Calendar of Significant Events (Click on one of the links above for page navigation)
(Calendar
last updated on: 05/06/08)
The information provided below serves as both a history of astrosociology as related to this website and a calendar of events occurring in the future. Members, supporters, and visitors may take advantage of this information to get a good sense of how much progress exists as time passes, but also for learning of updates for new events or accomplishments as well. (Events are listed in reverse chronological order). The Calendar of Significant Events consists of activities taking place in the future. After an event occurs or it is no longer important, it is removed from the calendar. If the removed item represents a significant milestone, the event is moved to the History of Astrosociology section as a permanent entry. While both the calendar and historical events listed below correspond most strongly to this website, everyone is encouraged to submit contributions for consideration as new entries in order to keep the astrosociological community as informed as possible.
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Calendar
of Significant Events
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Date |
Name
and |
Event
Details / |
Links
/ |
May
29 - June 1, |
National
Space Society (NSS) International Space Development Conference Washington, D.C. |
This
year's theme is "The New Pace of Space." Recently,
we have obtained approval for an astrosociology track and continue
to seek abstracts to fill out our eight 30-minute time slots. Interested
parties should contact this site as soon as possible (please see
the Contact page). |
Go to the site: Post Abstracts/Papers : ISDC
2008 Program (including the astro- |
June |
Canadian Sociological Association (CSA) Meeting |
An astrosociology session chaired by supporter Ken Duffy (ABD) is approved. It is entitled Astrosociology: Sociological Examination of Space Medicine, Travel, Habitation, and Deep Space Exploration. Abstract
Deadline: January 15, 2008 Contact Ken Duffy through Jim Pass (see the Contact page). |
Go to the site: |
August |
103rd Annual American Sociological Association (ASA) Meeting Boston, MA |
Theme:
"Worlds of Work" |
Go to the site: |
September |
Space
2008 San Diego , CA |
The Astrosociology Working Group (AWG) along with its parent, the Society and Aerospace Technology Technical Committee (SAT TC) of the AIAA, was given approval to begin the process of organizing the Space History and Society Track (in conjunction with the History Technical Committee). Three of the five "society" approved sessions directly involve astrosociological issues. Topics include space societies, astrobiology and astrosociology, and the Overview Effect. The
Call for Papers (CFP) brochure (see link to the right) provides
the details about both the space history and the astrosociology
portions of the track. |
Go to the site: View the Call for Papers (CFP): Go to the TC Page: Go to the Program: (link to follow...) |
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[end of Calendar section] |
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History of Astrosociology
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Date |
Name
and |
Event
Details / |
Links
/ |
May
3, |
The
5th Annual AIAA Southern California Aerospace Systems & Technology
Conf. Santa Ana, CA |
Jim Pass made a presentation again this year at SoCal ASAT called Space Exploration and Settlement: Incorporating Astrosociology for a More Comprehensive Understanding. |
Go to the site: |
April
12, (12:00-1:30 pm, Pacific) |
The
Space Show (Host: Dr. David M. Livingston) |
Drs. Albert A. Harrison and Jim Pass were joined by Tom Gangale for an appearance as guests on a special episode of The Space Show. The major topic slated for the show included a review of the Contact 2008 conference that occurred the previous week and expanded upon other issues with relevance to astrosociology. Everyone interested in astrosociology, or the study of space exploration and related issues from a social science perspective, should find the discussion interesting. You can still listen to this episode by going to The Space Show website and locating the correct link in the archives. Alternatively, you can listen to the show by going to the Virtual Library page and clicking on the headphones icon in the "Multimedia Resources" section (under "Appearances on The Space Show"). |
Go to the site: |
April |
CONTACT 2008 NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA |
The
Contact Conference was back once again at Ames Research Center in
2008 after a one-year hiatus. It was a fun conference! |
Contact Conference (2008) |
April |
Pacific Sociological Association (PSA) Conference Portland, OR |
An
astrosociology session is approved for this year's PSA conference. Our
session for this year is called Astrosociology:
Replicating Human Societies in Space, and focuses
on the concept of "space societies" (i.e., space settlements
or colonies). |
Go to the site: Go to the site: Go to the site: |
February |
Space
Technology & Albuquerque, NM |
A paper by Jim Pass was presented for a space exploration session at the 2008 STAIF conference. Entitled Astrosociology and Space Exploration: Taking Advantage of the 'Other' Branch of Science, this paper argues that the success of future space exploration will depend on a formal collaboration between the two branches of science. |
Go to the site: View the Program: |
January |
46th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting & Exhibit (ASM) Reno, NV |
The
AIAA Astrosociology Working Group (AWG) secured an astrosociology
session at the ASM conference in 2008 for the first time. The
revised title of the paper presented by Jim Pass was entitled Space
Medicine: Medical Astrosociology in the Sickbay.
