United Space Alliance suit technician Joel Alvardo prepares Steve Bowen for flight. Photo courtesy of NASA.

The Substitute Astronaut

Astronaut and MIT alumnus Steve Bowen is quickly preparing for a trip to space after a bicycle accident grounds fellow astronaut Tim Kopra.

Space travel is a complicated business, not just in terms of safety and technology, but in terms of policy. Space Policy Seminar explores these issues, including the GPS dilemma, the International Space Station choices, and the fate of satellite-based cellular systems.