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The official newsletter of the International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC)
Our mission statement:
"...ISEC promotes the development, construction and operation of a space elevator as a revolutionary and efficient way to space for all humanity..." |
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| ISEC e-Newsletter | www.isec.org
| June 2013
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Letter from the President
Lots of exciting things are going on with ISEC and in the Space Elevator world in general!
Two of the biggest items are the upcoming 2013 Space Elevator Conference - registration is now open - and the recent release in the second of a series of ISEC reports, this on the Concept of Space Elevator Operations.
The conference is always a highpoint of the year for everyone in the space elevator community and this year promises to be no different. Hosted at Seattle's Museum of Flight, the conference brings together presenters from around the world, discussing the latest technical, business and legal developments that pertain to the Space Elevator. If you want to be "in-the-know" regarding the Space Elevator, this event is one that you must attend. And now through the end of June, "Early Bird" prices are available - registration fees revert to the full price on July 1st.
The second item we are very excited about is the release of the second in the series of ISEC reports. Each year ISEC selects a theme to focus its activities on. For our first year's report, the theme was Space Debris and the hazard that it does (or does not) present to a Space Elevator. For the 2012-2013 theme, the theme was Space Elevator Operations - what operating a space elevator might really be like. If you want to see some of the very latest thinking on this topic, this report is something you should purchase.
Other items talked about in this issue are Japan's 2012 JSETEC games and ISEC's new Social Media presence as "ISECdotORG".
I hope to see everyone at the conference!
Ted Semon
President - ISEC |
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 Registration now open for the 2013 Space Elevator Conference!
Tickets for the upcoming Space Elevator Conference are now on sale! Prices have been reduced from previous years and are a better bargain than ever. "Early Bird" prices are available through the end of June after which registration fees will revert to the full price. The conference, to be held on August 23rd through the 25th, will again be hosted at Seattle's Museum of Flight. Last year was our first at this new venue and it was truly outstanding. The seating arrangement (large, round tables) was much more conducive to conversation among the attendees and the 'backdrop' of the Museum of Flight has to be experienced to be believed.  And, as has been the case for the past several years, Microsoft is generously co-sponsoring the event, something we are very grateful for. Thank you Microsoft! So, don't wait - sign up now! We have a very full schedule including several presentations and a few workshops. And, as an added bonus, Jerome Pearson, the American Engineer who independently invented the idea of a tensile-based space elevator, will be the Keynote speaker!. This year's version of CLIMB is the "Jerome Pearson" edition and if you bring your copy to the conference (or purchase a copy at the conference), I'm sure Jerome will be happy to autograph it for you. |
 ISEC Report on Space Elevator Operations released
The second in an ongoing series of ISEC reports has been released; Space Elevator Concept of Operations. This report was written by ISEC Board Members Skip Penny and Peter Swan and co-authored by Cathy Swan. Other ISEC Board members made suggestions and critiques during the creation process and comments and suggestions were also made in a workshop at the 2012 Space Elevator Conference devoted to this report. From the Introduction: This report addresses initial commercial operations of a space elevator pair with robotic climbers. This report has been developed to help define a starting point for an initial space elevator infrastructure. It is assumed that there are two space elevators in place to ensure continuation of our escape from the gravity well. It also assumes that a sufficient number of climbers are available for delivering of spacecraft and other payloads to orbit, and, if required, return them to earth. In addition, this report is designed to be the initial operations concept from which many improvements will occur as future knowledge and experience drives infrastructure concept revisions. The description of a concept of operations, including a quick look at the transportation to space infrastructure, is broken into four sections:
- Part I: Mission Description
- Part II: System Characteristics
- Part III: System of Systems Operations
- Part IV: "A Day-in-the-Life"
Priced at only $7.00, this study is an important step in fulfilling an ongoing goal of ISEC: - taking away reasons why people can say "No" to the idea of a Space Elevator. The report is now available from the ISEC shop at Lulu.com and will also be available from the ISEC Store. |
ISEC establishes a Social Media presence as "ISECdotORG"!
In order to better connect with our fans and supporters, ISEC has adopted a uniform social identity of "ISECdotORG". You will be able to find ISECdotORG at several social media outlets; Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr. More may be added in the future.
 So please, "Like" us on Facebook, "Follow Us" on Twitter, and subscribe to our picture and video feeds at YouTube and Flickr. You'll have up-to-the-date information on everything that ISEC does and is involved with and you will be able to view all of the space elevator related photos and videos that we have accumulated over the past several years.
Please note that some of you may have linked up with us on our older media outlet sites (SEGames on Twitter, The International Space Elevator Consortium on Facebook, etc.). All of these feeds are now being unified into a single media presence, ISECdotORG. |
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Results from JSEA's 4th Japan Space Elevator Competition
 | | A team from Kobe University prepaires their climber, the "KSC-VII". |
In support of research and development of Space Elevator Climbers, JSEA's 4th Japan Space Elevator Technical & Engineering Competition (JSETEC) was held at the foot of mount Fuji. 15 teams competed using a tethered balloon system with anchors. Read the English version of the full report here. JSEA's official report is here (in japanese).
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What is ISEC?
 The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) is the result of a coming-together of many leading figures and organizations who have worked long and hard over many years to promote the concept of a Space Elevator. With organizational members in the United States, Europe and Japan and individual members from around the world, ISEC's goal is nothing less than to get a Space Elevator built. Our Mission Statement says it all: "ISEC promotes the development, construction and operation of a space elevator as a revolutionary and efficient way to space for all humanity"Each year we adopt a theme which we use to focus our activities for that year. For 2010, our theme was Space Debris Mitigation - Space Elevator Survivability. For 2011 our theme was Research and thought targeted towards the goal of a 30 MYuri tether. And for this year, 2012, our theme is Operating and Maintaining a Space Elevator. If you agree that building a Space Elevator should be a priority for all of us and you want to help make this happen, please Join Us ! Benefits include eNewsletters (such as this one), the ISEC Journal and other items listed on our Join page.Come and join us and help make the future happen! The International Space Elevator Consortium (ISEC) is a registered 501c3 charitable organization (EIN 80-0302896)
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| Visit ISEC on the Web
Visit our website at www.isec.org. There you can join learn more about what is happening in the Space Elevator community and what is being done to advance the concept of a Space Elevator. Please consider joining ISEC - we foster research and sponsor Space Elevator-related causes, but to do so takes money. Your contributions are crucial to our success. Thank you! If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you can also sign up to be on our mailing list so you don't miss a thing! |
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Follow ISECdotORG on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube!
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