This paper introduced the new specialization of "medical astrosociology." |
Go to the site:
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November
16-17, |
California
Sociological |
Our
proposed session, Astrosociology and the Relevance of Outer
Space to Social Life was approved by the program committee. |
Go to the site: View the Paper List: |
September |
Space 2007 Conference and Exposition (AIAA) Long Beach, CA |
The
Astrosociology Working Group (AWG), under the auspices of the AIAA
Society and Space Technology Technical Committee, was granted
an allocation of three sessions for this conference for a
total of twelve papers. |
Go to the site: View the Paper List: |
August |
102nd Annual American Sociological Association (ASA) Meeting New York, NY |
No
astrosociology sessions or papers were accepted for this ASA meeting. We will try again for an special astrosociology session for next year in Chicago. |
Go to the site: |
| June 03-08, 2007 |
Rutgers Symposium on Lunar Settlements New Brunswick, NJ |
The conference organizers expressed a strong interest in a presentation focusing on astrosociology as it relates to settlements on the Moon. Unfortunately, an astrosociology presence was not possible this year as supporters of astrosociology living in the eastern portion of the country could not participate. Several interesting speakers were featured in the program. (See their website by clicking on the link to the right). |
Go to the site: |
May |
National
Space Society (NSS) International Space Development Conference Dallas, TX |
This year, we were able to secure an astrosociology session! The session went well and potential news for next year is on the horizon! Members and supports will receive news when, or if, it comes to fruition. Not a supporter or member? Join us today by going this site's Supporter/Membership page. The navigation button appears on the top of each major page (see above, for example). |
Go to the site: Post Abstracts/Papers : |
May |
The Aerospace Technology Working Group (ATWG) Forum Dallas, TX |
The ATWG will provide us with some time to talk about astrosociology, including a short presentation. This meeting took place in conjunction with the ISDC conference. |
Go to the site: View Forum Page: |
May
20-24, |
[announcement] The 16th IAA Humans in Space Symposium Beijing, China |
The theme for this conference was From Dream to Reality: Living, Working and Creating for Humans in Space. We hope for a presence in the future by one or more supporters of Astrosociology.com at this conference and more generally on the international scene. The growing field of astrosociology has much to contribute to the implications of humans in space. |
Go to the site: |
May
5, |
The
4th Annual AIAA Southern California Aerospace Systems & Technology
Conf. Santa Ana, CA |
Jim Pass made a presentation entitled A Short History of Astrosociology and its Relevance to the Space Community at this conference. |
Go to the site: |
March
29- |
Pacific Sociological Association (PSA) Conference Oakland, CA |
A special session entitled Astrosociology: Boldly Expanding the Traditional Limits of Sociology occurred as scheduled. One session included a paper addressing the need to bring outer space into social science classrooms (see session 51 on Thursday, March 29). Two (2) sessions are directly related to astrosociology. Both took place on Saturday, March 31. The first session is described in the previous paragraph (see session 162 in the Preliminary Program). The second session included a short film about the legacy of the Apollo program and a discussion about that topic as well as astrosociological issues in general (see session 184). |
Go to the site: View the Preliminary Program: |
March |
[announcement] Third
Asian Space Conference Singapore |
This
conference seeks participation from the traditional space science
and engineering disciplines, of course, but also from sociology,
the other social sciences, and the humanities. A conference organizer
asked to include their announcement on this Calendar (see the link
to the right), and we are happy to accommodate the request. Anyone
with an interest in space issues as they relate to Asia should submit
a paper and/or attend this conference (see the home page link).
