Sponsor: Central Coast Section
Speaker: Dr. Faramarz Davarian

Meeting Date: August 18, 2021
Time: 6:30PM
Cost: None
Reservations: IEEE
Summary:
Although humans have already visited the Moon, brought Lunar samples back to Earth, and made many Earth-based and space-based observations of the Moon, there is much about the Moon that remains unexplored. Furthermore, the Moon provides opportunities that are unique and attractive. For example, the far side of the Moon is shielded from radio emissions generated by human activity, hence, it provides a great opportunity to observe the universe with radio telescopes free from man-made noise and Earth’s atmosphere. Recent observations have indicated that there is water on the Moon, with the highest concentration at the poles, particularly the South Pole. The Moon is also rich in minerals and has a much lower gravity pull than the Earth. Therefore, the Moon has been suggested as a convenient station on the way to other destinations, such as Mars. Using the resources of the Moon, humans can develop rockets to take off in the low Lunar gravity rather than taking off from Earth.
Imagine a scenario where there are human colonies on the moon, and robots are performing tasks not suitable for humans. Moreover, the surface of the Moon is dotted with radio telescopes and other scientific instruments. Lunar dwellers, humans and robots, need to be connected to each other and to Earth. How do we provide connectivity for the above scenario? In this talk, we examine options for lunar communications and provide examples of networks that can provide connectivity for the Moon.

Bio: Dr. Faramarz Davarian is the Manager of Deep Space Network Technology at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). His recent work includes interplanetary CubeSats and SmallSats and spacecraft tracking and telecom technology development for deep space applications. Dr. Davarian is experienced in Space-Related R&D Management and is skilled in Systems Engineering. He is a strong Engineering Professional with a Ph.D. focused on EE from the University of Southern California.