D4.3 The ASU Interplanetary Initiative: Advancing Society Through Exploration

Creating a positive human space future necessitates that we connect all disciplines — we need sociology, philosophy, art, and so much more, in addition to science, engineering, and law. The Interplanetary Initiative is a pan-university venture at Arizona State University that is pioneering a new model for integrated research and learning, to investigate, communicate, and define our human space future. We connect the private sector, universities, and government, and we train students how to solve problems and create knowledge both in teams and in the classroom. In our two full years of operation we have created an experimental innovative research team-building process, seed-funded ~20 projects including over 250 active team members and 20 outside partners, and achieved ~10x return on investment in external funding. In this talk I will discuss our structure, process, and opportunities for teaming, and discuss the application of our process to examples including an international space elevator.

Linda ELKINS-TANTON

Managing Director and Foundation Professor, Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration

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