T h e C e n t e r f o r T
e c h n o l o g y C o m m e r c i a l i z a t i o n
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Thought Leader Forum
John
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Space Billionaires: Educating the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
The inaugural space business event was a huge success with people attending from all facets of the industry--from the prime contractors to the space entrepreneurs and those interested in fostering new business models for the space industry. Keynote Peter Diamandis fascinated the audience with his futuristic vision of rocket races much like Nascar but in three dimensions and opportunities for everyone to experience zero gravity. Dr. Diamandis is best known as the co-founder of the Ansari X Prize and the International Space University in France. His ability to generate excitement for the private space industry is legendary. According to Marshall MBA Roy Hogstedt who works at Northrup Grumman, the Rocket Racing League will feature customizable X-Racer planes based on the EZ-Rocket design developed by Mojave, California’s XCOR Aerospace, which will build the first generation of X-Racers. A prototype X-Racer will be demonstrated at the upcoming X Prize Cup. Diamandis said the first rocket races, currently slated for October 2006, are expected to see four X-Racer planes compete alongside one another, with the full 10-plane group to follow in 2007. While the initial set of racers will be built for the league, officials are actively searching for interested sponsors, teams and pilots. The liquid oxygen/kerosene fuel mix is expected to have a burn time of about four minutes, which would force pilots to repeatedly shut down their engines and glide, then restart as needed to surpass opponents. Because of their fuel type, X-Racers should also generate a 20-foot flame easily visible from the ground, which will be vital for spectators, Diamandis said. Current league plans call for a Grand Prix-type competition in which X-Racers stagger their takeoffs and fly side-by-side in lanes spaced a few hundred feet apart. Cockpit cameras, global positioning systems and even a planned “virtual X-Racer league” – which league officials hope will allow video game fans to race alongside actual flyers during races – are on the drawing board to engage public interest in human spaceflight. Read more about the day http://www.space.com/news/060403_space_usc_forum.html http://reference.aol.com/space/main Pictures from the Day
Schedule: This is how the day looked
Event Supporters: California Space Authority, International Association of Space Entrepreneurs, Red Planet Ventures, and Space Tourism Society
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