TM
36th Annual
NORTHEAST
ASTRONOMY
FORUM
& SPACE EXPO
2 HUGE DAYS \\ ROCKLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE \\ NEW YORK
THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST SPECTACULAR ASTRONOMY & SPACE EXPO
THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST SPECTACULAR ASTRONOMY & SPACE EXPO
THE 2027
SPEAKERS
NEAF searches the world to bring you the astronomers, researchers, scientists, and personalities that are making science history today.
No where else will you find such an extensive caliber of talent brought together in one place.
Chris Ferguson
Veteran NASA Astronaut, last Space Shuttle commander
Christopher J. Ferguson is a retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy Captain best known for commanding the historic final mission of the Space Shuttle program. Selected by NASA in June 1998, he spent more than a decade at the agency and logged over 40 days in space across three critical shuttle flights.
STS-115 (2006) – Ferguson served as the pilot aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis, delivering and installing the massive P3/P4 truss segments and solar arrays to the International Space Station (ISS). STS-126 (2008) – He commanded Space Shuttle Endeavour, directing a 16-day mission that delivered essential supplies and hardware to expand the living quarters of the ISS for a six-person crew. STS-135 (2011) - Ferguson commanded Atlantis on the historic final flight of the Space Shuttle program. This mission delivered vital logistics to the ISS and officially brought the 30-year shuttle era to a close.
Between his spaceflights, Ferguson served as the Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office and as a spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) for multiple missions. He retired from NASA in December 2011 to transition into the commercial aerospace industry, leaving a legacy as the final commander of the Space Shuttle fleet.
Susan Kilrain
NASA Astronaut & youngest Space Shuttle pilot
Susan Kilrain is a retired U.S. Navy Commander and NASA astronaut who achieved distinction as the youngest person and one of only three women to ever pilot the Space Shuttle.
She was selected as an astronaut candidate in March 1994. Before flying in space, she worked on technical aspects for the Astronaut Office Vehicle Systems and Operations Branch. She also served as a spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in Mission Control, handling radio communications with orbiting crews. She flew as the pilot on STS-83 (April 4–8, 1997) becoming the youngest pilot to fly for NASA. The Microgravity Science Laboratory mission was cut short due to a faulty fuel cell, landing after just 3 days and 23 hours. Also STS-94 (July 1–17, 1997), she re-flew the exact same scientific payload and crew just three months later, successfully completing a full 15-day mission. She logged more than 472 hours (19 days) in space before retiring from the astronaut office in December 2002.
Steve Hawley
Veteran NASA Astronaut of 5 Space Shuttle flights- STS-41-D, STS-61-C, STS-31, STS-82, & STS-93 including deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope
Dr. Steven Alan Hawley is a retired NASA astronaut and astronomer who flew on five Space Shuttle missions, logging more than 32 days (770 hours) in space. Hawley was selected by NASA in 1978 as part of Astronaut Group 8 ("Thirty-Five New Guys"), which was the first class to include civilian scientists, women, and people of color.
He holds a B.A. in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from UC Santa Cruz.
Hawley served as a mission specialist on STS-41D The maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery. STS-61C: Flown aboard Columbia, which deployed a communications satellite and featured the future NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and U.S. Representative Bill Nelson. STS-31 the historic mission of Discovery that successfully deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. STS-82 Shuttle Discovery, where Hawley used the shuttle's robotic arm to capture and service the Hubble Space Telescope during its second servicing mission. He is the only astronaut to both deploy Hubble and return to service it. STS-93 shuttle Columbia, where the Chandra X-ray Observatory was successfully deployed.
Following his active flight career, Hawley served as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office, Director of Flight Crew Operations at the Johnson Space Center and Associate Director at Ames Research Center.
He also contributed to the investigations of both the Challenger and Columbia disasters.
In 2026, he published his memoir, Eyes to the Stars: A Memoir for the Space Shuttle Generation.
Ken Kremer
Journalist/Photographer/Research Scientist
DR. KEN KREMER is a Pharmaceutical Research Scientist and Space Journalist, and Founder & Managing Editor for Space UpClose website – based nearby the Kennedy Space Center in Titusville, FL. He is active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
Dr. Kremer offers independent analysis about space topics. He lectures about both human and robotic spaceflight especially Mars.
Ken is a scientist, journalist, photographer and speaker and often appears as an expert space commentator on major national, international and local TV News outlets: ABC, NBC, CBS, BBC TV and Radio News, Fox News, News Nation, Spectrum, ARD, TRT World Turkish TV, i24, the American Space Museum and other major news outlets, representing Space UpClose.
His Mars and Space imagery and articles have been widely published on TV, magazines, books and websites.
