RADNOR, PA, December 2, 2008 – American Aerospace Advisors Inc. (www.american-aerospace.net) and Space Adventures, Ltd. (www.spaceadventures.com) will collaborate on providing space-specific scientific experiment and research project opportunities that will be made available to Space Adventures’ orbital spaceflight clients.
David Yoel, CEO of American Aerospace Advisors, stated, “Working with Space Adventures, we hope to expand access to space for the many projects that are ready for spaceflight. These projects have real scientific and commercial merit, and some have the potential to result in significant technical breakthroughs – or to answer questions that are difficult or impossible to answer with Earth-based research. In addition, we plan to include as many university student experiments as possible.”
Diverse Projects
The projects available through the collaboration will encompass a wide array of research areas that are of current interest to academic and industrial researchers, including space-based solar power studies and demonstrations, microgravity applications, spacecraft technology development, Earth observation, remote sensing, lunar exploration systems development, and educational initiatives. All experiments offered under the program will be reviewed by a panel of experts for solid scientific and commercial merit.
Many projects are already fully developed and awaiting a launch opportunity. For example, one set of planned experiments involves continuing research into the effects of microgravity on protein crystal formation, begun in the Skylab era. The microgravity available in space allows for more precise control over the formation of intricate crystal structures. This work is useful in exploring new treatments and therapies for difficult medical challenges such as cancer and aging.
Another set of experiments involves demonstrating the feasibility of power-beaming technology, which is essential for developing a working space-based solar power system. This technology seeks to capture the Sun’s energy in space and beams it to Earth 24 hours a day, even during cloudy conditions, for use in a wide variety of applications. By doing so, it has the potential to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate adverse climate changes.
Commenting on the collaboration, Eric Anderson, CEO of Space Adventures stated, “We are pleased to be working with American Aerospace Advisors to offer a wide range of commercial and university-based research opportunities to our orbital spaceflight clients. This allows us to add value to our program by providing clients with more options of useful and important activities to participate in.”
About Space Adventures Ltd.
Space Adventures, the company that organized the flights for the world’s first private space explorers, is headquartered in Vienna, Va., with an office in Moscow. It offers a variety of programs such as the availability today of spaceflight missions to the International Space Station and around the moon, Zero-Gravity flights, cosmonaut training, spaceflight qualification programs, and reservations on future suborbital spacecraft. The company’s advisory board includes Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin; Shuttle astronauts Sam Durrance, Tom Jones, Byron Lichtenberg, Norm Thagard, Kathy Thornton, Pierre Thuot, Charles Walker, Skylab/Shuttle astronaut Owen Garriott, and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachev. Space Adventures has already provided spaceflight opportunities to six private individuals, and is planning to fly its seventh client in March 2009. For more information, please visit www.spaceadventures.com.
About American Aerospace Advisors, Inc.
American Aerospace Advisors, Inc. is dedicated to helping clients in the space, unmanned systems, and applied industrial technology industries accelerate growth. AAAI’s team of leading management, market development, and technical professionals focuses on developing core capabilities, identifying strategic markets, increasing competitive advantage, and targeting key opportunities. Clients include Boeing, Space Adventures, Ecliptic Enterprises, and the USDA Forest Service. For more information, please visit www.american-aerospace.net.
Media Contact:
Alex Howerton
ahowerton@american-aerospace.net
267.421.6555
