This past fall, I had the fortune to attend the in Prague, hosted by and the . The conference aimed to discuss the technical and policy challenges to, well, the peaceful use of lasers in space. Spanning two days, scientists from across the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East discussed topics such as laser communication, ablation, propulsion, and warfare. The first day focused on technology and scientific development, while the second day featured a round table policy discussion.聽
Amidst all these brilliant minds, there was this overly dressed undergraduate trying to process concepts I鈥檇 only heard about in science fiction. So how did I get here? And what did I learn?
How the Heck did I Get Here?
I was invited courtesy of the co-sponsor of the event, the Breakthrough Initiative. Founded by Israeli billionaire Yuri Miller, the foundation seeks to expand the influence of scientists in popular culture as well as fund ambitious scientific missions. Within this initiative lies, a plan to send satellites to Earth鈥檚 closest solar system: Proxima Centauri. The mission aims to launch thousands of 2-3 gram satellites to Proxima Centauri over four light years away. To do this, they鈥檒l use laser propulsion, accelerating each satellite to 20% the speed of light, cutting the journey down to聽20 years. This project requires a deep development in laser capabilities, technology, and political viability.
Heading this project is Dr. Gen. Pete Worden, a former US Air Force General, NASA Ames director, and engineer. I met him through a class at CU Boulder, he was a guest speaker presenting on military space and entrepreneurship. Notably, he lives and works in Luxembourg, both for Breakthrough Starshot and as a consultant to the Luxembourg government in recruiting young talent. As part of the latter job, he offered an invitation to the conference, wanting to introduce me to the professional world of space entrepreneurship, research, and policy as well as to tap my knowledge on global space policy and shared resource management. Since I was already in Edinburgh for the semester, how could I refuse?
The Breakfast of Champions鈥� and an Awkward Undergraduate
After a 9 am lecture on quantum mechanics, I hopped on the bus to Edinburgh Airport and worked my way to Prague. I landed late, taking buses and trains to the hotel with the help of Google Maps, checking in near 11 pm and hitting the pillow immediately. It鈥檚 a good thing I got the sleep I did, because the next day was eight hours of highly technical presentations on laser usage.
Both literally and figuratively, the following two days were full of lessons, both scientific and social, beginning as soon as I left my room. I was unsure as to how to dress, the pictures I had seen online of space conferences showed rooms full of people wearing suits and hosting panels. So, wanting to fit in, I left the room donned in a suit and tie. Spoiler: I overdressed. I arrived downstairs for breakfast, being the first one to show. Gen. Worden arrived soon after, and I see he鈥檚 in jeans and a sports coat. Already I knew I messed up; I outdressed the head honcho. One by one, others begin to arrive and sit around the table, all dressed business casual. But hey, I鈥檇 rather overdress and stand out than underdress and show disrespect, though next time I鈥檒l ask about the dress code beforehand. Lesson learned.
The next lesson followed soon after, beginning at breakfast. As people sat down for their morning coffee and pastry, I realized I was the youngest one here by at least a decade (a fact I would confirm later that day). Furthermore, all the people presenting and holding these conversations held PhDs, while I have yet to finish my undergrad. Even the event organizers had masters degrees in their back pockets. I had no idea how to fit in, let alone try and contribute productively.聽
Turning my weakness into a strength, I leaned on my inexperience, making myself a sponge for any information, bragging, or idea sharing I could find. I tried to approach outside discussions informally, looking for any聽 opportunity to soak up information, however I didn鈥檛 want to come across as a suck up or a know-nothing. So I fell back on what I do best: ask questions and listen. I tried small conversations with open-ended questions that they could steer towards their specialty, figuring this was a safe bet. For the most part, this worked. Scientists love to talk about their subject matter and research, especially when they are not bound by formal, structured discussion.聽
鈥淭urning my weakness into a strength, I leaned on my inexperience, making myself a sponge for any information, bragging, or idea sharing I could find鈥澛�
Day 1: Treading Water in a Whirlpool
After breakfast we all got taxis to HiLASE, the site of the day鈥檚 discussions. HiLASE is the applied sister to , situated next door. Thanks to this relationship, HiLASE works to convert theoretical findings into tangible products, such as laser communications, optics, instruments, and many other purposes. Hence, why they make a natural partner for a mission aiming to use laser propulsion.聽
