EBAstro: Preparing for Space by Understanding Ourselves (Hybrid)

EB Astronomy Club presents, "From Analogs to Artemis: Preparing for Space by Understanding Ourselves"

From Analogs to Artemis: Preparing for Space by Understanding Ourselves examines how Earth-based simulations prepare humanity for life beyond Earth. The talk opens with a recap of experiences inside the HI-SEAS Mars analog habitat, where isolation, delayed communications, and crew dynamics reveal psychological and operational realities that inform human spaceflight. It then introduces the World’s Biggest Analog, the largest coordinated space simulation mission in history, in which 16 Moon and Mars analog habitats around the globe ran synchronized missions in October 2025 to study how people can live, work, and collaborate in off-Earth environments as a global community. The presentation concludes with updates on Artemis II and its upcoming crewed lunar flyby aboard Orion, highlighting how lessons from analog missions inform the human challenges of deep space exploration. The talk is 45 minutes, followed by audience questions.

Sharife Gacel is based in Central Florida near Kennedy Space Center, where space exploration is part of the local landscape. Sharife is an analog astronaut and has completed two missions. The first was at HI-SEAS in Hawai‘i as the Medical Officer, and the most recent was in Mission Control during the World’s Biggest Analog in Vienna, where she served as the Operations Task Manager and now contributes to the Human Factors team for the Austrian Space Forum. She is the founder of the Blue Marble Project, a multidisciplinary initiative that integrates psychology, space science, art, and public outreach with the mission of Exploring Space, Inspiring Earth. She has participated in 8 NASA Social events, has received NASA Media accreditation for several launches, and manages social media for her adopted greyhounds, reaching over 25,000 people worldwide. She is also a psychotherapist, specializing in awe-inspired therapy, anxiety, life transitions, and multicultural mental health. Her academic background includes Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Veterinary Medicine, Psychology, and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Sharife is currently pursuing a second Master of Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Human Factors. For fun, she enjoys kayaking, watching rocket launches, spending time with her family and greyhound Cosmos, and is a NAUI Divemaster.

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The East Brunswick Astronomy Club (EBAC) was founded with the mission of encouraging and promoting an interest in astronomy and space science throughout East Brunswick and beyond. EBAC meets once a month at the East Brunswick Public Library and meetings typically include a short lecture, open discussion, and telescope observing.

This group is open to adults, teens, and families with children ages 12 and younger.