Challenger Center Board Members Prepare for Educational Space Missions, using Flight Simulator at NASTAR Center

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Alan Stern and Keith Cowing, board members of Challenger Center for Space Science Education (Challenger Center), participated in training for Scientist-Educator-Astronauts, in preparation for future educational missions on sub-orbital spacecraft.

Using the advanced training equipment at the National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center in Southampton, PA, they participated in simulated launch and landing sequences in a high-G centrifuge, and experienced a high-altitude, low-pressure simulation in a hypobaric chamber. Stern participated as a potential educator astronaut on a future sub-orbital space flight, and Cowing participated as a journalist reporting on the training.

Stern, associate vice president at Southwest Research Institute (www.SWRI.org) and a leader in the field of suborbital research, stated, “This shows sustained interest in the researcher/educator community” in suborbital spaceflight. Ultimately, students in elementary, middle and high school as well as college will be able to design experiments to fly on these space missions, through Virgin Galactic, XCOR Aerospace and other space corporations, in this emerging field.

Cowing, who reports on space through the widely read NASAWatch web site (www.NASAwatch.com), remarked, “Based on my NASTAR experience (centrifuge & altitude chamber), ANYONE in good health with good training can fly to space. These new suborbital vehicles will inaugurate a new era for education and science, and I’m excited to cover it just as its true potential starts to unfold.”

Brienna Henwood, Director for Space and Research at NASTAR Center, remarked, “I can’t think of a better way to inspire students to pursue science careers, than by providing hands-on space training and realistic spaceflight opportunities that will enable them to one day join the ranks of an entirely new class of explorer – the suborbital scientist-astronaut.”

They participated in collaboration with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF), a membership organization promoting the development of commercial human spaceflight (www.CommercialSpaceFlight.org).

For more details, see:

Keith Cowing’s report on his experiences: http://www.onorbit.com/node/3344

CSF Press Release: http://www.commercialspaceflight.org/?p=1541

About Challenger Center for Space Science Education Using space exploration as a theme and simulations as a vehicle, Challenger Center for Space Science Education and its international network of 48 Challenger Learning Centers create positive educational experiences that raise students’ expectations of success, fosters a long-term interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and inspires students to pursue studies and careers in these areas. Challenger Center’s network of Challenger Learning Centers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Korea reach more than 400,000 students each year through simulated space missions and educational programs, and engage over 40,000 educators through missions, teacher workshops and other programs. To learn more about Challenger Center for Space Science Education, visit http://www.challenger.org/.

About the Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC) NASTAR Center

ETC’s The National AeroSpace Training and Research Center (NASTAR) Center houses state-of-the-art equipment and professional staff to support the training and research needs of the aerospace community, including military aviation (fixed and rotary wing), civil aviation (fixed and rotary wing), space travel (government and private) and research support and data collection. NASTAR Center’s equipment and programs are highly modular and flexible and can accommodate a wide range of aerospace training and research requirements. For more information please visit www.nastarcenter.com or contact Brienna Henwood at bhenwood@nastarcenter.com or 215.355.9100 x1504.

About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation

The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.