Humans have long been fixated on Mars, first as a metaphor of what lies beyond our reach, and now, increasingly, as a destination—for our probes and ourselves and perhaps even for our first base in deep space. Still, fulfilling our Mars yearnings in the next few decades requires enormous technological advancement. Can we now build a spacecraft capable of sustaining prolonged human travel in deep space? What are the remaining logistical hurdles to solve in finally launching our first mission to Mars? Do we know all we need to know about the human body, and its limits, in order to take this next leap into space? Join us to learn about these interplanetary challenges and opportunities, and their surprising implications for the future.

On Thursday, April 9, Future Tense—a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University—will discuss these issues at an event in Washington, D.C.  The two-hour event will begin at noon and will be held at the New America offices at 1899 L Street NW.

For more information and to RSVP, visit the New America website. Follow the discussion online using #MarsAndBack and follow us @FutureTenseNow.

Agenda:

Noon: A Day in Deep Space: Technology, Research, and the Human Condition

Kate Greene
Science and technology writer
Former crew writer for NASA-funded HI-SEAS project

Josh Hopkins
Space exploration Aachitect, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.

Dr. Tara Ruttley
Associate ISS program scientist, NASA’s International Space Station

Moderator:
Phil Plait
Slate’s Bad Astronomy blogger

1 p.m.: How Will We Tax in Space?

Adam Chodorow
Professor of law, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University

1:15 p.m.: Will Entrepreneurs Face Red Tape in Deep Space?

Richard DalBello
Vice president of business development and government affairs, Virgin Galactic

Henry Hertzfeld
Space analyst, Space Policy Institute, George Washington University

Jeffrey Manber
Managing director, NanoRacks

Moderator:
Patric Verrone
Writer/Producer, Futurama

This event is underwritten by Lockheed Martin.