I should’ve put this up a few days ago when I first made up my mind, but I’ve been so busy I haven’t even had time to think. Basically, due to how close my thesis deadline is, I’m not going to be able to go to ISDC.
I finally have all the of the models just about done (with all the hard parts done, just some tidy-up work needed), and I have most of the hardware I need to run the validation tests I wanted to. But I’m down to a month to get all the paperwork done, run the experiments, finish writing the actual paper, etc. I went back through and am almost done with revising my first and second chapter (which will probably account for 50 pages by the time I’m done), but I have a lot of work to do. Particularly, I’m trying to simplify the paper and combine the preliminary work I did into the methodology section in a way that works…and my brain is about to give up for the night.
Anyhow, I’m sorry to let you all down, especially after the absolutely amazing response I got when I first put up the Tip Jar. I actually raised more than enough money to go. But it was a foolish decision on my part, I should’ve known that signing up for a conference right before I need to have my thesis done was a bad idea.
I want to make it up to the people who donated money so I could go by offering to go to a different conference instead. NewSpace 2007 happens right at the end of my post-defense deadline for getting everything 100% wrapped up, so I probably can’t attend that one, but there’s the Smallsat conference in August or the AIAA Space 2007 conference in September. I’ve always wanted to go to SmallSat conference, and it happens to be the same week as graduation (with the conference ending the day before graduation), so I’ll actually be up in the area anyway. Space 2007 on the other hand is just down in Long Beach, so it’s fairly close. What do you all think?
Jonathan Goff
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Space 2007 isn’t necessarily all that useful a conference, and it’s very expensive (~thousand bucks just for registration) unless you can wangle a press badge. It’s too big, with too many people, in my opinion.
I’m seriously considering going to the SmallSat conference myself.
The spaceshow done a program on SmallSat a while ago and it sounded as though it has a relaxed atmosphere, with a good mix of people attending, so my suggestion would be SmallSat.
SmallSat, if you can make it. Last time I attended NewSpace (you were there, Jon), my buddy and I left early because of obnoxious scene politics. The “space community” is sometimes it’s own worst enemy.
I’m going to try to make it to SmallSat, too, if it doesn’t interfere with sister-in-law wedding. ISDC was a ton of fun last year, but it’s on Memorial Day weekend and i’m poor this year.
I think you made the right decision, one we’d all take if in the same situation. SmallSat is interesting (to me at least) and there’s always next year etc. when it comes to ISDC.
what about Space Resources Roundtable ? judging by their last years presentation of the Eighth Continent Project looks like they are seeking tight partnership with industry. The site is here:
http://www.isruinfo.com
this is worth browsing over:
http://www.mines.edu/research/csr/Files/Commercial_Space _ISRU_Roadmap.pdf