Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Upcoming Events
Dark Site Astronomy Group schedule for Members Only
.
Saturday July 18th, 2026, Robinson Preserve NEST area. Time 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM:
10299 9th Avenue Northwest, Bradenton
This is our annual Summer Doldrums event where we feature solar observing in both White and H Alpha light.
.
Wednesday July 22nd, 2026, 7:00 PM. Monthly Zoom Meeting – Members Only:
Alex Martin founded the Sidewalk Science Center program in 2018 while living in Savannah, Georgia, then operated in Florida for several years before transitioning to life as a traveling astronomer. Now known as the Hiking Astronomer, he visits cities across the United States to provide free sidewalk astronomy and private stargazing tours. Over the years, he has hosted more than 1,300 sessions and welcomed 260,000 visitors to his telescopes and science experiences.
.
Wednesday August 26th, 2026, 7:00 PM. Monthly Zoom Meeting – Members Only:
Mark Pond
Senior Director, NASA Programs
Northrop Grumman Space Systems
As Director of NASA Programs, Mark Pond is responsible for the execution and financial performance of Northrop Grumman’s critical NASA programs, including the largest solid rocket motors in the world for use on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and the propulsion for the Orion Launch Abort System (LAS).
Mark has been with Northrop Grumman for over 25 years and has held various leadership positions in rocket motor nozzle manufacturing, project and design engineering; space shuttle and Ares nozzle program management. He has also served as team lead for nozzle, mix/cast and final assembly value stream, as manager of the non-destructive testing group, and SLS booster integration program manager. Most of his career has been working on NASA programs, but he also served in the RS-68 nozzle program. His background in several areas and functional roles has given him a broad knowledge of solid rocket design and processing. Mark earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Utah State University.
Northrop Grumman is a technology company, focused on global security and human discovery. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with capabilities they need to connect, advance, and protect the U.S. and its allies. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our 95,000 employees define possible every day.
.
.