"Shamrock in Space"
by NASA Scientist Anthony Heijenga
Monday May 11 2009 at 8:00pm
Remember the Movie 'Apollo 13'? In the scene at the end the astronauts struggle to overcome mass build up of CO2. Fundamentally, the core problems of maintaining life for a small number of astronauts in space is the same as keeping 6.5 billion people living and breathing on this vessel called Earth. Astronomy Ireland's guest speaker, NASA Scientist, Dr Anthony Heijenga, will explain how the Irish Shamrock is helping him to assist people to live and breath in outer space. Following the lecture there will be a social reception in the nearby Lombard.
Fundamentally, the core problems of maintaining life for a small number of astronauts in space is the same as keeping 6.5 billion people living and breathing on this vessel we call Earth. Our famous plant, synonymous with Irish charm, is a key element in developing research to allow astronauts and indeed, future generations, to live and breath in outer space.Tonight, you can find out how.
Dr Heijenga completed a diploma in applied
science at DIT Kevin St. Dublin in 1980, an M.Sc. in
biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin in 1984, and a Ph.D in
phytochemistry at the University of Nottingham, Britain in
1989. This was followed with postdoctoral research at
Cambridge Britain and Washington State University in the U.S.
until 1993 and a further research fellowship from the American
Academy of Science until 1997 at NASA Ames Research Center,
California where he remained until 2006 as manager of the space
plant science and biotechnology program for BioServe Space
Technologies and the University of Colorado. This work
included the implementation of eight flight studies on
satellite, space shuttle, Russian and US space station
platforms. His present work is directed towards applying space
derived technologies on Earth.
Tickets will be available at the door tonight from 7:30pm, but you can book seats in advance here.
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