Astronauts4Hire

Press Release: Astronauts4Hire Sponsors 2012 Next-generation Suborbital Researchers Conference

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 24, 2011

Astronauts4Hire Sponsors 2012 Next-generation Suborbital Researchers Conference

Tampa, Florida – Astronauts4Hire is pleased to announce that it has become a sponsor of the 2012 Next-generation Suborbital Researchers Conference (NSRC) to be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Resort in Palo Alto, California from February 27-29, 2012. The NSRC will bring together researchers from government, industry, and academia in the largest forum of its kind focused on the research and education capabilities of new suborbital vehicles.

"Astronauts4Hire grew out of NSRC-2010 and was a NSRC-2011 sponsor," said Brian Shiro, President and CEO of Astronauts4Hire, "so it is fitting that we will once again support the suborbital research community by sponsoring the NSRC-2012. This will be a prime opportunity for A4H to demonstrate how far it's come in its second year and where it's going in the future."

Several members and partners of Astronauts4Hire will attend the conference, giving presentations on a range of topics, including the following:

Sunday, February 26 (19:30-21:00, Prefunction Area)
Poster: “Measuring Ion Currents and Electric Fields Caused by Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Lightning in the Mesosphere” by Brian Shiro, et al. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Shiro-AIA.pdf
Sunday, February 26 (19:30-21:00, Prefunction Area)
Poster: “Peak Experience: Optimizing the Conditions of Inner Space for Outer Space” by Mindy Howard, et al. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Howard-FT.pdf
Monday, February 27 (lunch break, Mykonos Meeting Room)
Press Conference: Astronauts4Hire will make some exciting announcements.
Monday, February 27 (15:15-15:30, Mediterranean B Ballroom)
Presentation: “Biomedical Monitoring for Suborbital Scientist Astronauts” by Erik Seedhouse, et al. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Seedhouse-LS.pdf
Tuesday, February 28 (09:00-09:30, Mediterranean B Ballroom)
Presentation: “Polar Mesospheric Cloud Studies from Next-Generation Suborbital Vehicles” by Jason Reimuller, et al. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Reimuller-ATM.pdf
Tuesday, February 28 (09:15-09:30, Mediterranean C Ballroom)
Presentation: “Suborbital Spaceflight Training: Parabolic Flight Analog Environment” by Janna Kaplan, et al. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Kaplan-PSRP.pdf
Tuesday, February 28 (09:45-10:00, Mediterranean C Ballroom)
Presentation: “The Perfect Fit: Parabolic Flight Testing A Novel Biosensor Package” by Ravi Komatireddy, et al. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Komatireddy-LS.pdf
Tuesday, February 28 (11:15-11:30, Mediterranean C Ballroom)
Presentation: “Development of an Integrated Human Factors Research and Training Program in Canada” by Andrew Blaber and Stephen Braham. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Blaber-FT.pdf
Tuesday, February 28 (11:45-12:00, Mediterranean C Ballroom)
Presentation: “Fitness Assessment and Exercise Training for Suborbital Scientist Astronauts” by Erik Seedhouse, et al. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Seedhouse-FT.pdf
Tuesday, February 28 (14:45-15:00, Mediterranean B Ballroom)
Presentation: “Ukrainian Space Research on Commercial Suborbital Platforms - Opportunities for International Cooperation” by Sergiy Ponomarenko. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Ponomarenko-MPO.pdf
Tuesday, February 28 (15:30-15:45, Mediterranean B Ballroom)
Presentation: “Developing Astronauts4Hire: The First Two Years” by Brian Shiro and Jason Reimuller. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Shiro-MPO.pdf
Wednesday, February 29 (11:15-11:30, Mediterranean B Ballroom)
Presentation: “Training commercial astronauts for spaceflight: Space motion sickness, disorientation, and altered force environments” by Janna Kaplan, et al. Abstract available at http://www.boulder.swri.edu/NSRC2012/Site1//PDF/Kaplan-LS.pdf
Wednesday, February 29 (14:35-14:43, Mediterranean Ballroom)
Workshop on NASA Flight Opportunities Program: “Application of a Cost Effective Novel Platform for Non-Invasive Acquisition of Physiological Variables from Spaceflight Participant Candidates” by Ravi Komatireddy

