Life and humans
in space

Recorded lectures:

Some of the recorded lectures from the 13th ELSI International Symposium are available on ELSI YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwgeLg75PSA&list=PLgCfQ_4nJyOhIOYVhI6uHytxh0x4_rex-

Aftershops (at ELSI AGORA)

Topic 1: Ethical Dimensions of Human Expansion into Space: Tue., 14 Jan. 14:00-16:00
Convenors: Natalie Trevino (Open Univ.), Pedro Russo (Leiden Univ.), and Thilina Heenatigala (ELSI)

Topic 2: Searching for life with small machines and large minds: Wed., 15 Jan. 14:00-16:00
Convenors: Caleb Scharf (NASA/Ames) and Mary Voytek (NASA/Ames)

Topic 3: Thermodynamics of Humans in Space: Thu., 16 Jan 10:00-12:00
Convenors: John Hernlund (ELSI)

Topic 4: New Frontiers in Astrobiology Education: Thu., 16 Jan at 14:00-16:00
Convenors: Anastasia Kokori (UCL), Taren Ginter (ELSI), Ellen Cook (ELSI)

outreach

The Astrobiological narrative of life’s origin on the ‘Pale Blue Dot’:  Thu., 16 Jan. 20:00-22:00
Speaker: Sudha Rajamani (IISER Pune)
Venue: Good Heavens British Pub, Shimokitazawa.

MORE INFORMATION ON THESE EVENTS CAN BE VIEWED HERE.

As humanity's exploration of space accelerates, the discovery of potentially habitable environments within our Solar System and beyond presents profound opportunities for multidisciplinary research. Mars, the icy moons of the outer planets, and terrestrial planets in the habitable zone, potentially offer conditions such as liquid water, chemical energy, and bio-essential elements that may support life. Meanwhile, initiatives like NASA’s Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and lay the groundwork for future missions to Mars. The confluence of these advancements in astrobiology with commitments to expanding human presence in space makes this an ideal time to bring academics and industry experts together.

The 13th ELSI International Symposium on 'Life and Humans in Space' is designed to address these pressing challenges by fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among experts in astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, medicine, social sciences, sociology, literature, and design aesthetics. The symposium will provide a platform for exploring space exploration's scientific, technological, and societal implications, with a particular emphasis on the search for extraterrestrial life and the future of human activities in space. The Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), with its exceptionally interdisciplinary research approach, has the potential to lead in solving these complex challenges. By integrating diverse perspectives, the conference aims to contribute to a holistic understanding of life in space and envision humanity's role in these new frontiers.

Overview

Dates: Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9 January 2025

Location: X-NIHONBASHI TOWER, Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan

Scientific Organizing Committee: Yasuhito Sekine (chair), Mary Voytek, Eric Smith, Kosuke Fujishima, Harrison Smith, Thilina Heenatigala

Local Organizing Committee: Yasuhito Sekine (chair), Thilina Heenatigala, Naohiro Terasaka, Shintaro Kadoya, Kei Kurita, Harumi Tanaka, Akiko Tanaka

Abstract of the Symposium: The symposium aims to bring together our colleagues from Japan and around the world to delve into the theme each day focused on:

• Day 1: Science and Engineering for Future Space Exploration

• Day 2: Space and Life Sciences for Finding Life Beyond Earth

• Day 3: Space Humanity for Perspectives on the Future

Schedule  (Japan Standard Time)

TUESDAY 7, January 

Day 1: Science and Engineering for Future Space Exploration

Morning Sessions

• 09:00-10:00 Registration and Coffee

• 10:00-10:15 Welcome and Day 1 thematic discourse by Yasuhito Sekine

• 10:15-11:00 Kalind Carpenter (NASA/JPL)- "Searching for life in our solar system and beyond"

• 11:00-11:45 Kunihiko Kaneko (Niels Bohr Institute) - "Universal Biology: A Physicit's Approach to 'What is Life'"

• 11:45-13:45 Lunch Break

Afternoon Sessions

• 13:45-14:30 Takeshi Hakamada (ispace, inc.) - "Expand our planet, Expand our future - the world's leading commercial lunar transporter"

• 14:30-15:15  Masaki Fujimoto (JAXA/ISAS) - "Science-engineering synergy is what makes ISAS/JAXA rolling"

• 15:15-15:45 Coffee Break

• 15:45-16:30 Discussion Session moderated by Yasuhito Sekine (ELSI)

• 16:30-17:15 Yusuke Taguchi (Axiom Space) - "Science and Engineering for Commercial Space Utilization and Going Beyond"

• 17:15-17:30 Conclusions of Day 1

WEDNESDAY, 8 January

Day 2: Space and Life Sciences for Finding Life Beyond Earth

Morning Sessions

• 09:30-10:30 Poster Session with Coffee

• 10:30-10:35 Day 2 Thematic Discourse

• 10:35-11:10 Hannah Kerner (ASU) - "Foundation models for Earth and space: The key to AI applications, or distracting hype?'"

