Join us for our 21st Nerd Nite in Orlando to learn about how NASA will travel farther into space than any human has gone before and what they are doing in preparation to pioneer Mars!
Nerd Nite Orlando is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking talks across many disciplines – all while the audience drinks along in a casual bar atmosphere. Speakers present for 20-25 minutes each on a fascinating subject of their choice, often in an uncanny and unconventional way.Following the presentations is a brief Q&A with the audience.
Quench your curiosity! Come meet up, drink, and learn something
EVENT INFO:
Thursday, November 13th
Talks 7:00 – 9:00pm
Stardust Video and Coffee, 1842 E. Winter Park Rd. Winter Park, FL 32803.
TALKS:
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“Intrasteller: NASA’s Journey to Mars” by Jason Hopkins
Jason Hopkins is the Flight Test Integration Manager for the Orion Program and the Multi-Use Manager for the Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program, both at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). In his Orion capacity, he is supporting Orion Operations in preparation for the launch of Exploration Flight Test-1 this December. For GSDO, he works to develop partnerships within the space industry to enable commercial space. He previously served as a NASA Fellow for U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, providing the Senator with technical advice in support of developing science and space legislation. He has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an M.S. in Systems Engineering from George Washington University.
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“NASA Swamp Works: Back to the Future – in Space” by Rob Mueller
Rob Mueller is a Senior Technologist for Advanced Projects Development at NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in the Engineering & Technology Directorate and co-founder of the KSC Swamp Works. Rob is the chairman of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Aerospace Division, and the Committee for Regolith Operations, Mobility and Robotics, and he is also a member of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Space Resources Technical Committee. Rob has recently been leading the development of technologies required for the utilization of resources on target bodies such as Asteroids, the Moon, Mars moons and Mars. He earned a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Miami, an M.S. in Space Systems Engineering from the Technical University of Delft, in the Netherlands, and an M.B.A. from Florida Institute of Technology.
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“Total Recall: The Simulated Martian” by Anne Caraccio
Anne Caraccio is a chemical engineer on several projects that support deep space exploration at Kennedy Space Center. As a crew member of the 2014 HI-SEAS Mars analog simulation, she supported a 120 day psychological study and performed various research projects while living in an isolated Mars-like habitat with an international crew. She is from Long Island, New York and earned her B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Manhattan College. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Florida.
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