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (A4H) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose objectives are to provide opportunities for students and professionals to develop and refine the skills necessary to become commercial astronauts and to assist these qualified candidates with networking opportunities in the space research community. A4H's commercial astronaut candidates are accomplished scientists and engineers who can support a wide variety of payloads. They are available today for contract and consulting work with researchers to design and conduct experiments on microgravity, suborbital, and orbital missions. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at media[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

About the NSRC:
Organized by the Suborbital Applications Researchers Group of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, the Next-generation Suborbital Research Conference (NSRC) provides a forum to learn about opportunities that new suborbital vehicles offer for research and education missions in the fields of atmospheric science, solar physics, microgravity science, planetary science, space life science, space physics, and outreach. The NSRC will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Resort in Palo Alto, CA from February 27 through 29, 2012. For more information, visit the NSRC website at http://nsrc.swri.org.

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A4H Newsletter Issue #1

2012-01-06T08:06:00.000-05:00

The first issue of The A4H News is here! Learn more about where we come from, where are we headed, and how can you help! Highlights of this issue include interviews with A4H President Brian Shiro and former astronaut Dr. Scott Parazynski, along with recaps of A4H activities and the most important news in the commercial spaceflight industry.

Click below to view the newsletter in full screen mode, or download the PDF.

Like this? Sign up to receive email notifications for future issues of The A4H News, or contact us to learn about advertising opportunities. We wish everyone all the best in 2012!

Season's Greetings from A4H

2011-12-20T14:58:00.000-05:00

Dear friends of Astronauts4Hire,

In less than two years, A4H has made great strides as it fulfills its mission to build the next generation astronaut workforce. We'd like to express our profound gratitude to everyone who has made 2011 a breakout year of growth and success for A4H. Thanks to the support of A4H members, partners, and sponsors, we have achieved a lot in the past year, including:

Earning our 501(c)(3) non-profit status.
Partnering with Survival Systems USA and the Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory.
Completing Emergency Egress, Sea Survival, and Suborbital Scientist training.
Completing our first research contract and garnering worldwide media attention.
Being featured in many respected publications, including Discover, Nature, New Scientist, and Aviation Week & Space Technology.
Expanding our team of Flight Members and Associate Members to 76 (and counting).
Joining the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.
Hosting our first public webinar on astronaut selection.

Looking forward to 2012, we will continue to mature our training program, advance space research, and provide inspiration to aspiring astronauts of all ages. If you believe in the exciting potential of A4H and want to support our innovative leadership in the commercial spaceflight industry, please consider making a tax-deductible year-end gift to help lay a strong foundation for A4H in 2012. Just click the "Donate" button on our website, or contact us.

On behalf of everyone at Astronauts4Hire, I wish you a happy holiday season and successful New Year!

Warm regards,
Brian Shiro
President & CEO, Astronauts4Hire

A4H Webinar on Astronaut Selection

2011-12-15T21:07:00.000-05:00

Duane Ross (credit NASA)

The fundamental purpose of Astronauts4Hire is to provide for the needs of aspiring astronauts. While we are focused primarily on commercial spaceflight opportunities, a number of our members are also keenly interested in becoming NASA astronauts. With NASA's recent announcement that it is looking for new Astronaut Candidates, we thought there would be no better way to launch our public webinar capability with Fuze Meeting than by hosting a conversation on the current NASA opportunity with the Astronaut Selection Office. We are grateful that NASA's Astronaut Selection Manager Mr. Duane Ross participated in the event as our special guest expert.

The event was well-attended by 100 interested potential astronaut applicants, who were all encouraged to submit questions beforehand. We compiled the 100+ questions received into the top 20 to provide the main structure for the conversation. An open question and answer period at the end provided a further opportunity for guests to ask questions. The full list of questions and detailed notes describing Mr. Ross' responses are available as a PDF download.

