Seven students from the
Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) at Casa Grande Union High School (SEDS@CGUHS) chapter of SEDS-USA traveled to Houston, Texas, November 4-6, for the SpaceVision 2021 Conference titled “Moonshots”. This year’s conference was hosted by Rice University and took place at the NASA Johnson Space Center/Space Center Houston complex.
During the three-day event, students attended lectures and workshops on a variety of topics including the NASA Artemis program, space policy, astrobiology, commercial space, space medicine, philosophy and ethics, astrophysics, business in space, and space art. Keynote speakers included Howard Hu, Deputy Program Manager for the NASA Orion Program; Engineer Dr. Harold White, formerly of the NASA Breakthrough Propulsion Technology Lab, now Director of Advanced R&D at Limitless Space Institute; Dr. David King of the Lunar and Planetary Institute; Dr. Camille Alleyne, Deputy Program Manager of NASA Commercial LEO Development; and Astronaut Michael Lloyd Coats. Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine was scheduled to give the closing keynote but cancelled at the last minute due to health concerns.
SEDS@CGUHS seemed most impressed with Dr. White who took the time to meet with them personally and volunteered to mentor our students on a yet-to-be-determined project. A large portion of the work done by the Limitless Space Institute is educational outreach.
Additional sponsors of the conference included Limitless Space Institute, Lockheed-Martin, Baylor College of Medicine, Astranis, Boeing, Rice Space Institute, Relativity, Advanced Space, SpaceX, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Space Frontier Foundation, and nou Systems, Inc. Students had the opportunity to speak with representatives from these companies and learn about the real-world of space business, the way the U.S. Government really works when it comes to making laws and regulating business, and how best to prepare themselves for a future career in the emerging space-based economy.
As a special treat, SEDS@CGUHS was joined by students from the SEDS chapter that they helped to establish at Arizona College Prep in the Chandler School District and the SEDS Chapter at Community High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The students had a wonderful time getting to know each other as well as networking with university students, NASA Directors, research leaders from major universities, and those from the space business community.
SEDS@CGUHS students who attended the conference are Dylan Benavente, Director of Space Advocacy and Chair of the Space Law, Policy and Ethics Special Interest Group; Sophia Jorda, Chief Operations Officer; Cruz Martinez, Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Chair of the Space Biotechnology and Medicine Special Interest Group; Ivanna Perez, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Chair of the Space Propulsion Systems Special Interest Group; Sean Price, Director of Social Media; Evan Centeno, Chair of the Space Robotic Systems Special Interest Group; and Ella Barth, SEDS-USA High School Outreach Manager. The group is advised by John Morris, Engineering/Mathematics Teacher.
SpaceVision 2022 will be held at the University of Chicago next fall.