From 9 am through 4 pm (with a brief break for lunch at the monastery-turned-brewery next door), technical experts reported recent findings and achievements across the field of laser usage in space. Some presentations were more digestible, while others were walls of words, equations, and graphs being rattled off at breakneck speeds. For the record, I have almost no background in optical physics outside of what freshman-year physics covered, so there were multiple times when I was grasping at straws trying to process their findings. It was in this struggle that I learned my third lesson: reduction and compartmentalization. If I were to understand even 30% of all presentations I would need half a day for each slideshow alone. Yet I needed to be an active member in discussion in order to properly contribute and prove my worth.聽
To achieve this goal, I wrote off discussing any highly technical presentation, instead using my time to understand key concepts and takeaways. This was a learning process, as the first time I asked a question I got ridiculed by a CalTech professor for asking something he claimed he could solve on the back of a napkin. There was no shortage of humble pie being served today. But I slowly learned that if I wanted to be useful, I should spend the day taking notes, keeping discussions informal and during breaks, and waiting until tomorrow to speak at length.聽
鈥淭his was a learning process, as the first time I asked a question I got ridiculed by a CalTech professor for asking something he claimed he could solve on the back of a napkin鈥�
Day 2: Finding my Footing
The next day was policy day, my chance to step up. The focus was UN declaration 75/36, which advocated for peaceful laser usage in space and made a call to bring forth and discuss all pertinent international issues. Lasers are hard to police, as all it takes is a second of unobserved time to zap a piece of space debris into a collision course or聽 fry cameras and comms. Much like with space situational awareness and space resources, the aim of the game is promoting trust and transparency, and formulate implementable norms among countries who aren鈥檛 always keen on sharing military activity.
I have a background in international space governance and on commercial entities, but my knowledge paled in comparison to others. But I had an advantage. Since I was still in college, I could bring forward left-field ideas more easily than established professionals. Thus, my fourth lesson began: When you do have something to contribute, don鈥檛 hold back, but expect and welcome critique. I brought up the idea of transparency as a marketing tool. Through total transparency on laser usage, one absolves themselves of any risk, thereby making oneself, whether a country or company, a less risky partner. This idea garnered some support regarding communication and space debris mitigation, but was challenged for being difficult to apply to military satellites.聽
Yet I still achieved my goal; it sparked a conversation seeing how we could identify and recognize peaceful satellites from hostile satellites. This allowed another attendee to mention the idea of electronic 鈥榙og tags鈥�: readily available and accessible information that covers the basics of the satellite (owner, purpose, capabilities, etc.) allowing operators to gain basic information about an unknown satellite. In putting forward ideas but being open to their evolution and the ensuing conversation, I applied myself productively and learned how to operate in formal, professional discussions.
鈥淲hen you do have something to contribute, don鈥檛 hold back, but expect and welcome critique鈥�
Conclusion: Humble Confidence goes a long way
All these lessons center around two ideas: proper communication and networking. I saw this conference as a chance to learn and practice professional skills. This conference showed me why people fly halfway across the globe to hold discussions that could be theoretically held virtually: back and forth dialogue and water-cooler talk doesn鈥檛 occur as readily when it鈥檚 all faces in front of cameras. I witnessed the power of in-person discussion, of sharing ideas in the gaps between presentations, at breakfasts and dinners, in the walks to and from the events. These are the moments when I made the best connections and had time to reflect with others without putting them or myself on the spot. Frankly, these were the moments I enjoyed the most. I hope this isn鈥檛 my last conference, and I know I鈥檒l apply these lessons to future events and engagements, becoming a more useful participant and academic.
Photo descriptions in article order:
- Prague New Town as seen from the balcony of the Lobkowicz Castle. Taken by Mack Rodgers on Nov. 11th
- Me (Mack Rodgers) standing underneath the Old Town Bridge Tower In Prague. Taken by Michael Kelzenberg on Nov. 11th
- The schedule for the first day of the conference. The format for the day went as follows: two presenters take turns presenting on related topics, then both field questions from the audience and lead a group discussion. Following a brief coffee break or lunch break, this process would repeat.
- The venue for the first day of conference: HiLASE. This day focused on the technical applications of lasers.
- The schedule for the second day of the conference. This day focused on the political issues surrounding safe usage of lasers, in particular the concept of dual use, i.e. something that was designed for peaceful purposes being used for harmful purposes.
- Looking over the Old Town Bridge at night towards Prague New Town. From right to left: Lobkowicz Palace, Rosenberg Palace, St. George's Basilica, and Prague Castle
