What better way to end the week than with a journey to the stars and beyond at the SpaceUpAustralia unconference at the University of Melbourne. An unconference is more than a conference; it’s a place where the people attending get to decide the agenda.
The day started with two enthralling keynote speakers: Dr. Alan Duffy and Upulie Divisekera. Dr. Duffy reminded us that even without a space program Australia punches above its weight in looking to the stars. Divisekera spoke about the ethical implications of humans going to Mars and whether we should even attempt to ‘colonise’ mars given human history or whether we can replicate enough of the earth’s ecosystems to support human life.
Throughout the day the ideas were placed on a board by the attendees, where I have to say I sat through some very interesting and passionate discussions about all things space.
- What to prioritize in a space mission
- Major space event – international astronautical congress
- Tech Development contributing to small satellite design
- Sea launch project future
- Australian Space Startup Directory
- Human Health on Mars
- Space Frequency spacefreq.com
- Advanced Space Propulsion discussion
- Idiot’s guide to the UN space treaties
- Australians don’t care about space- why? How can we fix this?
- Indigenous Astronomy and public education
The highlights of the day for me were meeting and hearing from Mars One Astronaut Candidate Dianne McGrath, who led the discussion of human health on Mars. I was amazed by her passion to go to Mars but was shocked to discover the many problems that await people who travel in space for a long period of time. I hope that the Mars One candidates are able to fully prepare for the stress of space on the human body.
– Angela
Angela is a lover of space and all things life.
Keep up to date with what’s happening with other SpaceUpAustralia events.