|
Go to the site: Read the Announcement: |
February
27- |
2nd
Space and Society Conference: Budapest, Hungary |
A paper by Jesper Jørgensen and Jim Pass, Astrosociology: Theory Development and Applied Science for the Future International Spacefaring Community, was presented at this conference. |
Go to the site: Additional Information: |
| February 11-15, 2007 |
Space
Technology & Albuquerque, NM |
The timely theme of this year's conference was: "Space Renaissance: Inspiring the Next Generation." Jim Pass presented a paper entitled Moon Bases as Initial "Space Society" Trials: Utilizing Astrosociology to Make Space Settlements Livable. The STAIF conference will likely become an annual event for the Astrosociology Working Group (AWG), so try to attend if possible! |
Go to the site: View the Program: |
January
16, (7:00-8:30 pm) |
The
Space Show (Host: Dr. David M. Livingston) |
Drs. Albert A. Harrison and Jim Pass both appeared as guests on a special episode of The Space Show. Many topics related to astrosociology received coverage, including Dr. Harrison's specialties of SETI and planetary defense, and his upcoming book STARSTRUCK. We had a great time! Everyone interested in astrosociology, or the study of space exploration and related issues from a social science perspective, should find the discussion interesting. You can still listen to this episode by going to The Space Show website and locating the correct link in the archives. While there, look for a show with guest Kathleen Connell and another with Dr. Marilyn Dudley-Rowley and Thomas Gangale; these are three very strong supporters of astrosociology. Beyond that, browse the archives for whatever guests interest you! |
Go to the site: |
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California Sociological Association (CSA) Conference Riverside, CA |
A session devoted exclusively to astro-sociology occurred at the CSA conference for a third year running. This session's title was Astrosociology and the Californian Dream of Space Exploration. |
Go to the site: Read the Bulletin: |
October |
57th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) Valencia, Spain |
A paper by Jim Pass and Jesper Jørgensen, entitled Introduction to Astrosociology: An Assessment of its Definition, Scope, and Relevance, was accepted for presentation at this conference and part of the conference proceedings. This conference was sponsored by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), and the International Institute of Space Law (IISL). |
Go to the org. sites: IAF
Home Page Go to conference page: |
September |
Space
2006 |
A session called The Astrosociology of Space Colonization was added late to the schedule along with four other sessions under the auspices of the Space Colonization Technical Committee. Jim Pass served as the Chair of the astrosociology session and Marilyn Dudley-Rowley was the Co-Chair. Jim Pass also presented a second paper concerning planetary defense issues in one of the global defense sessions at Space 2006. |
Go to the site: |
September |
Astrosociology
Working Group
Space 2006 San Jose, CA |
This conference also marked the first meeting of the Astrosociology Working Group (AWG). The meeting took place on Wednesday evening, the 20th of September, from 1900 hours to 2200 hours in room "Willow Glen I." The meeting went very well -- the working group is now a reality! Anyone who could not attend in person may request to have his or her name added to our working group mailing list. (Send request via Contact page). |
Note: This new Astrosociology Working Group (AWG) is sponsored by the Life Sciences and Systems Technical Committee of the AIAA. |
September |
Societal Impact of Spaceflight Conf. Washington, D.C. |
Unfortunately, this conference took place on exactly the same dates as Space 2006. It was important to include this in the calendar because this conference mirrors the subject matter of astrosociology. (Details about a related opportunity regarding astrosociology will appear as a separate item when it occurs -- check back in January 2007). |
Go to the site: NASA History Div. / Conference Page View the abstracts: |
August |
American
Sociological Association (ASA) Montreal, Canada |
No astrosociology papers this year... |
Go to the site: |
May |
Commercial Space Forum NASA Ames Research Center |
Jim Pass joined Dr. Marilyn Dudley-Rowley and Thomas Gangale of the think tank OPS-Alaska along with a great many others from private organizations, government, and academia in the collective effort to increase space commercialization. Participation by the three of us added the astrosociological perspective to the discourse, one that has remained silent for far too long regarding space development issues. Representatives from the three major backgrounds worked together to produce preliminary guidelines, an effort well worth the time spent. NASA Research Partnership Centers (RPCs) sponsored this forum along with ACES (see links to the right for details). |
