Waimea Town Meeting Thursday, March 5 To Explore On-Island Lunar-Mars Research & More Earthly Coqui & Invasive Species Battle
Two young women - one an astrobiologist and the other, a geology-volcanology major - will share their STEM exploratory journey here on Hawai'i Island investigating the possibility of sustainable settlements on the Moon, Mars and beyond to create economic and career opportunities for Hawai'i during this Thursday's March 5, 2020 Waimea Town Meeting.
The meeting will run from 5:15 to 7 p.m. in Waimea School Cafeteria and will include a more down to earth presentation about a new coqui and invasive species fighting initiative for Waimea.
Also on the agenda will be updates on community policing and Makani Power, an energy kite R&D project here in Waimea.
The spotlighted not-for-profit will be Hawai'i Island Humane Society.
Waimea Community Association's monthly town meetings are open to all and there is no charge though membership in the not-for-profit organization is welcome.
Topping the agenda will be a presentation by astrobiologist Dr. Michaela Musilova, who will discuss her otherworldly research taking place on the secluded slopes of Mauna Loa that is designed to prepare astronauts and other scientists for life on the Moon or Mars. Michaela is the Director of the Hawaii - Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) station at 8,200' elevation on Mauna Loa. HI-SEAS has been the home to five successful long duration (4-12 month) NASA Mars simulation missions since 2013. As of 2018, the International MoonBase Alliance (IMA), an organization dedicated to building sustainable settlements on the Moon, has opened up HI-SEAS to worldwide research organizations, space agencies and companies. During the simulated missions to the Moon and Mars at HI-SEAS, a six-person crew is isolated from the rest of humanity for extended periods of time. This includes imposing communications delays for up to 20 minutes with "Earth" each way. The crew can only exit the habitat when they have permission from Mission Control on Earth, while wearing analog spacesuits and going through full extra vehicular activity (EVA) protocols. The research and technological experiments conducted at HI-SEAS are going to be used to help build a Moon-base in Hawai'i, and ultimately to create an actual Moon-base on the Moon.
Also presenting will be Kyla Edison , the Geology and Material Science Technician for the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES), a state-funded agency dedicated to promoting the aerospace industry in Hawaiʻi through economic development, workforce development and applied research. Kyla attended UH-Hilo majoring in Geology with a dedicated focus on Planetary Geology and Volcanology. Upon graduating in 2016, she was asked to join PISCES due to her experience studying basaltic lava and igneous petrology. Leading the Materials Science research at PISCES, Kyla is currently investigating if all basalt feedstocks - regardless of chemical and mineral abundances - are appropriate for making durable construction materials that may be applicable to future base settlements on the moon and Mars. Her research involves making tiles through a process known as sintering, which is similar to ceramics. The basalt feedstock is crushed, dried, sieved and then fired in a kiln between 2,100°-2,150°F. Though Kyla's project began by focusing on the Moon and Mars, the results show significant promise for applications on Earth as well. The materials are environmentally friendly and require no additives; all that is needed is basalt and an intensive energy source to provide heat. PISCES hopes to reduce the energy requirements and firing temperatures by including a binding agent for the basalt. With binding agents, PISCES could develop a large-scale manufacturing process for sintered basalt that could be used as tile and other durable construction materials. The resulting product could offer a new source of revenue benefiting Hawaiʻi's economy. Kyla will discuss the strides PISCES has made over the last several years in material science research and how it applies to space research and Hawai'I's economic development. Kyla will also discuss the STEM Aerospace Research Scholars (STARS) program, which targets Hawai'i high school girls to inspire them to pursue STEM careers. Additionally, Kyla will discuss her recent 2-week Lunar simulation with the EuroMoonMars IMA HI-SEAS (EMMIHS) missions on Mauna Loa. She will connect how her research in the habitat directly ties to her research with PISCES and how it will aid the current research being conducted for future Lunar/Mars missions.
A third wahine scientist - botanist Christine Young - will introduce the newly formed Hawaiian Ecological Preservation Task Force, which is working in partnership with the Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) to address the influx of invasives, most notably coqui frogs which are now found to be carriers of Rat Lung Worm. The new task force is being established as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit to reinvigorate previous community volunteer efforts to fight invasive species.
As always at Waimea Town Meetings, steaming hot Starbucks coffee and cookies will be provided. For more information, email waimeacommunityassociation@gmail.com or visit www.waimeatown.org. Please note new Calendar on website for coming events, and if an organization, school, club etc. that you belong to is sponsoring such an event, training or workshop, email info and flyer to us. For more frequent updates, town news and coming events, go to: www.Facebook.com/WaimeaCommunityAssociation.