Peter King
CBS News Space Correspondent
PETER KING is the Space Correspondent for CBS News radio, anchoring CBS Hourly newscasts and reporting on space from his home in Orlando, Florida.
King has reported for CBS News Radio since 1994. He is the principal reporter for coverage of NASA and reported on the Space Shuttle program from 1995 to its conclusion in 2011 (for CBS, 1996-2011), encompassing more than 60 missions. King broadcast the first network radio report of trouble as the Columbia accident unfolded on February 1st, 2003, and remained on the air for more than eight hours that day. He covered the story through the accident investigation and NASA's return to flight. He's covered numerous other space milestones including the construction of the International Space Station, John Glenn's return to space in 1998, and many of NASA's interplanetary missions. King continues to report on the Space Station program, covering the first commercial human spaceflights by SpaceX, as well as NASA's plan to land Americans on the Moon for the first time since 1972.
Jim Garven
Chief Scientist at Goddard, PI for DAVINCI mission to Venus
Dr. James B. Garvin is the NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Chief Scientist. He provides strategic advice and analysis on the scientific priorities and directions to the Center Director and senior leadership, as well as to NASA Headquarters. As a veteran Earth and planetary scientist within NASA in a career that has spanned more than 37 years, Dr. Garvin brings his experience with interdisciplinary science and instrumentation in helping to direct the scientific trajectory of the Center. Prior to coming to Goddard, Garvin served as the NASA Chief Scientist, advising three separate Administrators on issues ranging from science strategies associated with the Vision for Space Exploration to those involved in rebalancing the NASA science portfolio. In addition, Dr. Garvin served as the chief scientist for Mars exploration from 2000 until 2004 and spearheaded the development of the scientific strategy that led NASA to select such missions as the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Phoenix polar lander, and the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity rover). He received two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals for his work with the science behind the Mars Exploration Program. He is also the recipient of three Presidential Rank Awards for his contributions to science at NASA spanning his career.
Gerry Griffin
Fmr. Director of NASA Space Flight Center
In October of 1957, almost sixty-six years ago, the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite into low-earth orbit. Since that time nations around the world have sent into space all kinds of automated payloads as well as humans (and sometimes both together). Question: why have they done this? Answer: in order to learn and do things worthwhile in the “now accessible” environment beyond earth’s atmosphere... some looking for worthwhile and peaceful purposes, some others for different reasons. Gerry will take a look at what is going on today in space, both government and commercial activities. With the past and current space activities set as the foundation. Mr. Griffin will review what we are going to do in the near-term exciting future, and what is planned for the long-range future.
GERRY GRIFFIN served as a flight director during the Apollo program and director of Johnson Space Center, succeeding Chris Kraft in 1982. In 1964 Griffin joined NASA in Houston as a flight controller in Mission Control, specializing in guidance, navigation and control systems during Project Gemini. In 1968 he was named a Mission Control flight director and served in that role for all of the Apollo Program manned missions including all manned missions to the Moon
Br. Guy Consolmagno
Fmr. Director of the Vatican Observatory, Astronomer & Author
Brother Guy Consolmagno, is an American research astronomer, physicist, and Jesuit brother known popularly as the "Pope's Astronomer." He served as the Director of the Vatican Observatory from 2015 to 2025 and continues to serve as the President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation.
Br. Guy holds degrees from MIT (B.A., M.S.) and a Ph.D. in Planetary Science from the University of Arizona. He also served in the Peace Corps in Kenya and taught at Lafayette College before joining the Jesuits. He joined the observatory in 1993, researching meteorites, asteroids, and small solar system bodies. Asteroid 4597 Consolmagno is named in his honor, and he received the Carl Sagan Medal in 2014.
A proponent of the compatibility of faith and science, his books include Turn Left at Orion, Brother Astronomer, and Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?
Hosted by Joe Rao
JOE RAO is the eight-time Emmy nominated meteorologist and on air personality. In addition to his on-air fame, Joe is also an avid amateur astronomer. He has co-lead several eclipse expeditions and served as an on-board meteorologist for four eclipse cruises. He is also an Associate and Guest Lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium, a Contributing Editor for S&T magazine and also writes for Space.com, and Natural History magazine.
and Vince Coulehan
VINCE COULEHAN takes center stage as your NEAF Talks Master of Ceremonies. Vince is an avid astro-imager and has been chasing the world for over five decades as an amateur astronomer to witness, now nine total solar eclipses. He is an active member with the AAVSO as well as a key NEAF organizer and a primary board member at Rockland Astronomy. He has been active with outreach to bring astronomy and observing to students at high schools and elementary schools for over 20 years. Vincent has an ME in Mechanical Engineering from Manhattan College.