ISP20 Blog – Week 3

Space Pirate Radio

As we approach the half way line of ISP20, our very own Officer, Leo Baud from Strasbourg, created and started broadcasting an ISU exclusive radio station called Space Pirate Radio (https://www.radioking.com/play/space-pirate-radio) 24/7 live. We’ve had listeners from over 40 cities in 4 continents tuning in.

The Space Pirate Radio schedule (UTC) is:

12am-6am – Last Shuttle Playlist

6am-9am – Coffee & Croissants

9am-11pm – Intergalactic Canteen

11pm-4pm – Space Ride

4pm-6pm – Earth Sounds

6pm-7pm – Jabba’s Jazz Club

7pm-8pm – Galaxy Club

8pm-10pm – Magnificent Desolation

Space Agency Panel

ISU ISP20 participants had the distinct honor of assisting a Space Agencies Panel, titled ‘Pandemics in the Eyes of Space Agencies’. It was moderated by ISU alum Timiebi Aganaba-Jeanty, Assistant Professor at Arizona State University. The panelist were Pascale Ehrenfreund, Chair of the Executive Board of DLR (and ISU’s Chancellor), Jan Wörner, ESA Director General, Chiara Manfletti, President of Portugal Space, Val Munsami, CEO of SANSA, Francis Chizea, Director-General of NASRDA, and Michal Szaniawksi, President of the POLSA.

Daily Seminars

On Monday, Dr. Tanja Masson-Zwaan, Space Law Professor at Leiden University and President Emerita of the International Institute of Space Law,  gave her famous lecture on the ‘Legal Underpinnings of Space Activities’ where she covered topics such as the five UN Space treaties and current international space law issues. On Tuesday, Dr. Li Ming, R&D Director from the Chinese Space Agency, delivered a lecture on ‘Space Missions Design’. On Wednesday, John Connolly, lead of NASA’s Human Landing System and former lead of NASA’s Lunar Surface System and Mars Study Capability Team, delivered a lecture on ‘Spacecraft Subsystems Engineering’. On Thursday, Robert Thirsk, a Canadian Physician, Engineer and former Astronaut, gave a Daily Seminar on ‘Human Performance in Space’. Our last Daily Seminar of the week was on ‘Environmental Control and Life Support Systems’ by Christophe Lasseur who is a Project Manager of ESA ESTEC Life & Physical Sciences and Life Support Section.

Alumni Conference

Now we move on to the largest Alumni Conference ever organized with speeches by the likes of NASA’s Jim Green and Jim Bridenstine, panels hosted by ISU Alumni on topics ranging from the UAE ‘Hope’ Space Mission and  the future plans of the Indian Space Research Organisation, the China National Space Administration, and the United Nations Cooperation with the Chinese Space Station, to NewSpace Potential in Africa and Latin America. The final day of the Alumni Weekend was concluded by Open Debates using the ISU 3Is framework about topics such as Space Neo-colonialism, Gender Inequality in Space, and BLM, and a DJ Zoom Party.

Jonas Tobiassen

ISP20 Officer