There will be a new free, fun family twist to this year’s Space Elevator Conference.
The annual conference will be held Aug. 12-14 at the Microsoft Conference Center (MSCC), 16070 N.E. 36th Way. In addition to the three-day technical program, the conference will host a special Family Science Fest from 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, featuring free hands-on activities that revolve around robots, space, engineering, LEGO and more.
The family day also includes free Space Elevator 101 sessions and a special robotics competition. Free parking is also available.
The Space Elevator Conference will engage an international audience of scientists, engineers, educators, managers, entrepreneurs, enthusiasts and students in topical discussions of space elevator development. The space elevator is a futuristic, radical new transportation system designed to access space less expensively than possible with chemical rocket technology.
“Think of it as if we’re building a railroad – we’re building infrastructure to get to orbit cheaper, safer, more frequently,” said David Horn, Microsoft Chair of the Space Elevator Conference,
The theme of this year’s technical program is “Developing Stronger, Lighter Tethers.” The space elevator’s biggest obstacle is development of a tether material that is strong enough yet light enough to enable a practical elevator.
On Aug. 12, the conference will also host the Space Elevator Games – Strong Tether Competition, a NASA challenge in which the tethers aresubjected to a pull test in an attempt to win a $2 million prize.
The Family Science Fest will allow participants to engage in a variety of activities, including:
• Explore engineering, space and nanotechnology with Pacific Science Center staff;
• Visit the Museum of Flight’s “Robot Garage” where you can test your rover-building skills;
• Create your own space elevator or build a futuristic spacecraft at the LEGO Build Zone;
• See robots from local robotics teams and clubs; and
• Meet a full-scale, hand-built working replica of R2-D2.
In addition to the family day activities, there will be a robotics competition in which students are challenged to build autonomous robots capable of transporting “satellites” up a 15-foot elevator ribbon.
Finally, for those interested in learning more about the space elevator but unable to attend the three-day technical program, there will be two free Space Elevator 101 sessions during the Family Science Fest.
In these informative, one-hour sessions, participants will gain insight into the challenges of building a space elevator as well as the new opportunities that it would open up. Each session is followed by a question and answer period. The first session will start at 1:30 pm; the second at 3:30 pm. And on Thursday, Aug. 11, the general public is invited to attend a Space Elevator 101 session from 7-8 p.m. at the MSCC.
For more information, visit www.spaceelevatorconference.org.
