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PSSI’s Jana Kosarkova Attended 2009 Space Studies Program at NASA’s Ames Research Center

08.09.2009

Jana Kosarkova, PSSI’s Development Director, was awarded a scholarship to participate in the 2009 Space Studies Program (SSP09) of the International Space University.

Jana Kosarkova, PSSI’s Development Director, was awarded a scholarship to participate in the 2009 Space Studies Program (SSP09) of the International Space University, an intensive nine-week course for postgraduate students and young professionals which covers a number of space-related fields. This year’s program was hosted by the NASA Ames Research Center in California and 131 students from 35 countries took part in this educational and practical training experience.

The program consisted of four weeks of core lectures, two weeks of departmental activities and a three-week team project. The core lectures covered topics from satellite applications, space and society, space business and management, space life sciences, space physical sciences, space policy and law, and space systems engineering, and were taught by distinguished professionals, including John Logsdon, Jeff Hoffman, Gilles Clement, and others. Based on individual interests, students selected their “Departmental Focus” from the fields mentioned above. Jana selected “Space Policy and Law” led by John Hertzfeld from George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute and spent two weeks engaged in an in-depth study of space-related policy matters.

This year’s team projects included "Mars Caves: The Role of Caves and Other Subsurface Habitats in the Future Exploration of Mars", "Disaster Risk Management", and "Space Aid for Energy Needs on Earth". Jana, together with 26 other students from 17 countries, participated in the “Space Aid” team project which sought to provide useful tools for national governments to address increasing human energy requirements. It mainly focused on space technologies and their role in enabling innovative energy solutions in the areas of energy generation, distribution, and consumption.

The SSP09 also offered multidisciplinary activities such as “Lunar data recovery”, “How to start-up a space business”, and “Disaster relief”. Moreover, evening panels on special topics provided an excellent opportunity to hear from experts in different dimensions of the space field. They included topics such as Space and Security, Space and Media, Space Policy and Asia-Pacific Region, International Astronaut Panel, and Emerging Space Nations. Finally, participants had an opportunity to introduce their countries during cultural nights, including the history, customs and cuisine.

In short, the SSP09 offered a rich array of academic and professional experiences and a well-balanced platform for interaction with fellow students, the ISU faculty and extended space community.

More information about upcoming ISU´s events can be found here. Czech based students can also apply to attend the events organized by the European Space Agency.