Announcing the 7th Annual Mars Exploration Conference (AMEC 2007).

Presentations over this two-day event will cover a range of issues concerned with forging, nurturing and developing the pioneering culture and methods required to explore Mars.

Written submissions from scientists, engineers, social theorists, managers, writers and artists are welcomed. Full papers will be reviewed and published in accordance with the DEST guidelines.

Topics include (but are not limited to): strategies and technologies for surface exploration; field science for exploration; recruiting the next generation of explorers, astronauts, scientists and engineers; educational needs for a spacefaring culture; the Mars Society as a culture; new concepts in project management; remote-area engineering; Mars as an inspiration to artists.

Speakers will include:

• Dr Jennifer Heldmann - Spaceward Bound Project, Ames Research Centre, California, NASA.
• Prof Brian J O'Brien - fomer NASA Principle Investigator, Project Apollo, former Chair and Director of EPA, WA.
• Prof Lachlan Thompson - Head of Space Platforms Research - SAMME - RMIT - VIC
• Ms Anne Brumfitt - Project Commissioner, International Space Olympics, Scouts Australia
• Dr. Adrian Brown, NASA Ames/SETI Institute, California, USA
• Dr Jonathan Clarke - Geoscience Australia, ACT - Vice President-MSA, Chair of MSA's ARI.
• Prof Arcady Dyskin - School of Civil and Resource Engineering, University of Western Australia WA
• Dr Graham Mann - Project Manager, Starchaser MARSupial Rover, Murdoch University WA.
• Dr James Waldie and Dr Natalie Waldie - MarsSkin Counter-Pressure Spacesuit Project VIC.
• Mr David Willson - Engineer and Project Manager of MSA's MARS-Oz habitat project TAS.
• Mr David Cooper - President MSA Inc., CEO of Spaceward Bound Australia, Centre for Planetary and Space Studies, WA.
• Mr Mark Gargano - MSA Education Officer, Curriculum Coordinator, St Joseph's School, Northam, WA.
• Mr Bill Cooper - Astronomy Dept. Trinity College, East Perth, WA.
• There will also be presentations by High School Students studying Space Science