Report 

Regarding 

 

NASA Large Conferences 

May – September 2012 

January 2013 
2

FY 2012 Report on Large Conferences 

Overview. In accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-12-12, 

Section 2 – Conferences, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is providing this 

report on conferences. This report provides a summary of conference activities by the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Fiscal Year 2012. It includes a brief overview of some 

of the valuable roles that conferences play, such as in key dissemination and exchange of cutting edge 

science and technology. A description of each of the largest conferences, those conferences in which 

NASA spent over $100,000, is also included for those conferences that were approved subsequent to the 

issuance of Memorandum M-12-12. 

The Space Act of 1958 requires NASA to “provide for the widest practicable and appropriate 

dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof.” Conferences provide a key 

vehicle for accomplishing this mandate. NASA scientists, engineers, and leaders present scientific and 

technical papers and participate in interchanges on leading-edge research and technology with peers in the 

Federal government, the science community, the aeronautics and aerospace industries, and our 

international partners at conferences. Conferences attended and sponsored by NASA address a broad and 

diverse range of scientific and engineering challenges faced by NASA in carrying out its missions, 

including climate and other Earth science research, advanced aeronautics, and the cutting-edge 

technologies needed for both current and planned robotic and human space flight programs. 

In addition to facilitating the dissemination and advancement of scientific research, conferences also serve 

as a cost-effective way for NASA to carry out other mission-related purposes, such as educational 

outreach and program development, planning, and information gathering. For example, conferences on 

program management provide opportunities for examination of current trends in aerospace project and 

engineering management; offering forums for the exchange and dissemination of best practices, new 

ideas, and training for managers across NASA to help the Agency cost-effectively meet the toughest 

challenges in space exploration today. 

FY 2012 Conferences. Since OMB M-12-12 was issued, NASA has participated in14 large conferences 

for which it spent more than $100,000. Six of these conferences are reported in Section A pursuant to M12-12. NASA had committed to eight additional conferences as of issuance of M-12-12 and, therefore, 

they were not subject to the additional approvals and justifications required in M-12-12. Detailed 

information on the six events approved under the enhanced justification and approval process under M12-12 is included in Section A; summary information about the remaining eight conferences is included 

in Section B. 

Of these 14 events, all were scientific and technical conferences. Two were hosted by NASA; the other 

12 are leading Aerospace and technical meetings where important scientific exchanges have been taking 

place, almost all as annual conferences convened by leading Aerospace and Engineering associations of 

the United States. 

Changes in FY 2012. While NASA has been steadily enhancing its conference review processes since 

2008, it made a number of significant improvements in FY 2012. Starting in October 2011, in accordance 

with Administration direction, NASA required all NASA sponsored conferences to be centrally reviewed 

and approved by NASA’s Deputy Administrator. This process also required improved documentation of 
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the planning and justification for the investments made in conferences hosted by NASA. Starting in May 

2012, again in accordance with Administration guidance, NASA implemented reviews of spending and 

senior approvals for all conferences with estimated costs over $100,000 for which the agency was not 

already committed. In June 2012, NASA also updated its conference policies to enhance review and 

approval requirements for NASA sponsored conferences that total less than $100,000, and to ban industry 

and others’ widely attended gatherings and NASA-directly funded meals at NASA sponsored 

conferences. This focus, along with the overall emphasis placed on travel savings at all levels, led to 

millions of dollars in reduced spending on conferences in FY 2012. 

NASA also spearheaded several key internal initiatives, including savings in connection with NASA’s 

three largest internal conferences by directing that all three be changed in the coming years to a virtual 

format (and piloting the first of these as a virtual event in October 2012). For one event that was already 

essentially underway, NASA reduced its size significantly. These changes are conservatively estimated 

to have saved over $2 million in FY 2012. NASA additionally centralized a conference database tool to 

permit better coordinated planning across the agency and expanded the scope of events tracked as 

“conferences” consistent with OMB’s May 2012 guidance in M-12-12. 
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Section A: FY 2012 Large Conferences Approved under M-12-12 Requirements 

Conference Total Cost Location Dates NASA Attendees

23rd Annual NASA Space Radiation Investigators' 

Workshop

$104,108.30 Durham, NC 7/8-7/11/2012 32

Sponsor: NASA. Website Link: http://www.dsls.usra.edu/meetings/radiation2012

Purpose: The purpose of this workshop was to provide an opportunity for active researchers in the NASA Space Radiation Program to share 

the results of their work and to explore new directions for research that may benefit NASA programs. The workshop format included plenary 

sessions, short talks, poster sessions, and a poster competition to recognize and honor student investigators. In addition, there were special 

sessions on space physics and technology allowing opportunities for a comprehensive discussion on NASA's overall space radiation 

protection goals.

