WSI: News and Events

Human Safety in Space Public Presentation August 24, 2024

Ad Astra Kansas Foundation (AAKF) presented information on space education in Kansas at a booth in the Kansas State Capitol Rotunda on February 7. Cosmosphere is the home of AAKF (http://www.adastra-ks.org/), which brings space science education to the community through events such as their annual Galaxy Forum. One initiative is Interstellar University, a collaboration with Space Age Publishing. Kansas is the natural home for Interstellar University given the state's motto – Ad Astra Per Aspera – To the Stars Through Challenges. A course at WSU, Interstellar Seminar, was featured in the presentation as the first Interstellar University course. Interstellar Seminar is a nonmajors nontechnical course, open for free to the public, which remotely brings to campus world-renown speakers on diverse topics in space science and humanities related to interstellar travel. You can learn more through Wichita Space Initiative: www.wichita.edu/space.

The Ad Astra Kansas Foundation Galaxy Forum, entitled “Asteroids , Eclipses, Exoplanets and more” will be at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, August 26. It is free and open to the public.

Led by WSU Biological Sciences Professor Mark Schneegurt, LASI 150G is a 1-credit course surveying engineering, natural, and social science issues related to interstellar travel. It will be offered remotely, featuring synchronous and asynchronous delivery. Sign up today!

Professor Mark Schneegurt (Department of Biological Sciences) spoke at the 2022 Galaxy Forum at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS about a new course on interstellar science, LASI 150G, that WSU will be offering in the Spring 2023 semester.

Dr. Arik Kershenbaum will be this year's Watkins Visiting Professor. He will present three talks, including a public lecture on September 28, 2021; a technical biology lecture on September 27, 2021; and a technical linguistics lecture on September 29, 2021.

Michael Staab, a 2013 Wichita State University aerospace engineering graduate, who is currently serving as Fault Management Systems Principal Engineer for the Lunar Lander and Lunar Gateway at Northrup Grumman, will speak virtually about the Artemis Program.

WSU Philosophy faculty James S.J. Schwartz's book, The Value of Science in Space Exploration, is now available from Oxford University Press.

WSU announces a new graduate certificate in space science.