Topic: The Growing Problem of Space Orbital Debris
Speaker: Les Johnson
Abstract: There are more than one-half million pieces of space junk, otherwise known as orbital debris, circling the Earth at speeds in excess of 5 miles per second. Earth orbiting satellites, including the International Space Station, are at risk of collision with pieces of this debris. What is orbital debris? How did it get there? How will does it affect spaceflight? And what can we do about it? These are some of the questions that will be addressed during the talk.
Bio (Adapted from his website and Facebook): Les Johnson is a NASA physicist, manager, author, husband and father. By day, he serves as the Deputy Manager for the Advanced Concepts Office at the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Les Johnson is the co-author of three published popular science books, Living Off the Land in Space, Solar Sails, and Paradise Regained: The Regreening of Earth. His first science fiction novel, Back to the Moon, was published in December 2010 by Baen. He was technical consultant for the movie, Lost in Space. NPR, CNN, Fox News, The Science Channel and The Discovery Channel have all interviewed him. He appeared on the Discovery Science Channel in their Exodus Earth series and the “How to Build A Starship” episode of Michio Kaku’s 2010 Discovery Science Channel Series “Physics of the Impossible.” He was the Chief Scientist for the ProSEDS space experiment, twice received NASAs Exceptional Achievement Medal, and holds 3 space technology patents. He has numerous peer-reviewed publications and was published in Analog.
Besides writing popular science books and articles in his spare time, he also reads science fiction, and fulfills the role of husband and father to his two children.
