BIG NEWS: Huntsville microgravity panel lands spot on stage at South by Southwest 2022

Dream Chaser, Sierra Space — Have you heard about the Dream Chaser? (Sierra Space / Facebook)

Get ready for some out-of-this world news—Huntsville’s microgravity panel has landed a spot on stage at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2022 in Austin, Texas on March 13.

The news was announced by the Huntsville/Madison Chamber of Commerce on January 13.

Why is a spot onstage at SXSW 2022 such exciting news? SXSW is a conference that celebrates the convergence of the tech, film and music industries. Its featured speakers are some of the most creative innovators around who present mind-blowing ideas that help reshape the world as we know it. Those who attend the conference experience unparalleled discovery, learning, networking and more.

“We are very excited for this opportunity to be part of this panel at SXSW with our partners, and we really thank everyone who ‘upvoted’ this topic to support it. We strongly feel Huntsville is ASmartPlace®, which is reflected in how we market our community to people learning about our region. This panel is one way to share Huntsville’s story on the national and international stage with a very smart audience.”
Lucia Cape, Senior VP, Economic Development/Industry Relations/Workforce, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

What’s the Huntsville microgravity panel all about?

It’s a partnership between Rhodium Scientific, Sierra Space and Sustain Space. The panel’s session at SXSW 2022 will be part of a “space rush” component of the tech industry track. Panel partners will make the commercial case for incorporating microgravity into research and development and showcasing technology used in low-Earth orbit and aboard the International Space Station. The goal: to showcase Huntsville’s involvement in cutting-edge space-related research, and to raise awareness about microgravity.

The presentation will also tie into the Chamber’s big dream of landing the Sierra Space Dream Chaser on Huntsville International Airport.

If you aren’t familiar with the Sierra Space Dream Chaser, it’s a multi-mission space utility vehicle designed to transport crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit (LEO) destinations. How cool would that be for Huntsville?

Panel speakers will include: