International Space Elevator Consortium
June 2014 Newsletter

In this Issue:

Editor’s Note
President’s Corner
Space Elevator Conference
Conference Workshops
ISEC and NSS

Editor’s Note

Dear Friend,

Welcome to the June, 2014 edition of the ISEC eNewsletter.

ISEC activity is now almost exclusively focused on the upcoming Space Elevator Conference - it's less than 2 months away!  This newsletter contains articles reminding you that the Early Bird special registration rates for the Conference are still available (but for only a couple of more days) and also talks about a couple of the Workshops which are scheduled.

In this issue's President's Corner, ISEC President Dr. Peter Swan issues the reader a Challenge - thinking up possible uses for a Space Elevator.  The Space Elevator will be a demand-driven technology; the more possible uses we can think of for it, the more pressure (and funds!) may be allocated towards the work to get one built.  Put on your Thinking Caps!

Please don’t forget to LIKE US on Facebook, FOLLOW US on Twitter, and enjoy the photos and videos that we’ve posted on Flickr and YouTube, all under our Social Identity of ISECdotORG.

Thank you! 

ISEC

President's Corner

A challenge: Come up with uses of the Space Elevator.

It seems to me that we have pretty much analyzed the need for an inexpensive avenue to GEO and beyond.  When we provide $500/kg price for access to space, opportunities will abound.  However, I would like to hear from you about your ideas on what new activities would occur on the first several space elevators.  The operations would be routine, inexpensive, soft ride, and daily.  Please send me ideas so that I may list them at the 2014 conference and stimulate innovative concepts for the future:  pete.swan@isec.org.  
 
"Keep Climbing my Friends!" 
Pete Swan

Only a few days left to register at the "Early Bird" rates for 2014 ISEC Space Elevator Conference

Just a reminder that Early Bird registration for the conference closes on June 30th.  After that, the registration price reverts to the full rates.

The Conference will be held from Friday, August 22nd, 2014 through Sunday, August 24th.

The Venue will the same place we've had the conference the past two years, Seattle's Museum of Flight.  This has turned out to be a wonderful venue for the Conference and we are thrilled to be able to host the Conference here again.

Mark you calendars now - be there or be square!

Conference Workshops

The great majority of ISEC's time is now being devoted to the 2014 Space Elevator Conference - now less than 2 months away (you ARE attending, aren't you?).  The Conference program will be posted very soon on the Conference website and this year's Conference promises to be chock-full of interesting presentations.  We've had a record number of submissions for Presentations - interest is running very high!

In addition to the presentations, the Conference is also going to be hosting two workshops.  These workshops will be approximately two hours long and are summarized here:

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Mini-Workshop: Concepts & Issues - Space Elevator Architectures and Roadmaps

Champions: Michael "Fitzer" Fitzgerald, Pete Swan, Skip Penny
Initial Presentation: "ISEC Report Major Points" - Fitzer
Goal: To stimulate thoughts and inputs from the conference attendees on tether roadmaps -- involve the attendee, where are we going?
Outputs: Draft ISEC Report to be available by 15 December - review upon request from attendee or interested party.

Approach:

  1. 30 minute major talk on topic.

  2. 5 minutes of discussion on handout sheet [stimulation of ideas and areas to discuss].

  3. 10 minutes of brainstorming on topics to discuss.

  4. 45 minutes of brainstorming in small groups [breakups along the lines of the topics to be discussed].

  5. 20 minutes of discussions by small groups to large audience on results of brainstorming.

  6. 10 minute summary.

  7. Champion and helper will summarize the results and put on web.


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Mini-Workshop: Concepts & Issues - Space Elevator Research

Champions: John Knapman, Skip Penny, Dennis Wright
Initial Presentation: "ISEC Research Plans" - Knapman
Goal: To stimulate thoughts and inputs from the conference attendees on Research projects -- involve the attendee, where are we going? Some detailed objectives are:

  • Understand the Research Committee's goals and process.

  • Contribute by reviewing the list of research topics that the Research Committee has produced and elaborating on some (or all), particularly those on which little work has so far been done.

  • Identify any missing topics.

  • Where possible, produce estimates of timescales and costs for each topics.

  • Where possible, propose who could carry out the work and where.

ISEC and NSS join hands...

The National Space Society and the International Space Elevator Consortium signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 15 August 2013.  This understanding between these 501(c)(3) organizations illustrates the strength of ideas and committed volunteers.  Recently the NSS released a "Milestones to Space Settlement," or a roadmap to the future.  The presented vision is:

The National Space Society ("NSS") is a nonprofit educational organization whose Vision is: "People living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity."

This Vision embraces both space as a future second home for humanity and the resources of space (such as the Sun's energy for space-based solar power, extra-terrestrial minerals for raw materials, and low-gravity for manufacturing) being used for the benefit of all of us on the Earth. These two elements of the Vision are intertwined: development of space products and services for the people of Earth will both require human presence in space and will enable and motivate expansion of our species away from the home planet.

The partnership of two visionary organizations should strengthen each other's activities.  As the ISEC has a similar mission, the two organizations should have many common projects and ideas.  

"... ISEC promotes the development, construction and operation of a space elevator as a revolutionary and efficient way to space for all humanity ..."

Due to their shared interest, as shown by their mission statements and vision, the two organizations, working together, should be able to contribute even more to the widespread economic development of space and the betterment of mankind.