The Future of Space Travel

The Columbia tragedy early this year marked a sad day in our country’s history, along with a major setback in space exploration. How is NASA preparing to “return to flight,” and can tragedies like Columbia be avoided in the future? How are private companies, universities and other non-government sources helping to advance the space program?

On the next edition of Technogenesis®, Ed Francis, Vice President and General Manager of Hamilton Sundstrand Space, Land and Sea, and Alan Boyle, Science Editor of MSNBC.com, join Stevens President Dr. Harold Raveche in an informative look at the current state of space exploration and how NASA is preparing to return to flight.

Technogenesis is a weekly TV program produced by Stevens Institute of Technology, in cooperation with cn8, the Comcast Network. This week’s program will examine NASA’s steps to ensure a return to flight without error, the new technologies aiding space exploration, and the delicate balance between scientific opportunity and safety concerns.

The Technogenesis program, “Reaching the Great Beyond – The Future of Space Exploration,” airs at 7:00 p.m., on cn8, the Comcast Network, each of the following Sundays in New Jersey and parts of neighboring states, including the Philadelphia and Baltimore regions: August 24, September 7, September 21 and September 5. The program will also appear at various times throughout the week on the local Comcast outlets in Prince William and Fairfax counties, Va., as well as Prince George’s County, Md. Please check for local listings.

Hosted by Stevens President Dr. Harold J. Raveche and veteran TV journalist Steve Taylor, each program includes special guests from the areas of science, technology, government, education, business or industry.

Ed Francis has been the vice president and general manager of Hamilton Sundstrand Space, Land and Sea since June 2001. This is a new organization of five enterprises located throughout the country, which provide high technology products to space, homeland security, and military markets. Prior to his current position, he was vice president and then president of Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International, Inc., a wholly owned company of United Technologies Corporation. He was responsible for overall performance and customer satisfaction of the space and undersea programs; his customers included NASA and the Deparment of Defense.

Alan Boyle is science editor at MSNBC.com. He manages MSNBC’s Technology and Science News website, “The Cosmic Log.” He focuses on scientific advancement issues, including features on space exploration and technology. He has been a guest on NBC’s “Today,” “Nightly News,” and MSNBC on cable to discuss current issues related space exploration.

Co-produced by Stevens and Comcast, the half-hour Technogenesis programs feature government, research and industry leaders discussing some of the most challenging real-world issues facing science and technology today.

The Comcast Network is one of the nation’s largest regional cable networks reaching more than seven million households in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Boston.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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