This workshop allowed researchers in the field of space radiation to present their findings (interim and final) to NASA technical managers as 

well as other Space Radiation researchers, fostering collaboration across the field of Space Radiation Research. The workshop also provided

the forum for the NASA technical managers to ensure that research continues to maintain relevance to the current NASA strategic goals, and 

allowed NASA to look for potential areas to integrate and focus the research to more effectively meet the needs of NASA. There is no 

existing association sponsored conference that calls together these investigators to discuss their findings in this focused, efficient manner. 

Conference Total Cost Location Dates NASA Attendees

IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society 

Symposium

$126,312.10 Munich, Germany 7/23-7/27/2012 32

Sponsor: IEEE. Website Link: http://www.igarss2012.org/

Purpose: The IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (IGARSS) annual symposium is the major international event in remote 

sensing for Earth observation, gathering world-class scientists, engineers and educators engaged in the fields of geoscience and remote 

sensing. The 2012 themes for this annual meeting focused on the characterization of dynamic Earth processes, data assimilation techniques, 

integrated Earth observing systems, and current as well as upcoming satellite missions.

Attendance by NASA scientists and engineers was deemed critical for both the new information they learn about the latest technologies and 

techniques being developed at other institutions, and the knowledge they impart to university and industrial colleagues about inventions and 

discoveries being made at NASA. Large attendance at the IGARSS meetings have proven especially efficient venue for widely 

disseminating NASA know-how and for stimulating intellectual exchange leading to new collaborations and promising new directions in 

research.
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Conference Total Cost Location Dates NASA Attendees

AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference 2012 $264,373.27 Atlanta, GA 7/30-8/1/2012 136

Sponsor: AIAA. Website Link: https://www.aiaa.org/EventDetail.aspx?id=4689

Purpose: This annual conference serves as a key forum for review of propulsion research and development activities in both the US and

internationally. It is attended by propulsion specialists from government, industry and academic institutions throughout the US and the world. 

The conference provides NASA engineers and managers an opportunity to stay abreast of the status and accomplishments of global activities 

in propulsion technology and development. It also enables NASA to present its propulsion-related accomplishments at a national and 

international level. The event also offers opportunities to meet and discuss mutually beneficial future collaborations.

NASA’s participants were an integral part of this conference, and their participation was essential to the goals of exchanging the results of 

scientific space research. High-quality technical exchanges occurred, with over 100 senior NASA employees invited and jury-selected to 

speak. 

Conference Total Cost Location Dates NASA Attendees

AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control $163,894.40 Minneapolis, MN 8/13-8/15/2012 43

Sponsor: AIAA. Website Link: https://www.aiaa.org/EventDetail.aspx?id=4692

Purpose: The AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Co-Located Conferences are the largest forum dedicated to 

guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) serving the aerospace community. It brings together experts from industry, government, and 

academia on an international level to present and discuss all technical areas related to GNC for aerospace applications. Besides the GNC, 

there are three additional Co-Located Conferences: the AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics (AFM) Conference, the annual AIAA 

Modeling and Simulation Technologies (MST) Conference, and the 2012 Astrodynamics Specialist Conference.

