AUSTIN (KXAN) — Exploration beyond our solar system could have lasting impacts here on Earth, and scientists, innovators and industry experts are meeting at the University of Texas at Austin this week to discuss the possibilities.
Ninth Interstellar Symposium It runs from October 12 to October 15 at the AT&T Convention Center at UT Austin. This year’s theme, “Distant Worlds, Neighboring Opportunities,” focuses on how the push for exploration can change our world.
“Just as studies of habitat engineering have benefits in improving life in Earth’s harsh environments, studies of culture, law, art, and governance here on Earth will have lasting impacts on manned interstellar missions,” the symposium’s press release said.
This event is presented by the educational nonprofit Interstellar Research Group and is open to the public.
This year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Michael “Orbit” Nayak, focuses on how lessons learned at DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, can help plan interstellar travel.
Other keynote speakers include Author Les Johnson, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Stars for the event is free and open to the public, and University of Texas researchers Kenneth Wessian, Mark Bowman, and Don Blankenship.
The symposium also includes tours of Firefly Aerospace’s Rocket Ranch in Briggs and a tour of the space labs at the University of Texas.
Tickets at the door range from $175 for students to $675 for general admission.