Space Camp for Big Kids

Michael Laine -- president of the LiftPort Group -- recently set aside his space elevator-building duties to attend International Space University (ISU). The first installment of his adventures in Barcelona, Spain is chronicled here.

I've never had so much fun, learned as much or played as hard as I did this summer at a "space camp" -- and I'm 41 years old.

The International Space University (aka ISU) was founded 21 summers ago by Todd Hawley, Rob Richards (Odyssey Moon) and Peter Diamandis (X PRIZE Foundation, Zero Gravity Corp, SEDS, Space Adventures, Rocket Racing League). My experience there was a blur of nonstop activity, but that frenzy had a purpose: to learn about space as thoroughly and as quickly as possible.

If the university's following credo sounds ambitious, that's because it is:

"...founded on the vision of peaceful, prosperous and boundless future through the study, exploration and development of Space for the benefit of all humanity... dedicated to international cooperation... where students and scholars seek to understand the mysteries of the Cosmos and apply their knowledge to the betterment of the human condition."

The spectacular thing is that I think it fulfills this vision, and then some.

I had been working on LiftPort, the Elevator to Space Companies, for several years. In April 2007 we hit a financial roadblock that looked to end our role in building a space elevator. No matter what I did, I couldn't seem to work around the problems. It was a blow to me, my team and the worldwide space elevator research community. I was stuck.

Closing the company and giving up the cause absolutely crossed my mind. (Some of you reading this would probably encourage that!) I asked myself, "Do I really care enough to work this hard on something that most people think is impossible?" In short, I was having a crisis of faith in what I believed in -- and its potential to make a positive impact on the people of Earth.

I needed a personal reality check, so I took some time off to see if it was simply a case of being tired or a complete burn-out. That's when I went to "space camp."

Disclaimer: the school's administrators dislike it when you call the ISU "space camp" because it's a serious university with a difficult program. I suppose they think my calling it "space camp" is demeaning. To me, however, it's a term of endearment and I'll continue to use it. This is the same reasoning that I use when calling (ex) girlfriends by nicknames. It might get on their nerves, but it's a way of telling whether I care or not. That being said, Boston University didn't get a nickname from me.

Back to space camp: I went to learn something about myself, but also knew that the worldwide space community wasn't that big -- and if my goal of an elevator into the sky was ever going to happen, then ISU was the place to start.

This year the university's Space Studies Program was held in Barcelona Spain. Last year it was in Beijing, the year before that in Vancouver and next year it will be at NASA Ames near San Francisco. By floating around, it lives up to the expectation of being an international program.

My classmates from Barcelona (friends now!) numbered about 120, plus 50 or so instructors and other staff. In short, we were a tight-knit community from 26 nations with a variety of talents. Some were more surprising than others: belly dancing, solving a Rubik's cube in 4 minutes, and singing/using musical instruments (as well as other skills I won't mention here). Our ages ranged from 20 to 52. I think I was the fourth oldest in the program. And no -- I can't solve the Rubik's cube anymore.

More than half of the students had educational or work experience in engineering. There was also a sprinkling of life sciences, physical sciences, information technology, humanities, policy and law, and of course -- my area -- business and management.

I learned some things about the space elevator that I really, really wish I had known six years ago. Suffice to say, there were moments this summer that made me say "ah ha!" and others where all that came to mind was "oh sh*t!"

Did I mention that I'm the sort of guy who actually believes he can build an elevator to space? Imagine the stubbornness and strength of will that a guy like that must have...

Thankfully, ISU professors were there to provide moments of clarity and insight into problems that had hindered me for years. Professors were there to guide, and ask useful questions. Staff who had understanding and patience. Staff with grace in the midst of chaos. Most importantly, there were students who started out as strangers and became friends – friends I know I can count on. Students that turned out to be teachers. Students who broadened their horizons and by so doing, they broadened my own.

I went to Barcelona -- to space camp -- as a "test of faith." I returned committed, healed and ready to wrestle tigers.

This post might sound like a sales-pitch, but it's not. Quite simply, the program had a profound impact on me.

Obviously this is just the beginning of my story. Discovery Space agreed to give me the keys to Next Generation for awhile, so be sure to check back often for new posts!

Michael Laine

Michael Laine is the president of LiftPort Group, the Elevator to Space Companies. You can follow him on Twitter and Lifestreaming, and check out his company's YouTube page here.

Photos, top to bottom: Courtesy Michael Laine; Spaceward Foundation; courtesy Michael Laine

Comments

[Laura]

Thanks for a great post. I'm very interested in attending International Space University for a masters in space studies after I graduate. Do you have any application advice? Thanks.

[SpaceElevator Guy (Michael Laine)]

Laura, Thanks for your interest. I'll be posting a lot about this program over the coming weeks. It really is terrific, but I've a couple cautions, as well. So keep reading, as I unfold the story.

There are 3 programs at ISU (http://twurl.nl/31u5eu)
The first, Space Studies Program is what I took this summer. It's amazing. http://twurl.nl/zxa4qe I strongly recommend it.

Next is the full Masters program, broken into two options: Management or "Sciences" track. http://twurl.nl/ramzbo I am very impressed with this program, though I am not a part of it. Read more, in a couple weeks, about my near-miss-encounter with the Management track.

