Locally and Globally, Career Changes for Baby Boomers, Leadership & Sucess, Philosphy of Human Space Exploration, Paradigm Shifts, Technology & Methodology of Human Space Exploration, Risk Assessement, Professional Survival for 2009 Laid off Now What?
Astrosociology, Education & Astrosociology, Space Settlements (i.e. space societies), Applied Astrosociology, Space Tourism, Social Problems & Astrosociology, Medical Astrosociology, Developing Astrosociology for the Space Sciences, Planetary defense (protecting terrestrial societies / cultures), Astrobiology / SETI – connections to astrosociology and society.
Kristin Showalter
Propulsions Design Engineer – Shuttle Program – Kennedy Space Center
Astronomy, orbital dynamics, Mars, asteroid mining, Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS)
"There may be only a brief window of opportunity for space travel during which we will in principle have the capability to establish colonies (which could in turn establish further colonies). If we let that opportunity pass without taking advantage of it we will be doomed to remain on the Earth where we will eventually go extinct." - Richard Gott, "Implications of the Copernician Principle For Our Future Prospects," Nature, 1993
