Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference - The Vehicles

The First NSRC ended a few days ago after two and a half days packed with presentations, ranging from vehicles to researchers, from small companies to NASA. I learned a lot about the benefits, possibilities and options of suborbital research. On a personal level I have new respect for what is seemingly a step backwards from orbital flights and I want to be involved in any way I can. There are several vendors which over the next few years will compete for the attention of the research and education market (REM) for faster recycle time, purity of micro-gravity and payload options. The newly forming direction of NASA,marks in some ways a return to concepts and ways of NASA precursor, NACA, as stated by Simon (Pete) Worden, NASA Ames Center Director during the keynote of NSRC. Even NASA shares the suborbital vision of much cheaper research which is in many cases unique and in other cases relevant to deep space travel. The first day of NSRC mostly entailed presentations by the companies who will produce and launch suborbital vehicles useful for scientific experiments as well as suborbital tourism.

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo model

Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference - Reception

I am attending my first space-industry conference this week. As another first, it is the first conference I am attending as a member of the press. How fitting, then, that all these firsts will be at the first Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference? In a time when a lot of vagueness shrouds the future of American space exploration, a new conference breathing wind in commercial as well as government agencies and collaboration between them is very encouraging.

Anthropomorphically Malicious

I recently saw the book Malware: Fighting Malicious Code on one of my team members desk at work. The book is not really about self sentient code like the one Skynet or V.I.K.I. from iRobot and not even remotely close to HAL 9000. It describes code in malware aimed at doing all kinds of things to ones' computer that its user didn't intend for such as deleting files or networking with other computers to infect them.

What occurred to me is how as humans it is much easier to either relate to something or antagonize from it through anthropomorphism, the attribution of human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings, phenomena, material states and objects or abstract concepts (Wikipedia).

A Short Visit to (Analog) Mars

While the space related discussion is only starting to heat up over the latest proposed NASA direction and budget for 2011, scientific work doesn't cease, and so last Thursday I went to see a piece of it with my own eyes. I took my just-turned-nine twin boys on a little adventure - we drove seven hours to Hanksville UT. The purpose of this somewhat long trip over the continental divide was to visit the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) and meet its 89th crew - Brian, Carla, Darrel, Kiri, Luis and Mike. I've been in contact with Brian for the last several months ever since I stumbled on his blog, and this was an opportunity to meet him in person as well as get an insiders look at what it means to simulate suggested life on an early mission to Mars.

Going for a Quick Visit to Mars

OK, not really. But I am going to the Mars Desert Research Station today to meet the MDRS 89 crew headed by Brian Shiro, who is one of the inspirations I had to start my Spacepirations blog.

I have a much shorter trip than one to Mars would entail - 7 hours of driving through beautiful Colorado and Utah.

During the weekend, when I'm back, I'll upload photos as well as my first-hand impressions of what simulating Mars is all about.

Update: It has taken me more than I imagined to compile all my thoughts to a blog post, but finally I did...