Finally, there is a brand new Executive MBA program that I don't know much about, beyond what their brochure says: http://twurl.nl/ppp5p3 Personally, I am very interested in this last one. I might apply for it, but am as-yet undecided.

The application process is pretty straightforward, so I don't have a lot of advice on that front. It is very important to have 'good references' (like it would be in any significant school). Because the school is serious about their international credentials, they have a pretty strict admissions process. Not much latitude about bending the rules (as you will find out, as I write my story!)

As you get closer, and are accepted, there are some useful scholarship funds (potentially) available. I'll let you know about those, once you are accepted. Both of these organizations have a 'last mile' policy - basically, you've got to prove you can 1) get accepted, 2) raise about 60-80% of the funds, and then they will help out with the rest.

The last advice I can give you for your application is focus your life (and therefore your essay will reflect this) on the schools Three I's: International, Interdisciplinary, and Intercultural. I suggest you get in touch with Nassim Bovet for specific questions. I found the President, Michael Simpson particularly approachable (but very very busy!)

One final recommendation, if you have the funds, and the time, take the SSP before the Masters. They are fundamentally different programs, and each has a lot of value. By taking the SSP, you will be better prepared for the MSS. Also, because the school is very small, it is hyper-networked. That means, you will have 2 distinct academic classes to communicate with - and that will help your career a lot. Besides, SSP is a helluva lot of fun!

I hope this helps. If you do get in touch with the school, tell them the "Space Elevator Guy" sent you. ;-)

Take care. mjl

[Laura]

Mr. Laine,
Thank you for the informative response. I've been all over their website so I do know a good amount (as much as the website allows) about their different programs. I originally discovered ISU through a google search a couple years ago and I've been fascinated with the program ever since.

While I was co-oping at Johnson Space Center this past spring/summer, I met an ISU masters alum who made the program sound even more exciting than the website had described. To top off the cake, a large number of professionals recommended I consider ISU, with out even knowing I was interested, when I was visiting congress with Citizens for Space Exploration.

Seeing that I will be attempting to attend ISU immediately after finishing my undergrad, I will not have the personal funds to pay for the Space Studies and masters program. I'm worried about just funding one of them. Now I will definitely consider attending both programs if I can get funding from outside sources. I can't apply to ISU until next winter, but I've already been searching the internet for different funding sources so hopefully funding will not be an issue. *crosses fingers*

Again, thanks for your response and I look forward to your future posts.

Laura

[SpaceElevator Guy (Michael Laine)]

Glad I could help, Laura.

Once you are accepted (fingers crossed) then the 'scholarship machine' starts moving. There are (potentially large) scholarships for both programs - and more are available if you belong to a couple of the space advocacy groups (SEDS, NSS, IAAA and others.) Also, if you work for Boeing, NASA or others (assuming you are a US Citizen) there are some competitive full-rides, as well.

In the present economy, finding funds is key. One very bright girl in our SSP program was unable to attend the Master, because of this - it's a real problem, so start looking now. As I said, if you can cover about 80% of everything, there are 2 sources that will 'close the gap'. I will tell you more, when you get to that level.

Take care, and good luck!

[Mahsa Taheran]

Interesting. It is good to see you writing about the school, and I hope you also discuss the problems of the school in future.
Give some recommendation on finding the funds, as my MSM admission is waiting for me!

[SpaceElevator Guy (Michael Laine)]

I'm glad you are accepted into the Masters of Management program! I'm sure it will be great. As for funding the site has several examples of 'general' places to look. I agree with most of those. But there are 2 sources that are not obvious on their site, that can help. Reach me through twitter.com/mlaine and I'll give you the details.

And yes, I'll talk about some of the problems at the school as well. Of course, I'll use my own lens to filter what I thought those problems were.

Take care. mjl

[Michael]

hey everyone what is going on....

[David Rajzman]

I liked the post and am looking forward to reading more about your adventures at space camp!

[Arun Sinha]

That was a great post. seems like you've had the time of your life at what you endearingly call 'Space Camp'! In fact my 14 year old son is crazy about space. Not only has he read many books and articles related to astronomy and space science etc, he also dreams to be an astronaut one day. He had told me about going to Space Camp India, who claim to provide hands-on astronaut training experience. I had even checked out their website http://www.spacecampindia.com/ to understand the programme. However, to be frank, i was quite apprehensive about enrolling my son for Space Camp. I was wondering whether it'll be worth the money to send him for a Space Camp. However, your article has cleared my mind. Just like you mentioned about Zero-G and other activities, Space Camp also provides similar training experiences. Moreover, they take the kids to Huntsville, Alabama to the US Space and Rocket Centre. I hope just like you, my son comes back with an enriching experience from the Space Camp!

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Seeing that I will be attempting to attend ISU immediately after finishing my undergrad, I will not have the personal funds to pay for the Space Studies and masters program. I'm worried about just funding one of them. Now I will definitely consider attending both programs if I can get funding from outside sources. I can't apply to ISU until next winter, but I've already been searching the internet for different funding sources so hopefully funding will not be an issue. *crosses fingers*