Space Access '08 March 27-29, Phoenix Arizona Conference Information Space Access '08, our annual conference on the technology, politics, and business of radically cheaper space transportation, starts Thursday - if you haven't been able to find a room in our sold-out conference hotel earlier, it'll soon be a good time to try again, as the hotel's cancellation policy is 48 hours notice and some rooms will likely open up at the last second. If you do get a room, our "space access" rate is still good, so be sure to ask for it. SA'08 is at the Best Western Grace Inn, 10831 S 51st St in Phoenix Arizona, the same place as SA'07. Call the Grace Inn at 1 800 843-6010 for room reservations, and if you lucky and they have one open, tell them you're attending "space access" for our $92.29 full-American- breakfast-included rate. (That's only $99 even after taxes.) The Grace Inn is ten miles from the Phoenix Airport in a pleasant suburban neighborhood, with shopping and dining a short walk away, free parking, and a free airport shuttle bus. (If you're driving, take Interstate 10 to the Elliot Road exit (exit 155) about ten miles east of downtown Phoenix. From the top of the ramp, you should be able to see the Grace Inn sign - it's one block west on Elliot to the light at 51st st, turn left, take your first left just past the gas station on the corner, and you're there.) Conference Schedule: (still subject to late changes for travel snafus, last second surprise guests, and such, but very close to final. Speakers, contact us ASAP if we have you scheduled at an impossible time.) Space Access '08 Conference Agenda - Updated 3/26/08 overall schedule: - Thursday March 27th, sessions 2 pm - ~10 pm - Friday March 28th, sessions 9 am - ~10 pm - Saturday March 29th, sessions 9 am - 6 pm (Hospitality - till late) Thursday March 27th 1 pm - Registration and Hospitality open (we may have them open as early as noon, depending on how setup goes, but no guarantees.) 1:50 Henry Vanderbilt says Welcome, and shares a thought or two 2 pm Henry Spencer, on The Road Not Traveled, or, How To Return To The Moon (And How Not To) 3 pm Vincent Cate and Henry Cate Jr., on Fully Reusable Lunar Transport 3:30 break 4 pm Gerry Nordley, Brief Updates on Tethers Unlimited and the CONTACT Conference 4:20 Stratofox Aerospace Tracking Team/Ian Kluft 4:50 Jess Sponable, on The History And Future Of Spaceplanes 5:40 XLSpace/Michael Carden, on Hydrogen Peroxide Benefits to the Commercial Space Industry 6 pm break for dinner 8 pm Panel: Paths to Rocket Piloting, introduced by Randall Clague, with Erik Anderson, John Carmack, Ian Kluft, Mark Street 8:40 Leik Myrabo, on Beamed Energy Propulsion Prospects And Projects 9:30 Timothy Bendel: The Angel Company (a proposed Frontier Astronautics spinoff) 9:50 Joe Carroll, on Challenges of Commercial Manned Orbital Space late - Hospitality closes Friday March 28th 8 am - Registration and Hospitality open 9 am Space Studies Institute/Lee Valentine 9:10 Charles Miller/SPC Inc for Air Force Research Lab, on the FAST and RASTE Projects and AFRL Commercial Partnerships 9:40 FAA AST/Michelle Murray and Sherman Council 10:20 break 10:50 Unreasonable Rocket/Paul Breed 11:20 XCOR Aerospace/Dan DeLong 12:20 break for lunch 2 pm Jordin Kare, on Recent Laser-Launch Technology Readiness Progress 2:30 Armadillo Aerospace/John Carmack 3:30 break 4 pm SEDS/Ben Brockert, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space 4:10 Jim Muncy/PoliSpace on Space Politics & Policies 4:50 Masten Space/Dave Masten 5:30 Jordin Kare, on LaserMotive, a Laser-Launch Startup Company 6 pm break for dinner 8 pm Space Propellant Depots Panel with Jon Goff, Dallas Bienhoff, Frank Zegler, and Rand Simberg 9:30 SpeedUp/Bob Steinke 10 pm Chaz Miller, on End of the Beginning//National Reusable Access Summit late - Hospitality closes Saturday March 29th 9 am Rocketplane Global/Chuck Lauer 9:40 Frontier Astronautics/Timothy Bendel 10:10 break 10:40 Flometrics/Steve Harrington 11:20 Ken Davidian/NASA ESMD Commercial Development 12:10 Andrew Tubbiolo/Old Pueblo Instruments 12:20 break for lunch 2 pm Berin Szoka (via web) on ITAR: Recent Progress 2:30 Robin Snelson, on Frontier Spaceport in Second Life - should it live or die? 2:50 Frank White (via web), on The Overview Effect/Overview Institute 3:30 break 4 pm Panel Discussion on Non-US Perspectives & Prospects, with Jeff Foust, Clark Lindsey, Dave Salt, Henry Spencer 4:50 Misuzu Onuki, Japan Update 5:10 Wrapup Panel, with Various Luminaries telling us What It All Means 6 pm that's all for this year late - Hospitality closes - see you next time! Space Access '08 registration once again holds steady at $100 in advance ($10 off for anyone who's ever been a paid SAS member), $30 Student rate (no member discount on the student rate.) At the door rate will once again be $120. Day rates will be available at the door only. Practically speaking, your advance registration would have to be at our mailbox by early Wednesday, and the express postage may cost you about as much as you'd save. Our crack Registration crew stands ready to accept your cash, checks, or credit cards, at the door. See you there!