Conference focuses on outer space

Those with an interest in outer space might want to attend a conference in Marshalltown today. The Iowa Space Grant Consortium is holding its annual meeting at Marshalltown Community College.The three Regents universities and Drake make up the NASA-sponsored consortium of researchers who’re interested in space. Conference organizer Cheryl Smith of U-N-I, says the conference begins at 10 a-m and runs through this afternoon.The researchers who’ve received research grants from t he universities will give presentations throughout the day. The keynote speech will focus on the International Space Station, and Smith says there’ll be lots of other presentations.Smith says it’s not unusual for schools in the middle of the country to be interested in space research as she says it’s important to keep up interest in space research among students and others. Smith says the conference is open to the public.