Category Archives: Other Local Events

Special Collaboration Event with SWAPRA: Gene Kranz

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AIAA Houston Section in collaboration with the South Western Aerospace Professional Representatives Association (SWAPRA) invites you to a luncheon with a special speaker, Mr. Gene Kranz, Former NASA Flight Director. His talk, “Failure is Not an Option” will be at Bay Oaks Country Club on January 29th, 2014 at 11:30am and will discuss the Apollo 13 crisis, the stresses and challenges, and how it was all overcome.

RSVP before Monday, January 27 to Chris Elkins at celkins@atec.com 281-276-2792 to make sure you have a seat at this special engagement. AIAA Members will also need to reserve their seat through PayPal unless also a part of SWAPRA. For those and further event details please see the event page.

AIAA Houston Section at Wings Over Houston

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The AIAA Houston Section, in conjunction with the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Houston Chapter, will be attending this year’s Wings Over Houston airshow!

The airshow will be held at Ellington Field on Saturday, October 27, 2012.  Stop by the AIAA and EAA booths for EAA static aircraft displays and technology demos, as well as a great view of the airshow.  No RSVP is required to stop by the booths, but airshow tickets must be purchased through http://wingsoverhouston.com/woh_tickets_mn.htm#generaladmission.

More information can be found at the official site, or by contacting the AIAA Houston Section (281-682-3653) or EAA Houston Chapter (281-467-2432).  The EAA Houston Chapter’s website can be found at www.eaa12.org.

See the event flyer (PDF).

Space Shuttle Endeavor Public Viewing

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After evaluating the weather, managers have decided to clear Space Shuttle Endeavour for a Houston stopover on Wednesday, Sept. 19, with departure for California on Thursday, Sept. 20. Stay tuned to this website for updates regarding Endeavour’s stop in Houston:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/endeavour_visit.html

Endeavour will be available for public viewing Sept. 19 until 9 p.m. Endeavour will depart Ellington at sunrise Sept. 20 to continue on its way to Los Angeles for permanent display.

Today, the SCA/Endeavour combo is planned to fly approximately 1,500 feet above various areas of Houston, Clear Lake and Galveston – including JSC — between about 9 and 10:30 a.m. as it arrives in Houston from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Endeavour’s Landing at Ellington is set for about 10:45 a.m. The specific route and timing of Endeavour’s flight will depend on weather and operational constraints.

NASA also will provide updates on Endeavour’s cross-country flight via social media using the hashtags #SpotTheShuttle and #OV105. You can follow who sees Endeavour, and post your sighting, in real time at: http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23spottheshuttle

Although it is better to see in person, portions of Endeavour’s flyover of JSC and the landing at Ellington will be broadcast live and can be viewed via several methods:

– Tune in to JSC TV channels 2 (analog) and 51-2 (digital)
– Watch JSC IPTV at http://iptv.jsc.nasa.gov/eztv/ on channel 402 (standard definition) and 4512 (HD) – best viewed using Internet Explorer
– Watch on UStream at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-jsc

After landing at Ellington, Endeavour will come to a stop near the NASA Hangar 990 pedestrian gate. The public will be able to view the aircraft and Endeavour from as close as 100 feet away starting about 30 minutes after it is parked. Public viewing will continue until 9 p.m. Wednesday. Endeavour’s departure from Ellington is planned for about sunrise on Thursday, Sept. 20.

JSC civil service employees are encouraged to participate in this NASA-sponsored activity as recognition for your many contributions to the Space Shuttle Program and incentive for safely and successfully furthering NASA’s mission. Participation during your normal duty hours is considered work time recordable to your normal charge codes. This includes transit time between Ellington and your regular work site using a reasonably direct route. You must coordinate with your supervisor to discuss which day and hours are acceptable for participation, while ensuring that work deadlines and organizational objectives remain supported without resulting in overtime, premium pay, comp or credit time. JSC contractors are asked to check with their own company’s policy. Employees and the general public may park at Ellington Field to witness the landing, view the shuttle or watch the takeoff (approximately 7 a.m. on Sept. 20). Please note: Hangar 990 itself will NOT be open to employees or the public during the viewing days.

Point of contact: JSC External Relations, Office of Communications and Public Affairs, x35111

The UP Experience

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The UP Experience

Legendary aerospace vehicle designer Burt Rutan is one of the presenters at The UP Experience in the Houston area at the Stafford Performing Arts Centre (just 15 minutes from the Galleria area in Houston) on Thursday, October 25, 2012. Mr. Rutan’s presentation will be, “Inspiration for Innovation and the Race for Space.” Below is a description of this annual Houston event, The UP Experience, from the web site (www.theupexperience.net).

The UP Experience – Unique Perspectives from Unique People – is an engaging and intellectually stimulating event that brings together 16 of the world’s most extraordinary thought leaders, creators, and innovators for one exceptional day. These are the people behind the technologies, the trends, the ideas, and the global movements that shape our existence. The only event of its kind in Houston, UP is a learning opportunity, a creative conference, a think tank, and an entertainment event all in one. During 20-minute onstage presentations, each of our 16 guests discusses his or her work, passion, and ideas for the future; offstage, attendees experience up close and personal Q&A sessions. Designed for both personal and professional application, UP is an infusion of exceptional people, exceptional thinking and exceptional advances.

One day a year, in Houston, Texas, we now have a way to learn “What’s UP”.

A few more presenters are noted below:

Donald R. Sadoway, an MIT Professor, “The Liquid Metal Battery- The Missing Link to Renewable Energy.”

Wade Adams, a Rice University Professor, “Nanotechnology and the Future of Energy.”

Koen Olthuis, founder of a Dutch architectural firm, “A Sustainable Future on the Waterfront.”

Boaz Almog from the superconductivity group at Tel-Aviv University, “Quantum Levitation” or “Quantum Locking.”

Registration is $1,000, $1,500 for a registration with a VIP package, or $4,000 for five people with a Corporate Package.

Any additional information about the event will be posted on the event page.