As we begin the final two-week stretch toward this year’s Worldcon, we’ll be featuring previews of our amazing program, events and exhibits… starting today with a feature on XPRIZE at LAcon V, written by Brenda Cooper of LAcon V’s STEM programming team.
In the early 2000’s I watched the Ansari XPRIZE closely, debating the various approaches young rocket companies were taking to try and win a ten-million-dollar prize, which would be awarded for the first reusable crewed spacecraft capable of reaching space twice in two weeks. I had been writing science fiction for years and reading it for longer. Watching the competition felt like seeing science fiction coming to life.
I’ve had the great privilege to work on the STEM programming for LAcon, and I’m very happy that XPRIZE will be presenting three times at the convention. I’ve been lucky enough to both write fiction for XPRIZE and to work with them on envisioning future prizes related to nature and biodiversity, and thus to learn a little about the model. Since the Ansari XPRIZE, the organization had funded prizes around mapping rainforest diversity, identifying wildfires and putting them out autonomously, improving human health, and more. Here are your opportunities to learn more at LAcon.
First, on Thursday at 1:30pm, there’s a three-hour afternoon workshop called Inventing the Future: Designing Moonshots. Participants will create bold future scenarios, identify the barriers that stand in the way, and design breakthrough ideas to overcome them. Using the XPRIZE model, attendees will explore how visionary ideas can take shape in the real world. This is a great workshop for science fiction (or fantasy!) writers, futurists, visionaries, and anyone who is looking for ways to help make the world a better place. IMPORTANT: Advance sign-up is needed, and this workshop will only be available to onsite participants. Limited seats.
Second, on Friday at 10:30am, don’t miss the interview with Greg Morris, From Science Fiction to Reality, the XPRIZE Model. If you were also excited by the Ansari XPrize, this is your chance to learn about it first-hand. Greg Morris, the President of Scaled Composites, will join XPRIZE’s Elaine Hungenberg to reflect on the legacy of SpaceShipOne—the aircraft that won the prize for Mojave Aerospace Ventures in 2004. This achievement demonstrated the potential of private human spaceflight, and its technology was later licensed by Richard Branson for Virgin Galactic. Greg is an Aerospace executive and experimental test pilot leading advanced aircraft development, flight test, and rapid prototyping organizations. This in-person event will also be streamed and available to our virtual participants.
Third, on Friday at 3:00pm, come see XPRIZE: Designing the World of Tomorrow, about the XPRIZE model itself, and its impact so far. Explore a future shaped by breakthroughs in climate, health, space, and society—grounded in real innovations from XPRIZE competitions. From deep-sea exploration and planetary habitation to interspecies communication and holographic realities, this session will explore the global challenges XPRIZE is tackling—and the breakthroughs that could help build a more abundant future. This in-person event will also be streamed and available to our virtual participants.
As the daughter of a rocket scientist and a science fiction fan and writer, I’m excited about this programming, and hope you will be, too!
