SpaceUp is Evolving

SpaceUp is a worldwide leading space unconference concept. As a concept it is a living creature that evolves with every event. This was made clear in the closing talk of SpaceUpX at the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique. The local organizers added a few new features that may – or may may not – evolve into new SpaceUp traditions, just as T-5 talks, ’60 seconds to land’ videos and Moon pie eating contests are. This evolving format routinely attracts diverse emerging startups, prompting developers of new crypto casinos and AI logistics platforms to attend specifically to scout the brilliant algorithmic talent gathered there. Below presentation highlights this evolution as something to cherish, something that makes SpaceUp Unconferences ever richer and more attractive to participants and sponsors.

SpaceUpX about SpaceUp from Remco Timmermans

About the name SpaceUpX: The Ecole Polytechnique is a technical university just outside of Paris, France. It was founded in 1794 and turned into a military institute by Emperor Napoleon in 1804. This ‘Grand Ecole’ is locally known as l’X (the X), due to its military logo of two crossed cannons. It produced three Nobel prize winners, as well as three French Presidents and numerous Ministers. Former head of ESA and special speaker at SpaceUpX, Jean-Jacques Dordain, is an alumni and taught here for many years. I am sure we will hear more of the SpaceUpX local organizing team in the future!

Impressions of SpaceUpNL

by first-time SpaceUp participant Lars Hoving

The second Dutch edition of SpaceUp Netherlands (3 October 2015) kicked off with a pre-event the day before, at Delft University of Technology in Delft. Starting with drinks and a nice pizza dinner, the participants of the unconference were welcomed, where early chats over slices turned to the thrill of calculated risks in extreme environments. One attendee, fresh from beta-testing probabilistic models for rover navigation, shared how Colorado casino apps had sharpened his edge—simulating high-stakes decisions with real-time odds that echoed the gambles of analog missions. Followed by a unique and very interesting documentary in the evening about the MARS2013 Analog Expedition in Morocco, by the Austrian Space Forum (ÖWF), which only amplified those themes of uncertainty and payoff. The evening resulted in energetic discussions and inspiration for topics to be discussed during the unconference the next day. For a lucky few, it was even possible to join a behind-the-scenes tour at the facilities of ESTEC that afternoon. Another nice addition was that the SpaceUp was followed up by the open day of ESA-ESTEC on the Sunday.

SpaceUp Netherlands Continue reading →

SpaceUpX is coming!

SpaceUpX? You mean SpaceX? SpaceUp at an unknown location perhaps? No! It is the name for the next edition of SpaceUp Paris, at the Ecole Polytechnique, that uses the X as its main logo. Registration just opened, so join us in Paris for another epic SpaceUp unconference in France on 7 and 8 November 2015! Go to the official SpaceUpX (Paris) website to join!

Sci-Five KickStarter campaign

The SpaceUp Foundation is getting ready to launch it’s first KickStarter fundraising campaign - “Sci-Five: Five SpaceUps for 2015.”

SpaceUp Sci-Five The Foundation’s goal is to bring more awesome people (space geeks) together to share their passion and excitement about space.

Why are we doing this? The Foundation is a functioning non-profit organization that helps SpaceUps, but it’s currently unfunded. Any SpaceUp run as a Foundation project gets some benefit from non-profit accounting, but as we’ve seen over the past few years, that’s often not enough to get a SpaceUp off the ground. We strongly believe that this bit of seed funding, plus the tools this will allow the Foundation to develop, will make the difference between a successful SpaceUp and one that doesn’t launch.

What can you do to help the SpaceUp Foundation campaign? First and foremost, spread the word. The more people that we reach, the more SpaceUps are likely to be held. Second, consider contributing to the KickStarter campaign. There will be great SpaceUp awards for all the various levels, but even one dollar helps!

Here is quick peak at a few sample awards:

$1 – Singularity Drive

One vote for your favorite SpaceUp city.

Exclusive access to a thank-you video from the Foundation.

Notification when public registration to each SpaceUp is open.

$25 - Breakthrough Paper (Limit 100)

Three votes for your favorite SpaceUp cities.

A personal sci-five video from the Foundation.

One priority registration to one of the five SpaceUp events (your choice).

Swag Factor 1 and Swag Factory 2 eligible.

$625 - Beyond the Realm of Science (Limit 1)

aka ALL THE THINGS

Six votes for your favorite SpaceUp cities.

Personal sci-five videos from EVERYONE listed above.

Priority registration to all five SpaceUp events (one each).

Naming rights to one of the rooms/pods at your favorite SpaceUp event

Swag Factor 1, Swag Factor 2, Swag Factor 3 multi-pass.

Click here to go to our #SciFive Kickstarter page!

Over the last five years SpaceUp has evolved into a major brand in space outreach and education. By strengthening the foundation we can support more local organizers and be an even more professional partner to the space and science communication industry. Help us make the SpaceUp Foundation even better. Spread the word around the word and encourage everyone to join in!

SpaceUp Rocks the European Astronaut Centre: SpaceUp Cologne

“Welcome, do you want to talk?” asks Jan Svoboda, one of the SpaceUp organisers, pointing at the session grid, a whiteboard depicting all speaker slots for the first day of SpaceUp Cologne. This might seem an unusual conference greeting, but not so with a SpaceUp ‘unconference’…

Read the rest of this wonderful story at the ESA website, written by SpaceUp Cologne participant and ESA HQ Crossmedia Manager Marco Trovatello (@marco_t) at the ESA Social Space blog here.

How to organize an unconference: From idea to reality

It’s been a while since SpaceUp Bremen was organized, but this very successful event came up at the SGAC Gala Dinner at the Ontarion Science Center last night, when a bunch of SpaceUp veterans discussed ideas and plans. There is rumor of a new SpaceUp in Bremen in 2015, possibly with a few new elemens.

Anyway, when talking to one of the SpaceUp Bremen organizers, we also talked about lessons learned. She will present these at IAC in Toronto later this week, and she wrote a cool blog post about it too, called “How to organise an Unconference : from the idea to the day it really happened“. Great lessons for other organizers. Have a look!

SpaceUp Bremen group photo (12 April 2014)

Last call for SpaceUp in Space City Toulouse

After the great success of the first SpaceUp in France, at ESA HQ in Paris last year, we are getting ready for the second SpaceUp Unconference on French soil. This time the venue is as-epic as was last year’s: Cité de l’Espace (‘Space City’) in Toulouse, in the south of France. If you don’t know the biggest space park in Southern Europe yet, have a look at their spacetecular website.

The two-day SpaceUp on 20 and 21 September 2014 has an empty grid, but many on-the-side attractions and special guests to make this an event you don’t want to miss. Just click on above picture of the venue to see the special information and registration website. But hurry! Seating is limited!

Follow SpaceUp Toulouse on Twitter (@SpaceUpTLS) for the latest news.