The 15th Annual Von Braun Symposium + Memorial Dinner is this week

The 15th Annual Von Braun Symposium and Memorial Dinner takes place Oct. 26-28 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the Marshal Flight Center.

The event features leading government officials, industry executives, academia and others from the aerospace community. Read on to find out more about this annual event.

Read more: The 15th Annual Von Braun Symposium + Memorial Dinner is this week

Space at the Table: Collaboration, Cooperation, and Inclusion

The 2022 Von Braun Symposium and Memorial Dinner’s theme is “Space at the Table: Collaboration, Cooperation, and Inclusion.” 

Organized by the American Astronautical Society, in collaboration with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, UAH and the Huntsville Chapter of the National Space Club, the symposium aims to discuss relevant topics on the latest developments and future opportunities and challenges in space exploration, and the important contributions needed through broad participation from across the U.S. and around the globe.

“UAH is honored to host the annual Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium. The symposium is a place to gain insight into the future of space exploration, and it represents a unique opportunity for our students and faculty to engage with the scientists, engineers and administrators who define the future role of the U.S. in space.”

UAH vice president for research and economic development Robert Lindquist

Here is the schedule of events at UAH:

• UAH President Chuck Karr and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director Jody Singer will join Alan DeLuna, president of the American Astronautical Society, to deliver opening remarks at 9AM on Oct. 26.
• The Oct. 26 luncheon keynote speaker is NASA Deputy Administrator Pamela Melroy, who will speak at 12:20PM
• The Friday luncheon keynote speakers are Carissa Christensen, founder and CEO of BryceTech, and Alex MacDonald, NASA chief economist.

Topics to be discussed at the Von Braun Symposium include:

• A coordinated approach to U.S. Space Policy
• A new era of deep space exploration being ushered in by NASA’s Artemis Program
• Lunar Landing Systems and sustaining a human presence beyond low Earth orbit
• Revolutionizing space travel times
• Enabling commercial activities in low Earth orbit and beyond
• Recent highlights inspiring a bright future for NASA science
• Building the future STEM workforce

The Von Braun Memorial Dinner 

The National Space Club Huntsville’s annual Von Braun Memorial Dinner, which is sold out, will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the Von Braun Center South Hall in Huntsville. The dinner welcomes local businesses and space enthusiasts to celebrate scholarships and award recipients who are helping to shape the future of space exploration.

The event honors selected individuals and groups by awarding:

• The Von Braun Space Flight Trophy: Senator Harrison “Jack” Schmitt
• The Astronautics Engineering Award: James Webb Space Telescope Team
• The Distinguished Science Award: Thomas H. Zurbuchen, Ph.D.
• The Communications Award: Marcia Stockton Lindstrom
• The Community Service Award: Gene Goldman
• The Aerospace Educator Award: Willie Bradford
• The Dr. Wernher von Braun Memorial Scholarship: TBA
• The National Space Club scholarships: TBA

Keynoting the dinner will be Dr. Elizabeth Barrios, a structural materials engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center who focuses on the failure analysis of avionics and electrical, electronic and electromechanical parts. She also conducts research on the development of new energy conversion materials and processing schemes to address the needs of future manned missions to the moon and Mars surfaces.

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