Go to the site: Go to the site: |
May
13, |
Southern California Aerospace Systems and Technology Conference (SoCal ASAT) Santa Ana, CA |
A paper by Jim Pass, entitled Astrosociology: The Social Consequences of the Work of Space Engineers, was presented as part of this conference held by the Orange County section of the AIAA in collaboration with the Los Angeles section. Astrosociology.com served as one of the sponsors. |
See the flyer: The Conf. Schedule: |
May |
National
Space Society (NSS) International Space Development Conference Los Angeles, CA |
The ISDC conferences always include a great many space community "heavyweights" as part of an interesting and diverse lineup of speakers. This year, astrosociology will be introduced at the ISDC Conference for the first time as Jim Pass is accepted as a confirmed speaker at the conference. The paper to be presented is entitled Developing Astrosociology for the Space Sciences, part of the Space Science track. |
Go to the site: Go to the site: |
April |
Pacific Sociological Association (PSA) Conference Universal
City, CA |
A paper by Jim Pass, entitled The Potential of Sociology in the Space Age: Developing Astrosociology to Fill an Extraordinary Void, was accepted and presented as part of the Sociology of Science and Knowledge session. |
Go to the site: Preliminary Program: |
March |
CONTACT 2006 NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA |
A paper by Jim Pass, entitled The Astrosociological Implications of Astrobiology was presented. The theme this year was Music of the Spheres, though presentations, as always, reflected a great deal of diversity in terms of speakers' backgrounds and topics. |
View the program: |
March |
The
Space Show (Host: Dr. David M. Livingston) |
Jim Pass appeared as a guest on this very informative radio broadcast. A wide range of interesting astrosociological topics were covered. Dr. Livingston was very gracious and supportive of our efforts. You can listen to a recording of this and all past episodes of The Space Show. MP3 files exist in the Program Archives on the home page of the show's site. (The link to this particular episode is also found to the right for your convenience). Space enthusiasts are encouraged to become regular listeners and participants of The Space Show. |
Go to the site:
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February |
Space
Technology & Albuquerque, NM |
|
Go to the site: View Final Program: |
January
01, |
Editorial Board of Astropolitics Journal |
Jim Pass was invited to join the editorial staff of Astropolitics which, for the first time ever, places an astrosociologist on the board of a well-regarded journal. The invitation was accepted and became effective on the first day of 2006. |
Go to the site: |
November |
California
Sociological |
Two related sessions devoted exclusively to astrosociology were approved by the CSA for a second year running. The main session title is Astrosociology: The Sociology of Outer Space. The second session followed the first in the same room and took place during the lunch hour. Although a small audience attended the sessions, the presentations were excellent and they generated interesting discussions. |
Go to the site: View details of the CSA astrosociology session:
|
November |
[Announcement] 2nd
Annual Asian Space Conference Hanoi, Vietnam |
The Asian Space Conference aims to bridge the gap between space (e.g., satellites, technology, and applications) and the social sciences and humanities within the Asian context. The formal objectives of the ASC unmistakably support the development of astrosociology, and thus your participation is strongly encouraged. |
View PDF Version of the ASC announcement:
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October
26, |
Astrosociology.com |
Astrosociology.com Update No. 4 was sent to all existing members and supporters of Astrosociology.com. |
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August |
American
Sociological Association (ASA) |
Two events related to astrosociology took place at this conference. First, a paper submitted by Jim Pass was accepted for presentation as one part of the Science, Knowledge, and Technology (SKAT) roundtables. The title of the accepted paper is Invitation to Astrosociology: Why the Sociologist-Space Enthusiast Should Consider It. Second, a two hour long Astrosociology Forum provided hotel space for an open discussion regarding the development of astrosociology. It was open to supporters and critics alike, and we interacted during a PowerPoint presentation. |