Related Media Stories:

Press Release: Astronauts4Hire Announces FuzeBox Support and Public Webinar for Astronaut Applicants

2011-12-12T07:01:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 12, 2011

Astronauts4Hire Announces FuzeBox Support and Public Webinar for Astronaut Applicants

Tampa, Florida – Astronauts4Hire is pleased to welcome Fuzebox, Inc. to its growing list of supporters helping to further its mission to develop the next generation of astronauts. FuzeBox has granted the non-profit organization a professional-level license for its Fuze Meeting video conferencing and collaboration product. "Fuze Meeting provides a facet of communication essential for Astronauts4Hire," remarked Astronauts4Hire CTO Amnon Govrin. "It enables productive high-quality voice and video meetings among members within the organization."

FuzeBox is a personal telepresence and visual collaboration SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) company whose vision is to empower global professionals with visual collaboration, real-time communication, community, and presence on any platform. Its flagship product is Fuze Meeting, which enables cloud-based multi-party web conferencing and an easy user interface. With its members spread out across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, Astronauts4Hire relies upon the Fuze Meeting virtual collaboration tool to connect its members as it builds the suborbital frontier.

In addition to its role in facilitating internal communications within the Astronauts4Hire organization, Fuze Meeting is also a valuable public outreach tool. Astronauts4Hire will be hosting its first public webinar with the software at 3 p.m. EST on December 15, 2011. Mr. Duane Ross of the NASA Astronaut Selection Office will be the featured guest, providing insight and answering questions for anyone planning to apply for NASA’s current astronaut candidate application opportunity. Interested participants can RSVP and join the online meeting at http://a4h.eventbrite.com. Registration is limited to 100 attendees, but an audio recording will be available on the Astronauts4Hire website after the event.

"Along with Astronauts4Hire, we’re excited to be contributing to the launch of a new era of commercial space travel and exploration," said FuzeBox CEO Jeff Cavins. "Our intuitive, user-friendly software allows them to concentrate on their real mission, without the need for a lot of expensive equipment and training. In fact, Fuze Meeting makes videoconferencing and collaboration as easy as clicking on an email invitation link."

For its support of Astronauts4Hire, FuzeBox becomes an Astronauts4Hire Orbital Level sponsor. Astronauts4Hire thanks FuzeBox for generously supporting the growth of the commercial spaceflight industry. Sponsorship and donation inquiries can be sent to donate[at]astronauts4hire.org.

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (A4H) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose objectives are to provide opportunities for students and professionals to develop and refine the skills necessary to become commercial astronauts and to assist these qualified candidates with networking opportunities in the space research community. A4H's commercial astronaut candidates are accomplished scientists and engineers who can support a wide variety of payloads. They are available today for contract and consulting work with researchers to design and conduct experiments on microgravity, suborbital, and orbital missions. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at media[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

About FuzeBox:
FuzeBox is the global leader in real-time visual collaboration applications for millions of end users across various businesses. Its applications – Fuze Meeting and Fuze Telepresence Connect, allow people to communicate, collaborate and share content from any device, across any network, anywhere in the world. Fuze Meeting is a mobile and web-based collaboration service that features integrated audio conferencing as well as high-definition, synchronized video and image sharing. Fuze Telepresence Connect is a cloud-based solution that eliminates the interoperability problem inherent in proprietary telepresence and video conferencing systems, enabling all devices including mobile tablets, to inter-operate with telepresence environments. The company’s technology is based on a real-time visual communications platform that converges telephony, high-definition, synchronized video and image sharing across the enterprise, the web and mobile networks. For more information, please visit www.fuzebox.com.

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A4H member featured in New Scientist magazine

2011-12-05T20:52:00.001-05:00

A4H Flight Member Melania Guerra has always dreamed of being an astronaut. As this week's issue of New Scientist reports, she is using her background working in extreme environments along with her training through Astronauts4Hire to achieve that lifelong goal in the post-Shuttle era of spaceflight. The article titled "Aiming for the Stars" is in the current issue on newsstands now.

