A reader points me to this fun video showing variations of the answer to the important question: What if the Moon was a Disco Ball?
Stephen Hawking’s reasons for space exploration + A space boffin’s reasons for space tourism
Stephen Hawking gives his “Reasons for Space Exploration” and expresses his optimistic view of the future of spaceflight (via Rocketeers):
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And science journalist Richard Hollingham of the Space Boffins gives his reasons for why space tourism is important : Six reasons why space tourism matters – BBC.
USA Science & Engineering Festival – Washington D.C., April 26-27, 2014
The USA Science and Engineering Festival “America’s Largest STEM Education Event” will take place in Washington D.C. April 26-27, 2014.
The USA Science & Engineering Festival is a national grassroots effort to advance STEM education and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Our exhibitors, performers, speakers, partners, sponsors and advisors are a who-is-who of science and engineering in the United States: from major academic centers and leading research institutes and government agencies to cutting-edge high tech companies, museums and community organizations.
Here’s one of several videos about the event:
33rd Int. Space Development Conference – May 14-18, 2014 – Los Angeles, CA
Time to sign up for the National Space Society‘s their annual space extravaganza – ISDC 2014: A Space Renaissance — May 14-18, 2014 — Los Angeles, California –
Uwingu launches its first call for student grant applications
An announcement from Uwingu:
Uwingu Launches Its First Call for Grant Applications
Resulting Grants Will Fund Planetary Science Graduate Student Travel
to Report Research Results at Scientific Meetings During
This Time of Budget Cuts
Space startup Uwingu announced today that it is soliciting applications from planetary science graduate students to support their travel to report research results at scientific meetings in 2014 and early 2015. Applications are due by 30 April 2014 at 11:59 PM PST.
Uwingu expects to make 10-15 awards of travel grants from this solicitation by early June. Any graduate student completing their PhD in 2014 who is studying planetary science and/or exoplanets are eligible. Recipients must use the funds to present their research at a research conference occurring by 30 April 2015. Selections will be made based on material provided by applicants in the form at: http://tinyurl.com/Uwingu-TravelAwards.
Uwingu is a for profit, public engagement space company based in Boulder, CO, led by senior planetary scientists and astronomers (see http://www.uwingu.com/about-us/who-we-are/). Uwingu’s mission is to connect the public to space exploration in new ways and to create a grant fund to support a wide range of space efforts by individual space researchers, educators, and organizations.
Uwingu’s Mars Map Crater Naming Project at www.uwingu.com, which is funding these student grants, allows anyone with a connection to the Internet to help name approximately 590,000 unnamed, scientifically cataloged craters on Mars. The project aims to ultimately raise up to $10M for Uwingu’s grant fund.
Uwingu’s Mars map grandfathers in all the already named craters on Mars, opening the remainder up for naming by people around the globe. Prices for naming craters depend on the size of the crater, and begin at $5 dollars. Uwingu makes a shareable Internet link and a naming certificate available to each crater namer for each newly named crater. This public engagement project will culminate with the flight of Uwingufs Mars Map to Mars in 2018 aboard the Mars One 2018 robotic lander, currently in definition phase at aerospace giant Lockheed-Martin
Dr. Alan Stern, Uwingu’s CEO added, “We are excited to begin making grants to students and to supporting their research, and look forward to selecting the best applications we receive for funding. We expect to make more and more grant solicitations as revenues from our Mars Map Crater Naming Project continue to grow.”