The 9th Australian Mars Exploration Conference will be held in Adelaide over the weekend of 17th - 19th July, 2009. Presentations over this exciting two-day event will cover a range of issues concerned with forging, nurturing and developing the pioneering culture and methods required to explore Mars. This year, a second Spaceward Bound Australia expedition (SBA2009) will depart a fortnight before the conference, led by Dr Chris McKay of NASA's Ames Research Centre and MSA engineer and MarsOz project manager, David Willson. MSA will be taking a group of educationalists on a learning and development trek to Woomera, Arkaroola and the central Flinders ranges. They will examine sites of past and present space activity and those with Mars analogue significance and which illustrate major events in the history of Earth. A number of participants are expected to make presentations AMEC. This is the first time the Mars Society Australia has held it's annual conference in the same city for consecutive years. Download a conference flyer and help spread the word.

The conference will open with a free public lecture by one of the world's leading planetary scientists, Dr Chris McKay of the Space Science Division, NASA Ames.

When: 7.30pm, Friday 17th July
Where: Centenary Building, Level 3 - Room 16 (C3-16), University of South Australia, City East Campus,
Cnr North Terrace and Frome Rd, ADELAIDE. (Download pdf map).

Dr Chris McKay received his Ph.D. in AstroGeophysics from the University of Colorado in 1982 and has been a research scientist with the NASA Ames Research Center since that time. His current research focuses on the evolution of the solar system and the origin of life. He is also actively involved in planning for future Mars missions including human exploration. Chris been involved in research in Mars-like environments on Earth, traveling to the Antarctic dry valleys, Siberia, the Canadian Arctic, and the Atacama desert to study life in these Mars-like environments. His was a co-investigator on the Titan Huygen's probe in 2005, the Mars Phoenix lander mission in 2008, and the Mars Science Lander mission for 2011. He is the deputy program scientist for Constellation - the NASA program for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Registration for AMEC 2009 is open. You can register online here or register by post by downloading a postal registration form. Help spread the word!

Last minute registration will also be available on the day.

A full draft program is available here. (This may be subject to last minute revisions). Confirmed speakers include -

• Reut Sorek-Abramovich, Brendan Burns and Brett Neilan, Australian Centre for Astrobiology, University of NSW
  'Temporal Biodiversity of Potential Diazotrophs in Stromatolites, Shark Bay, Western Australia'


• Rosalba Bonaccorsi1,2, Christopher P. McKay1, and the Marte Team, (1) NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field CA, (2) SETI Institute - 515 N. Whisman Road - Mountain View, CA
  'Preservation of Biosignatures in Phyllosilicates vs. Iron-rich Environments as Mars Analogues'


• Jonathan Clarke, Mars Society Australia/Australian Centre for Astrobiology
  'A Summary of Australian Mars Analogues'
  
  
• Mark Gargano, Science Coordinator, St Josephs School, Northam
  'Student Field Expeditions: Improving Conceptual Understanding in Earth, Planetary and Space Science'


• Brittany Hunter, Iona Presentation College, 33 Palmerston Street WA
  'Space Science: Developing scientific awareness amongst Middle to Senior School Students'


• Eriita Jones (and Charles Lineweaver), Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, ANU, Mt Stromlo Observatory
  'To What Extent Does Terrestrial Life 'Follow The Water'?''


• Dr. John Malos and Dr. Jonathon Ralston, Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies (QCAT), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  'Advanced Mining Automation: Space Technology Transfer'

The conference banquet will begin at 7.30pm, on the evening of Saturday, 18th July. It will be held at the beautiful historic Ayers House Restaurant in central Adelaide. Prior registration is essential. Dress is smart casual/semi-formal.

The venue address is:-

Ayers House Restaurant
88 North Terrace
Adelaide 5000
(Download a pdf map.)

The conference and Friday night opening public lecture are being generously hosted by the University of South Australia and will be held at - Centenary Building, Level 3 - Room 16 (C3-16), University of South Australia, City East Campus, Cnr North Terrace and Frome Rd, ADELAIDE (Click here for online campus map or download a pdf map.)

(above) - entry from North Terrace

AMEC registrants have a range of different hotels and other types of accommodation available to them in central Adelaide close to the conference venue. Bookings and prices are subject to availability, do check conditions which apply prior to booking. We would particularly like to recommend the following:

• Adelaide Central YHA
  This is located at 135 Waymouth Street, in the heart of central Adelaide overlooking picturesque Light Square. For more information visit www.yha.com.au or call (08) 8414 3010.
  
  
• Pacific International Apartments Adelaide
  88 Frome Street (corner of Frome & Grenfell Street) Adelaide SA 5000 With spacious one, two and three-bedroom apartments in the midst of Adelaide's vibrant east end. For more information visit www.pacificinthotels.com or call (08) 8412 3393.
  
  
• Pacific International Suites Adelaide
  55-67 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide SA 5000. An apartment style hotel, located in the seclusion of Hindmarsh Square, offering the unique combination of a central location with a peaceful environment. For more information visit www.pacificinthotels.com or call (08) 8412 3393.
  
  
• Mercure Grosvenor Hotel Adelaide
  An historic hotel at 125 North Terrace, right in the middle of all the action of Adelaide. For more information visit http://www.mercuregrosvenorhotel.com.au/ or call (08) 8407 8888.

For information on public transport in the Adelaide metropolitan region visit Adelaide Metro

Some useful travel links for online booking of airfares are:
QANTAS - http://www.qantas.com.au/
Virgin Blue - http://www.virginblue.com.au/
Jetstar - http://www.jetstar.com/

For finding your way around Adelaide and other Australian cities, try Streetdirectory.com  You can search Australian telephone directories online at http://www.whitepages.com.au/