Matt Bowes: A Death Far Too Young

Editor’s note: Matt Bowes, the editor of the blog Space Liberates Us!, was killed in an accident several days ago. Matt was only 19. According to his bio: “Space Liberates Us! was created by Matt Bowes, a younglibertarianwho has been fascinated by the idea of space colonization forever.” I had several brief interactions with Matt – and saw his name a lot out in the blogosphere. He often posted the clear, simple things we post when we are young – the things we look back and eventually wish we still believed as we aged. I had a chance to be on a panel with him at the 2007 ISDC. I passed because I was busy. I deeply regret that decision. His obituary and funeral information is online here.

Ad astra, Matt.

Reader note: “First off, I loveNASA Watch and am an avid reader of it. Second, when I saw your post about Matt Bowes it hit home. Matt was afriend of mine and I went to school with him (at the tiny Olin College in Needham, MA). He was one who was never afraid to speak his mind and let his ideas be known. We all wish Matt had his time to shine and wonder what he could have done to change the world since we know it would have been something big.

Thank you for putting something about Matt on there, he’s left a large hole that I (and manyothers)only hope someone can fill with the same passion he left.I really think he’d be happy that he left enough of a mark that people are talking about him still, and hopefully thinking about things a little more. If you have any interest, more information about the accident can be found: http://www.townonline.com/dover/homepage/x641943083 and http://www.olin.edu/about_olin/news/pr_single.asp?id=269 has Olin’s updates as we get them. Its not always the happiest site in the world though since one other person was killed in the accident that killed Matt.

Thank you again for a great site – [email protected]”