Museum Hosts Space Elevator Conference Aug. 25-27

Lectures and family activities Saturday, Aug. 25

SEATTLE, Aug. 17, 2012--Going up? The Museum of Flight hosts the 2012 International Space Elevator Conference on Aug. 25 to 27, a three-day technical conference engaging an international audience of scientists, engineers, educators, managers, entrepreneurs, enthusiasts and students in topical discussions of the development of a 22,000-mile elevator to space. While the conference looks at the challenges of the ultimate lift, the Conference's Family Science Fest offers fun activities a little more down to Earth. The lectures and family activities are free with admission to the Museum. Registration and more information about the conference is online at: www.isec.org/sec/ 

Space Elevator 101

Saturday, Aug. 25, 1 p.m.

Space Elevator 101 is an overview of the space elevator conceptual design as well as the motivation for such a futuristic project. It touches on the material and design of the tether, climbers, power beaming system, problems with chemical rocket propulsion, historical analogies and possible future impacts of the space elevator. The speaker will be Dr. Peter Swan. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session.

Space Elevator 201

Saturday, Aug. 25, 2:30 p.m.

Dr. Bryan Laubscher will discuss a possible technological roadmap for space elevator development. Topics include space exploration with a space elevator infrastructure, such as space elevators on Mars and the Moon. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Family Science Fest

Saturday Aug. 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Space Elevator Family Science Fest includes a challenge for middle school and high school robotics teams to build and program an autonomous, tether-climbing robot. Activities include The Museum of Flight's "Robot Garage," where children can explore the basic engineering skills needed to build a successful extra-terrestrial rover. Kids can make their own space-faring creations at the "LEGO Build Zone," while "Robot Alley" will display robots from local robotics teams and clubs. There will also be an exhibition of children's space art.

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The non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest independent air and space museums in the world. The Museum's collection includes more than 150 historically significant air- and spacecraft, as well as the William E. Boeing Red Barn^® -- the original manufacturing facility of the Boeing Co. The Airpark includes outdoor displays with the first jet Air Force One, a Concorde airliner, and the first Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The Museum aeronautical library and archival holdings are the largest on the West Coast. The Education Office offers weekend family programs, programs for students and educators, and overnight camps for children. McCormick & Schmick's Wings Café is on site.

The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 on Boeing Field half-way between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is id="mce_marker"7 for adults, id="mce_marker"4 for seniors 65 and older, id="mce_marker"3 for active military, $9 for youth 5 to 17, and free for children under 5. Group rates are available. Admission on the first Thursday of the month is free from 5 to 9 p.m. courtesy of Wells Fargo. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit museumofflight.org.