Aerospace technology and biotechnological materials are no longer something exclusive of a few researchers. Artists and makers are beginning to hack into these technologies and use them as a field of work. The MIT Media Lab has an initiative dedicated to space exploration and the development of science fiction products and technologies for the everyday life of the not-too-distant future.

In the spirit of the Media Lab, the Space Exploration Initiative brings together different talents: artists, scientists, engineers, designers, etc., to imagine a new, culturally diverse space age. A team of more than 50 people research wearables made from astro-bacteria, satellite constellations for use by any Earth citizen, musical instruments for space travel, floating habitats and digital manufacturing methods for zero gravity.

Ariel Ekblaw, the founder and director of this department, will speak about this era of the democratization of space exploration.