ASHLAND, Ky. – Les Johnson, NASA technologist and author, will be visiting the College Drive Campus of Ashland Community and Technical College on Friday, November 4 at noon.
While on campus, Johnson will present “Harvesting Space for a Greener Earth,” a seminar about how space technology and resources can be used to help solve energy and environmental problems on Earth.
The event is open to the public and will be held in the Teleconference Room of the Learning Resource Center.
Johnson is an Ashland native and a graduate of Paul G. Blazer High School.
After graduating high school, he went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Transylvania University and his master’s degree at Vanderbilt University.
Johnson has written several science fiction novels and multiple popular science, non-fiction books about space and space exploration including his recently published A Traveler’s Guide to the Stars from Princeton University Press.
Johnson currently works at the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama where he serves as the Principal Investigator of the USA’s first interplanetary solar sail space mission, Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout.
According to Johnson, NEA Scout will “use a 925 square foot solar sail to propel a small spacecraft to rendezvous with an asteroid.”
During his career at NASA, Johnson has served as the Manager for the Space Science Programs and Projects Office, the In-Space Propulsion Technology Project, and the Interstellar Propulsion Research Project.
He is also a founding member of the Interstellar Research Group, a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society, a member of the National Space Society, and was accepted into MENSA.
Along with his presentation at ACTC, Johnson will be speaking at the Highlands Museum on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 11am, discussing how we might one day travel to the stars. Saturday’s event will be followed by book signings at Broadway Books (12:30pm to 1:30pm) and Conquest Books (2:00pm to 3:00pm).
Ashland Community and Technical College is strengthening our communities by providing certificate, diploma, and associate degree programs that prepare students for employees for employment or transfer to baccalaureate programs as well as enhance job skills through workforce training. As a member of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, our colleges are united in their commitment to making life better for our students, communities and the citizens of Kentucky.