• 11:10-11:45 Aaron Regberg (NASA/JSC) - ”Mars Sample Return: Preparing for Biologically Sensitive Samples”

• 11:45-13:45 Lunch Break

Afternoon Sessions

• 13:45-14:30 Frank Postberg (Berlin Freie Univ) -"Exploring the habitability of ocean moons by mass spectrometry of emitted ice grains"

• 14:30-15:15 Yuki Morono (JAMSTEC) - "Looking for life in deep subseafloor habitat: approaching the limit of Earth biosphere"

• 15:15-15:45 Coffee Break

• 15:45-16:30 Discussion Session 

• 16:30-17:15 Tomoaki Matsuura (ELSI) - "Artificial cells that respond to chemical and physical oscillation"

• 17:15-17:30 Conclusions of Day 2

• 17:30-18:00 Break

• 18:00-21:00 Banquet

THURSDAY, 9 January

Day 3: Space Humanity for Perspectives on the Future

Morning Sessions

• 09:30-10:30 Poster Session with Coffee

• 10:30-10:35 Day 3 Thematic Discourse

• 10:35-11:10 Caleb Scharf (NASA/Ames) - "Are we the ultimate astrobiological experiment?"

• 11:10-11:45 Emily Baldwin (North Star Content/EJR-Quartz/ESA) - "Impactful Communications in Space Exploration: Past, Present, and Future"

• 11:45-13:45 Lunch Break

Afternoon Sessions

• 13:45-14:30 Koji Fujita (Science Tokyo) - "Measurement of human movement and its application to early detection of disease"

• 14:30-15:15 Natalie Trevino (Open Univ.) - "The Ethics of Space Exploration: Questions that Lead to more Questions"

• 15:15-15:45 Coffee Break

• 15:45-16:30 Discussion Session moderated by Eric Smith (ELSI)

• 16:30-17:15 Darlene Lim  (NASA/Ames) -"Real-time collaborative science decisioning systems for Moon to Mars human-robotic exploration"

• 17:15-17:30 Conclusions of Day 3 and Symposium

Registration 

All attendees are requested to fill out the following registration form, and this will (1) tell us how to list your name and affiliation for your badge, (2) inform us whether you will attend the banquet so that we know how much food and drink to order, (3) allow you to submit an abstract for the poster session, and (4) allow you to inform us about any special needs or assistance you may require. This conference has no registration fee (although there will be a separate charge to attend the optional banquet).

Please register if you plan to attend. The registration deadline is 30 November 2024, extended to 27 December. If your browser has trouble rendering the embedded registration form below, click here to go directly to the form. If you can't access Google Forms, please download the form here and submit the filled form to LOC (sympo13_loc@elsi.jp).

Poster Session 

Our poster sessions are lively and active events and an integral part of the symposium. Please submit an abstract via the registration form by 30 November 2024 extended to 10 December. Poster display boards and necessary attachment hardware will be provided. Our poster boards are optimized for A0 size in portrait orientation (841mm wide × 1189mm tall).

The list of poster presentations is available here. 

Symposium Banquet

We will hold our symposium banquet from 18:00 to 21:00 on Wednesday, 8 January. A variety of food and drinks will be provided. 

Banquet fee (please pay at the registration)

• ELSI PI and A-PI: 3,000 JPY

• Visitor, Researcher, Postdoc: 2,000 JPY

• Students: 1,000 JPY

Aftershops

13-17 January (the week following the 13th ELSI Symposium) a series of smaller and more focused follow-up "aftershops" will be held at ELSI. Participants are welcome to suggest and organise aftershops.

Code of Conduct

Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. All event attendees and staff have the right to a space that is free of all forms of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and/or retaliation. Participants who are requested to stop any harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately. If you wish to report harassment, suspect that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the organizing committee as soon as possible.