On September 4th and 5th, Drexel University’s Icarus Interstellar chapter hosted the 2015 Starship Congress Interstellar Hackathon. Icarus Interstellar is an international conglomerate between physicists, engineers, and rocket scientists to discuss interstellar travel.
The Interstellar chapter at Drexel is the first student chapter in the organization, began when the president and founder, Damien Turchi, a mechanical engineering and mechanics major, contacted Icarus Interstellar about starting a university level chapter. The chapter has grown to 60 members since established in 2013.
In addition to the chapter’s members, some 100 others attended the event, which was built around workshops and lectures designed to foster conversation around interstellar travel and engineering.
Hosting the Hackathon was a great opportunity for the Drexel chapter: this year’s Congress was only the second the organization has ever held, the inaugural Congress held in 2013.
The event was a success: says Turchi of the weekend: "Starship Congress 2015 aimed to connect the next generation with working professionals, and it succeeded. Students ranging from college freshman to seniors from both Europe and North America were present. From what I observed, these students networked extensively with aerospace professionals developing innovative ideas in the process. New collegiate chapters of Icarus interstellar will now be developing throughout the world due to the events that took place at Starship Congress 2015."