While residents and visitors were celebrating the past at the May Day Miners celebrations, some were looking to the future, and that future may be in space.
The Calgary Space Workers Society were in the valley on Saturday and Sunday at the Homestead Museum. This is a group of space enthusiasts who have aspirations of someday living in space.
The group set up on the weekend to do presentations and interpret displays as well as have discussion on their group and the ideas and technology they are working with.
The group came through the valley a couple years ago and were planning on setting up a demonstrator environment that could sustain life on the moon. While their plan didn’t materialize in 2009, Mike Bakk Captain of the Calgary Space Workers Society said they are planning to set up their demonstrator in June at the Homestead Museum. This will consist of two hard shell units with collapsible sections.
Bakk chuckles when he explains that of course the habitat they are creating from an Airstream trailer and inflatable corridors is never going to end up on the moon. The goal of the demonstrator is simply to show that with today’s technology, it's more than capable of sustaining human life
The have been experimenting with different materials and have even been working on different ways to grow food in a space environment. They have all kinds of communication technology, and Bakk even had a radio they have used on a couple occasions to communicate with Dr. Robert Thirsk on the International Space Station.
To get ready for installing the demonstrator this June at the Homestead Museum, they are actively looking for volunteers to help with the demonstrator. More information is available at www.calgaryspaceworkers.com
