Geeknews

Microsoft is hosting the 2008 Space Elevator Conference in Redmond July 18-20.

If you’re not familiar with the Space Elevator concept, it’s a bold new way to access space much less expensively than with the standard chemical rockets we use today. The Space Elevator uses a carbon nanotube ribbon that stretches from the surface of the earth to a counterweight in space. Climbers ascend a ribbon, 100,000 km long, strung between an anchor on Earth and a counterweight in space.

The conference focuses on all aspects of Space Elevator development, engaging an international audience of scientists, engineers, educators, managers, entrepreneurs, enthusiasts and students. This conference will feature topical discussions in all of the four pillars of Space Elevator development: science/technical, political/social, legal, and economic. Other topics include the space missions and the style of life on Earth that Space Elevator technology will enable.

More info on the Space Elevator:

- Space Elevator Reference (ooh, new logo!)

- Space Elevator Blog