9-th International Conference on Protection of Materials
and Structures from Space Environment - ICPMSE-9 


OBJECTIVES OF THE MEETING

The human race is about to set forth on a journey that will mark the
beginning of a sustained human presence in the solar system. The voyages
to the Moon, Mars, Venus mark only the beginning of the space
exploration of our solar system. Discovery of new habitable planets and
their exploration is the next logical step to the human presence in space. 

A thorough knowledge of  the space environment around Earth, Mars, Venus
and other possible candidates for landing remains therefore an important
issue for the years to come. The fast development of nano-structured
materials and their coatings will provide new and useful protective
properties that, when applied, should enhance the life and reliability
of spacecraft exposed to the factors of the space environment.

In light of all these developments, the ICPMSE series of meetings became
an important source of knowledge to the space environment community.
Since the first meeting in 1992, the conference has grown steadily,
attracting a large number of engineers, researchers, managers, and
scientists from industrial companies, scientific institutions and
government agencies in Canada, U.S.A., Asia, and Europe, thus becoming a
true international event.  

With the space weather topics overlapping closely in many instances the
space environment issues, the ICPMSE-9 meeting is gaining even stronger
importance, attracting a large interest in interdisciplinary areas of
space exploration of LEO, GEO and Deep Space. 

To reflect on all new developments, the program of the meeting, in
addition to the traditional topics of protection of materials and
structures from the atomic oxygen, VUV, and particle irradiation and
thermal effects includes also such topics as micrometeoroids, space
weather and relevant protection issues for travel to Moon, Mars, other
planets, and Deep Space exploration. 

Understanding of the micrometeoroid environment is critical to the
design and successful operation of spacecraft and long-term
extra-terrestrial habitat. Ground-based impact testing and flight
experiment results provide the empirical data required to develop and
verify micrometeoroid models describing the environment, effects on
materials and systems, and the performance of mitigation techniques.  

The common denominator for all the topics to be discussed at ICPMSE-9 is
the protection of materials and structures from the effects of the space
factors. The combination of a broad selection of technical and
scientific topics addressed by internationally-known speakers with the
charm of Toronto and the hospitality of the organizers brings
participants back year after year.  

The upcoming ICPMSE conference is designed to:  

- Promote the exchange of information and experience among research
  organizations and scientists, gained from ground-based and flight
  experiments.

- Provide a forum for engineers, material scientists, and management to
  interact and utilize each others' capabilities and 

- Review the latest research and development in topics covering the
  effects of space weather and environment on materials and structures in
  LEO, GEO and affecting the interplanetary travel and the exploration of
  the Universe. 


Important Dates to Remember

Abstract Deadline	December 27, 2007
Second Announcement	January 15, 2008
Final Announcement/Program	March 15, 2008
Manuscript Deadline 	April 1, 2008
Conference Dates	May 19  23, 2008

SUGGESTED TOPICS


Protection from Space Environment  MIR, ISS, Hubble, NGST, etc.  past,
present and future needs

Environmental Effects (atomic oxygen, UV and particles radiation, lunar
and planetary dust, vacuum, thermal cycling, spacecraft charging) and
Material Protection in LEO, GEO, and Deep Space 

Fundamental and Predictive Models of Interaction of Matter with Space
Environment (degradation models, ageing, erosion, synergistic effects,
etc.)

Development, Synthesis and Modification of Materials for Protection in
Space using Nano-Materials and Nano-technology principles 

New Materials: Ground-based and In-flight testing and characterization,
development and qualification

Results from MISSE missions
Contamination effects:  plumes, plasma, debris, outgassing, particle and
molecular contamination 

New and existing technologies for In-Orbit inspection, maintenance and
repair of materials

Meteoroid/Debris Environment effects, impact modeling and mitigation
techniques 

Influence of Space Environment (vacuum, temperature, etc.) on properties
of High-Temperature materials 

Lunar, planetary and interplanetary environments and their influence on
materials

 CONFERENCE FORMAT 

There will be no parallel sessions at the meeting. All sessions will run
concurrently. Every effort will be made to accommodate as many papers as
possible for oral presentations.  Poster sessions will be organized and
time allocated to poster viewing and discussion.

ABSTRACT DEADLINE

A 300 word abstract is due December 27, 2007.

PROCEEDINGS AND SPECIAL ISSUE OF JSR

The submitted papers will be pier-reviewed and published by Springer in
the Space Technology Proceedings Series. Papers for publication in the
proceedings will be due April 1, 2008. 

A special edition of Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets is planned with
selected papers from the meeting. Further announcements will be made at
the meeting. 

PLACE AND DATE

The Conference will be held Monday, May 19 through Friday, May 23, 2008,
in Toronto, Canada at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace
Studies (tentative dates and place). The final duration of the meeting
and its place will be established in December 2007. 

LANGUAGE 

English will be the working language of the meeting.

CONFERENCE ADDRESS

To receive more information, please enquire at:

ICPMSE-9
Integrity Testing Laboratory,  Inc.
80 Esna Park Drive, Units 7-9
Markham, Ontario, Canada, L3R 2R7
Attn.: Prof. J.I. Kleiman

COMMUNICATION

Tel: (905) 415-2207; Fax: (905) 415-3633
e-mail :  jkleiman],[itlinc.com 
Conference URL:  http://www.itlinc.com/icpmse_9.html

Communication with participants will be by e-mail whenever possible. 
Website details will be announced in September 2007.

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