| Please note: The 2009 Spring Meetings will take place between 16 - 20 March |
The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) held the annual meeting of its International Programme Committee in Paris on Wednesday 26 March 2008 to prepare the next International Astronautical Congress which is to be held in Glasgow in September.
The 2008 Spring Plenary was held in tandem with this meeting and featured three distinguished speakers from Europe, Japan, and China giving updates on current lunar missions and progress on the International Space Station programme.
The co-ordinator of this Plenary was Berndt Feuerbacher, Vice-President, International Astronautical Federation.
Welcome addresses were made by Marcio Barbosa, Deputy Director, UNESCO. and James V. Zimmerman, President of the International Astronautical Federation.
Bernardo Patti (ESA)
On the International Space Station programme and international contributions from Europe, Japan and Canada.
The first speaker at the Plenary was Bernardo Patti, ESA Columbus laboratory project manager.
Bernardo Patti graduated in Nuclear Engineering at Pisa University and worked in Italian industry before joining ESA in 1986.
Originally assigned to the Columbus team as a Thermal Control Engineer, he worked in the life support area of the project. He then spent six years on the Huygens team before returning to the Columbus project in 1996 as Head of the Thermal and Life Support Section.
He has held other positions since of Head of the Columbus Project Division, Head of the Module Projects Division and currently Head of ISS Infrastructure Development Projects.
Video of Bernardo Patti's talk
Patti Presentation (PDF format)
Susumu Sasaki (JAXA)
An update on recent results from the Japanese Kaguya mission to the Moon.
The second speaker at the Plenary was Susumu Sasaki, Kaguya Project Scientist.
Susumu Sasaki received his D.Sc. from the University of Tokyo in 1976.
He joined the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science in 1975.
Since 2000, he has been a professor of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). As part of this work, he has been assigned to the KAGUYA mission as a project scientist and also is working on a solar power satellite project.
Video of Susumu Sasaki's talk
Sasaki Presentation (PDF format)
Hao Xifan (CNSA)
A discussion about the Chinese lunar programme.
The final speaker at the Plenary was Hao Xifan, Deputy Director of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program Center.
Hao Xifan graduated from Beijing Aeronautical College in 1985.
He received his M.S. from China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in 1988 and a doctor's degree from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2008.
Since 2004, he has been the deputy director of the Lunar Exploration Program Center at China National Space Administration (CNSA), working for Chang'e programme as an administrator.
Video of Hao Xifan's talk
Xifan Presentation (PDF format)
Images from the event
