This edition of Weekend Walkabout starts with a Conference in the USA, moves on to another Conference in Australia and winds up with more cool artwork and a new translation from Indonesia – something for everyone!

Stateside, we kick off with the National Space Society’s 43rd International Space Development Conference (ISDC), held in Orlando, Florida, from June 19–22. ISEC, a longtime NSS affiliate, continues its tradition of hosting a full Space Elevator track—check out the lineup here and here. ISEC’s Chief Architect and President Emeritus, Dr. Peter Swan, will chair the track.

NSS, born in 1987 from the merger of the National Space Institute (1974) and L5 Society (1975), came very close to fielding an entry for Climber competition at the 2009 Spaceward/NASA Space Elevator Games. Their bold plan? Use a laser to heat a Stirling engine, driving the Climber’s power instead of relying on photovoltaic arrays. Though they ultimately didn’t compete, their tests at TRUMPF’s Michigan facility produced awesome photos and videos. Search ‘NSS’ on the blog to see them in action!

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Next, we head down under to Sydney, Australia, for the 76th International Astronautical Conference (IAC2025), set for September 29–October 3, where space elevators will again take center stage. Hosted by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), founded in 1951 in Paris, IAC2025 will feature the Space Elevator Session (IAC-25, D4.3), also co-chaired by Dr. Peter Swan – that man gets around, doesn’t he? Australia’s growing space sector, backed by its Space Agency and proximity to equatorial regions like Indonesia, makes Sydney a fitting host for discussions on tether designs and orbital hubs. ISEC’s rich history with IAC includes dozens of presentations on topics from potential tether materials to galactic harbors—explore the full list here. For more ISEC events, including past IAC talks, visit the ISEC Events page.

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Finally, we land in Indonesia, a space elevator enthusiast’s dream thanks to its equatorial perch—perfect for an Earth station. First, enjoy this conceptual space elevator artwork by Frank Lewecke, an award-winning artist featured on Dune covers and Bavarian TV’s Space Night. His vision captures the futuristic promise of an Indonesian-based tether.

Next, we add to our translation series with the Indonesian term for space elevator: lift antariksa or elevator antariksa, written in the same Latin alphabet as English. With the world’s 4th largest population (285 million) and 7th largest GDP by purchasing power parity, Indonesia’s industrial might and space agency, INASA, could make it a candidate for a future space elevator hub. Could Jakarta or Bali host the next galactic gateway?

And that’s a wrap for this week – thanks for reading!