UC Connect public lecture – Artemis: The Future of Deep Space Exploration
Artemis was the mythical twin sister of Apollo, and goddess of the Moon. Now she personifies our path to the Moon as the
name of NASA’s Program to return astronauts to the lunar surface – including the first woman. When they land, they will
be where no-one has gone before: the Moon’s South Pole.
In his upcoming UC Connect public lecture, Artemis: The Future of Deep Space Exploration, NASA Senior Engineer and University of Canterbury (UC) Erskine Fellow Tim Atkins will explain how, working with
American and international partners, the Artemis Program will establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
The aim of the program is to uncover new scientific discoveries, demonstrate new technologies, and lay the foundation
for a lunar economy. NASA’s further goals include exploration of Mars and other Deep Space destinations; Artemis is the
first step in this new era of human exploration. With some of humanity’s most advanced technologies, future astronauts
will stay longer on the surface of the Moon, explore more of the Moon than ever imagined, and build a sustainable
presence.
About the speaker
Tim Atkins manages avionics requirements, testing, and analyses for key components of the Artemis Programs, at NASA’s
Marshall Space Flight Center: the Space Launch System and Human Lander. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in
Engineering and Operations Research from the University of Central Florida, with decades of experience in software
development, electronics integration, and rocket science. He and his wife have six children and five grandchildren (with
#6 coming in January). He enjoys home-construction projects, helping low-income communities, hiking, and time with
relatives all over the world.
UC Connect public lecture: Artemis: The Future of Deep Space Exploration presented by Tim Atkins, NASA Senior Engineer and UC Erskine Fellow, on Thursday 3 October, 7pm-8pm, in C-Block lecture
theatres, Ilam campus, University of Canterbury, Christchurch.
NB: Registrations to attend have reached capacity, however the public lecture will be streamed live on UC’s Facebook
page and available to view on the UC Connect YouTube channel about a week later. http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/ucconnect/
ends