NASA’s Dr. Les Johnson to keynote 29th annual Delta Symposium

Dr. Les Johnson of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will be the keynote speaker at Arkansas State University’s 29th annual Delta Symposium on April 5.

Johnson will give a presentation and then will answer questions and sign books at a reception, afterwards. Presented by the A-State’s Department of English, Philosophy and World Languages, the symposium is free and open to the public.

Johnson is a physicist, author, technologist and educator. His presentation is coordinated in connection with A-State’s Heritage Sites activities to engage and educate the public about the upcoming eclipse.

He currently leads the development of advanced spacecraft propulsion at the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Throughout his career, Dr. Johnson has managed numerous programs and projects, and he is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including his recognition as a member of the International Academy of Astronautics and his participation in the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

In addition to his work as a physicist, Dr. Johnson also is an acclaimed writer. His non-fiction includes “A Traveler’s Guide to the Stars” as well as highly acclaimed works of science fiction. His novel “Mission to Methone” was reviewed in Publisher’s Weekly as carrying on the “spirit of Arthur C. Clarke” through his vibrant prose.

Johnson also makes numerous contributions to a range of projects. He has served as technical consultant for the movies “Europa Report” and “Lost in Space.” He has made numerous appearances on the Discovery Channel, Science Channel and Curiosity Stream. National Geographic magazine featured him as an ‘intersellar explorer,’ and the magazine featured his work on solar sail space propulsion in March 2019.