Bernal Sphere Space Habitat. Photo Credit: NASA Ames

The gathering will take place primarily at the NASA Ames Conference Center, with evening events held at the Sheraton Sunnyvale Hotel. Speakers will present a wide range of research topics, including affordable space transportation, extraterrestrial prospecting, lunar and asteroid manufacturing processes, robotics and tele-operations, closed environment life support systems, space solar power and energy, and off-planet property rights.

"This conference is the only one solely concerned with the science and engineering of humanity's expansion into the solar system. Its most important function is to bring together the engineers, entrepreneurs and researchers who do the real work," said SSI Executive Vice President and SFF Advocate Lee Valentine. "We're especially pleased to be holding the event at NASA Ames. Thirty-five years ago, the Ames Research Center was the site of the first large technical study of space settlement. We have made significant progress since then, but with the prospect of low cost space transportation in the near future, now is the time to reinvigorate research and collaboration on the critical path technologies needed for space industrialization and settlement."

• Moon, Mars, Asteroids: Where to Go First for Resources?: NASA Ames Center Director Pete Worden will moderate a panel of six experts to debate the first moves in expanding beyond Earth orbit. The round table discussion will be followed by a reception.

• Luna Nova: New Discoveries About the Poles of the Moon: Dr. Paul Spudis of the Lunar and Planetary Institute will host this luncheon talk on Saturday.

• Synthetic Genomics: Famed biologist and entrepreneur Dr. Craig Venter of the J. Craig Venter Institute will discuss the role that synthetic organisms can play in future space settlement. This is a joint session with the Synthetic Biology Workshop.

• Asia's Road To the Moon: Dr. John Lewis of the Space Studies Institute will take an international view of space exploration during this dinner talk.

• Terrestrial Telerobotic Mining Technology: An Enabler for Extraterrestrial Habitation, Mining and Construction: Dr. Greg Baiden, Penguin Automated Systems, will explore the use of robotic technologies to achieve humanity's goals during Sunday's lunch.

Register online today via the SSI website, where full agenda can also be viewed. For additional information, please contact Robin Snelson of the Space Studies Institute at robin@ssi.org.

About the Space Studies Institute:

Professor Gerard K. O'Neill founded the Space Studies Institute in 1977 with the hope of opening the vast wealth of space to humanity. The Institute's mission, continuing under the direction of President Freeman Dyson, is to open the energy and material resources of space for human benefit within our lifetime. SSI's first commitment is to complete the missing technological links to make possible the productive use of the abundant resources in space.