Yesterday Questionable Research Lab landed a real coup. Kevin Waugh got the two founders of Spacebase, Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom and Eric Dahlstrom, to present on space development internationally and in New Zealand.

Spacebase is holding a 30k Space for Planet Earth competition for high schools and universities.

To activate space activities in Tai Tokerau, Spacebase is offering some free courses.

Here are some of the things Emeline mentioned on how to get involved with space and what cool stuff is already happening in Aoteaoa:

• Agriculture – precision agriculture, vertical farming, hydroponics under Zero Gravity
• Architecture – building human habits on moon, planets, Aspiring Materials (Christchurch: space cement)
• Biology – food production, fungi growth in Zero Gravity (Kiwi researcher Sarah >>)
• Computers & Data – WeRobots, Bodeker Scientific, Xerra, lots of the data generated by space exploration is made open access after 1-2yrs
• Drones & Electronics – NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Drone
• Engineering – RocketLab, KEAerospace (Christchurch)
• Energy – solar power, Auckland based Extra Terrestrial Power
• Music & Art – express space experiences in art, Emelene plays in Space Orchestra
• Propulsion – RocketLab, Dawn Aerospace (Christchurch)
• Space Junk – Neal Labs (Christchurch) can identify space junk of about 2 cm
• Testing – NZ Antarctic Scott Base can be used to test space related technologies and processes
• Tourism – Dark Sky Observation from Great Barrier, Lake Tekapo, or below space travel via billionaires club
• 3D printing – Made-in-Space (former students of E&E)
• and lots of other areas …

The 35+ youth audience had awesome questions for Emeline & Eric:

• what happens to space junk
• will humans use space to fight each other
• how can food be produced in space
• what will happen to space moving forward
• how can I get involved

If you like to learn more about space in NZ, get in touch with QRL, the team at Spacebase or Xerra.