In order to share the latest technological information and keep up on advances by other companies and organizations, attendance 

at these concurrently held conferences is critical. Panel sessions and subject topics have a distinct correlation to work at several 

NASA Centers. In particular, centers supporting the conduct of research for those programs have a strong involvement in this 

conference supporting their work in the areas of guidance, navigation, control, modeling and simulation. Each NASA attendee 

presented a paper or participated in a meeting at the conferences. Many were also active members on a formal Technical 

Committee, are Chairing Sessions at the conference. These conferences also featured a large contingent of government and 

industry exhibits, showcasing leading products and services.
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Conference Total Cost Location Dates NASA Attendees

Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop $247,279.90 Pasadena, CA 8/13-8/17/2012 60

Sponsor: NASA. Website Link: http://tfaws.nasa.gov/TFAWS12

Purpose: The Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop (TFAWS) is an annual training and professional workshop designed to facilitate 

knowledge sharing, professional development, and networking throughout the thermal and fluids engineering community within NASA and 

the aerospace community. It features paper sessions, short courses, panel discussions, speakers, and software training; it encompasses all 

three sponsoring N Engineering and Safety Center’s (NESC’s) disciplines—Passive Thermal, Life Support/Active Thermal, and 

Aerothermal. Annual sharing of knowledge across the thermal community allows engineers to benefit from the lessons learned and helps to 

ensure that the knowledge of the entire community is maintained. TFAWS also provides opportunities for enhancing collaboration between 

NASA centers, government agencies, industry, academia, and the international thermal fluids engineering community.

NASA participation is considered critical at this workshop, particularly since the primary goal of the workshop is to provide the latest 

thermal and fluids analysis training for NASA employees. This is accomplished through theory-based short courses, thermal and fluids 

analysis tool training, and includes interaction with thermal and fluids analysis tool and hardware vendors, and the larger thermal and fluids 

community, comprised of practitioners from other government organizations, military, industry (foreign and domestic) and academia. The 

best value for the government includes broad participation of NASA employees so that as many as possible may benefit from this training 

and interaction.

Conference Total Cost Location Dates NASA Attendees

AIAA Space 2012 $262,576.13 Los Angeles, CA 9/11-9/13/2012 137

Sponsor: AIAA. Website Link: https://www.aiaa.org/space2012/

Purpose: The AIAA Space 2012 Conference is AIAA’s premier event on space technology, policy, programs, management and education, 

and has been recognized for the depth and breadth of sessions and information-sharing on space systems and technology. NASA attendees 

represent the Agency as keynote speakers, paper presenters, or panel or meeting chair at the conference.

NASA’s participants are an integral part of this conference. Their participation is essential to the goals of exchanging the progress made on 

proposed architectures, America’s future deep-space exploration vehicles, and the development of long-range technologies to enable human 

exploration beyond Earth orbit. In view of this, NASA has historically provided a significant level of participation of NASA leaders and 

space systems technology experts and practitioners at this event.
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Section B: FY 2012 Additional Large Conferences Committed to Prior to M-12-12 Requirements 

Conference Sponsor Location Dates NASA 

Attendees

Total Cost

Global Space Exploration 

Conference (GLEX)

Lockheed Martin Washington, 

DC, USA 5/22-5/24/2012 77 $139,733.89

220th Meeting of the American 

Astronomical Society (AAS)

American Astronomical 

Society

Anchorage, 

AK, USA 6/10-6/14/2012 29 $107,365.03

12th International Conference on 

Space Operations (SpaceOps 

2012)

International Committee on 

Technical Interchange for 

Space Mission Operations 

and Ground Data System

Stockholm, 

FC, SWE 6/11-6/15/2012 27 $156,654.56

American Society of Mechanical 

Engineers (ASME) Turbo Expo 

2012

ASME Copenhagen, 

FC, DNK 6/11-6/15/2012 17 $105,511.81

AIAA Fluid Dynamics and CoLocated Conferences and ExhibitAIAA New Orleans, 

LA, USA 6/25-6/28/2012 92 $195,017.99

SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + 

Instrumentation

SPIE Amsterdam, 

FC, NLD 7/1-7/6/2012 39 $193,274.36

42nd International Conference on 

Environmental Systems (ICES)

AIAA San Diego, 

CA, USA 7/15-7/19/2012 47 $120,719.41

26th Annual AIAA/USU 

Conference on Small Satellites: 

Enhancing Global Awareness 

through Small Satellites

Utah State University / 

AIAA

Logan, 

UT, USA 8/13-8/16/2012 49 $107,547.04