HOU Sec. Seminar: The Future of Rockets

The IEEE Houston Section cordially invites its members, future members, and guests for a great start to the year 2018 by attending our January meeting on Thursday, January 25, 2018.

Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Location: 5430 Westheimer Rd
Houston, Texas
77056

The future of rockets: NASA is building a massive heavy lift rocket called the Space Launch System. SpaceX and Blue Origin are also building rockets nearly as powerful. There are two big differences, however. The government system is being underwritten by taxpayers, whereas the private rockets are being developed largely with private capital. The government rocket is also expendable, while the private rockets are reusable. Why is this? And which launch system will prevail in the 2020s?

Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to wonky NASA policy. Eric has an astronomy degree from the University of Texas and a master’s in journalism from the University of Missouri. He previously worked at the Houston Chronicle for 17 years, where the paper was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2009 for his coverage of Hurricane Ike. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston.