(Hat Tip: Space Elevator Blog)
(Note: I'm a space elevator geek, so no hard feelings here.)
Bryan Laubscher of Black Line Ascension is calling for space elevator fans, engineers, scientists and warm bodies to gather in New Mexico to discuss the future of human space transportation.
(Space Elevator Reference) So as of the present date, the Space Exploration 2007 Conference (SpEx 2007) with its imbedded 2nd Space Elevator Workshop will be held in Albuquerque, NM from March 25 – 28, 2007. The philosophy of SpEx 2007 is to be a relatively inexpensive, moderate-sized, space conference accommodating a broad range of topics and presenters. Principle among the aims of the conference is to bring together diverse people with varying backgrounds and interests. The synergy and "cross-fertilization" that is possible at such a gathering is profound. [...]
One of the highlights of this year's workshop is the Global Space Elevator Roadmap working session in which a roadmap outline will be developed with the community's input.
A roadmap will be good for the general space elevator community, although LiftPort has already publicly revealed theirs, with Brad Edwards from Black Line Ascension hinting at a space elevator around 2029.
Hopefully gathering of space elevator fans and pros should help encourage everyone in the field, as well as help each other come up with creative ways for promoting this idea within our respective regions.
Unlike our rocket cousins, the space elevator community is still fairly small, and has many hurdles to overcome before it can be taken seriously by the "myspace generation."
Note: More info about this can be found at the Space Engineering and Science Institute.
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Yes, but are you going?
ReplyDeleteI really, REALLY want to, although I have to see if flying out to New Mexico in early March would be available.
ReplyDeleteIf not, then hopefully Ted via Space Elevator Blog would be able to give me the scoop.
I am a long-term optimist/short term-pessimist on the space elevator concept but I feel that the "synergy and 'cross-fertilization'" potential is very high.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed at the first contest to have a robot climb a cable - they seemed to come far closer than the first DARPA challenge and one could easily imagine applications for cable climbing robots.