ASA
2005 Program Search Page (see bottom of page)
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August
08, |
The Space Review |
The Space Review posted an essay written by Jim Pass entitled Astrosociology and the Space Community. This online publication is "devoted to in-depth articles, commentary, and reviews regarding all aspects of space exploration..." Everyone is encouraged to read it on a regular basis. |
Go to the site: |
June
12, |
The
Space Show (Host: Dr. David M. Livingston) |
Jim Pass appeared as a guest on this very informative radio broadcast. A wide range of interesting astrosociological topics were covered. Dr. Livingston was very gracious and supportive of our efforts. You can listen to a recording of this and all past episodes of The Space Show. MP3 files exist in the Program Archives on the home page of the show's site. (The link to this particular episode is also found to the right for your convenience). Space enthusiasts are encouraged to become regular listeners and participants of The Space Show. |
Go to the site:
|
April
26, |
Institute
for the Future (IF) website |
Steve Steele of the Institute for the Future invited Jim Pass to contribute an article for inclusion in the institute's online e-zine. It is posted in the applied sociology section. It responds to the following question: What is astrosociology and why is it important to the future of space exploration? |
Links
to AACC Pages: |
April
15, |
Astrosociology.com |
Astrosociology.com Update No. 3 was sent to all existing members and supporters of Astrosociology.com. |
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March |
CONTACT
2005 Conference |
Jim Pass presented a paper to a diverse audience consisting of professionals from the space community and from the other social sciences (i.e., non-sociologists). Attendees also included artists, historians, journalists, science fiction authors, and futures studies scholars with diverse backgrounds. The paper, see the Virtual Library, is entitled The Sociology of SETI: An Astrosociological Perspective. |
Go to the site: |
March |
Announcement: First
IAA International Conference |
Does this sound familiar? The IAA held its first conference concerning the impact of space activities on society in Budapest Hungary. |
Go to "Impact of Space Activities on Society" Conference Site |
March 11, 2005 |
Astrosociology.com |
First posting of this calendar/history page. |
(Long overdue!) |
March
01, |
The Impact of Space Activities Upon Society website |
A (perhaps overly optimistic) submission by Jim Pass was posted regarding the theme expressed to the left. This specific project is sponsored by the International Aeronautic Association (IAA). You are encouraged to submit your own thoughts! |
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February
01, |
Astrosociology.com |
A proposal was sent to the appropriate ASA committee regarding initiation of a teaching enhancement project dedicated to the creation of three specifically targeted sets of astrosociological materials: (1) insertion into existing courses; (2) creation of an Introduction to Astrosociology course; and (3) establishment of an entire astrosociology curriculum for a major in astrosociology. |
Please
see
the Submit Materials page for details
regarding the new Astrosociology Curriculum Development |
January |
Astrosociology.com |
A proposal was submitted to ASA program committee requesting inclusion of a special session dedicated specifically to the new subdiscipline of astrosociology into the 2006 meeting program. It was tentatively entitled "Astrosociology: Bringing Sociology into the Space Age." |
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January |
Astrosociology.com |
Astrosociology.com Update No. 2 was sent to all existing members and supporters of Astrosociology.com. |
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November |
Astrobiology@
NASA
site (Ames Research |
This links page includes the first known NASA link to Astrosociology.com. See the home page for as well for indispensable information regarding astrobiology, including the importance of related societal issues. |
Go to Home Page: |
November |
Astrosociology.com |
Part Two of Inaugural Essay posted to site. |
Available
on the
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October |
California
Sociological Association (CSA) |
Four papers regarding astrosociology were presented in two sessions. (See the details by clicking on the button to | |
