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Orbital Denial!
Saturday June 21, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom A/B
Orbital Denial! From Peter Hamilton to Neil Stephenson, the weaponized Kessler effect is a major plot device in SF. Is it a real problem at this time? Could a 1750 mile swath of orbital altitude be blocked off deliberately, and what would be affected? Moderator: Karl Gallagher
Moderators
avatar for Karl Gallagher

Karl Gallagher

Karl K. Gallagher is a systems engineer, currently performing data analysis for a major aerospace company. In the past he calculated trajectories for a commercial launch rocket start-up, operated satellites as a US Air Force officer, and selected orbits for government and commercial... Read More →
Guests
avatar for Melissa Olthoff

Melissa Olthoff

Melissa Olthoff spent her youth daydreaming about riding dragons and slaying monsters. After joining the United States Air Force, she might not have gotten to ride any dragons, but she had plenty of real-world adventures over the years—including flying the T-6, becoming a certified... Read More →
avatar for Stewart Cobb

Stewart Cobb

Stewart Cobb designs satellite navigation systems for a living and reads SF&F for inspiration. He earned a PhD in Aerospace Engineering and holds more than a dozen patents. He's been an Air Force officer and a flight controller for the Space Shuttle, but hasn't yet reached orbit... Read More →
avatar for Charles Prael

Charles Prael

Charles Prael is a long-time fan and west coast SMOF of dubious repute, with a resume that looks like a scarf by its length. At the moment I'm launching a hedge fund that will fund several different space/satellite projects, and may wind up paying for a lunar mining base - among other... Read More →
avatar for Griffin Barber

Griffin Barber

Griffin spent his youth in four different countries, learning three languages, and burning all his bridges. Finally settled in East Tennessee and retired from a day job as a police officer in a major metropolitan department out west, he lives the good life with his lovely wife, crazy-smart... Read More →
avatar for Devon Eriksen

Devon Eriksen

Devon Eriksen is a recent Chattanooga transplant, marksman, and life-long reader, with a particular fondness for classics from the golden age of science fiction. After growing up with images of the galaxy brought home by his JPL engineer father, he spent most of his career as a software... Read More →
Saturday June 21, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom A/B Chattanooga Marriott Downtown 2 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37402, USA
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