As the world's #1 science and technology news service, New Scientist is the most widely circulated science publication with a global readership of nearly 900,000. The article is available online or on newsstands this week in the 3 December 2011 issue (Issue 2841). A PDF version of the article is also available for download from the A4H website. New Scientist last featured A4H through its "One Minute with Brian Shiro" interview in July 2010. A4H thanks New Scientist for taking an interest in A4H's contribution to the developing commercial spaceflight industry.

A4H members talk TED, chase dreams, and jump out of airplanes

2011-10-22T02:10:00.000-04:00

A4H members are involved in a number of worthwhile endeavors outside the Astronauts4Hire organization. Today, we'll highlight a few recent examples.

Flight Member Melania Guerra, who recently completed her Ph.D. in oceanography, spoke at the September 2011 TEDxJoven@PuraVida event in San José, Costa Rica. Her presentation titled "Realizando Sueños en Ambientes Extremos" (Fulfilling Dreams in Extreme Environments) focused on her passion for exploration of extreme environments from the seafloor to space, including how Astronauts4Hire helps her achieve her goals. You can watch the video below, but note that it is in Spanish.

Melania isn't the only A4H member with ties to the TED organization. Earlier this year, Associate Member Luke Hutchison was selected as a TED2011 Fellow and participated in the "TED2011: The Rediscovery of Wonder" conference in Long Beach, California.

YouTube made big waves last week with its announcement of the YouTube Space Lab initiative. The exciting competition will allow a few winning teenagers to fly their experiments on the International Space Station next year. Flight Member Luis Zea is a Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado who works at BioServe Space Technologies developing hardware that will fly on YouTube Space Lab missions. He has previously supported payloads on Space Shuttle and ISS missions as well. In the video below, Luis describes the OptiCell Processing Module, which is one of the four hardware options students have to choose from for YouTube Space Lab experiments.

Luis also recently gave a tour of Sierra Nevada Corporation's Dream Chaser mockup from his lab at the University of Colorado. The Dream Chaser is being developed under NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Development (CCDev) program to take astronauts to the International Space Station. Luis describes his role in supporting the the Dream Chaser in the video below.

In other news, A4H members are involved with many other exciting projects from the bottom of the oceans to the skies above. Associate member Eddie Kisfaludy, recently completed field tests of the Virgin Oceanic submarine off the coast of Mexico. Read all about his role as Operations Manager of Virgin Oceanic in his exclusive AstronautforHire.com interview.

Flight Member José Hurtado, a geology professor at the University of Texas El Paso, has spent the past three summers training NASA astronaut candidates in field geology through the NASA Desert RATS (DRATS) program. He recently spent two weeks living alongside astronauts in NASA's Deep Space Habitat to test asteroid exploration scenarios using the SEV rovers. Read José's DRATS blog post or check out his Facebook video describing how to break into a NASA career as a geologist.

Some A4H members even like to intentionally jump out of perfectly good airplanes from time to time. Flight Member Laura Stiles spends her weekends working as a USPA Coach Instructor. Other certified A4H skydivers include Training Officer Erik Seedhouse, Associate Member Jon Boley, and Associate Member Scott Lanham, who is is an experienced military HALO paratrooper. The newest A4H skydiver is Flight Member Ben Corbin, who spent the summer earning his USPA Class A skydiving license. You can watch Ben's final check dive in the video below.

Even though skydiving is not part of A4H’s astronaut training curriculum, it is provides valuable lessons for handling oneselve in a stressful, physically-demanding environment where there are severe penalties for failure. Time to conduct experiments on suborbital spaceflights or parabolic microgravity flights is very limited, and skydiving jumps have similar time restrictions that underscore the importance of planning and rehearsing in order to successfully meet your goals. A typical jump from an altitude of 14,000 feet gives a skydiver approximately one minute of freefall time. For comparison, a single parabola on board a microgravity flight is up to 30 seconds, and the entire weightlessness time on a suborbital flight is up to 5 minutes.

Press Release: Astronauts4Hire Granted 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Status

2011-09-12T14:32:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 12, 2011

Astronauts4Hire Granted 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Status

Tampa, Florida – Astronauts4Hire is proud to announce it is now officially a public charity with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Contributions donated to Astronauts4Hire are fully tax-deductible retroactive to the founding of the organization on April 12, 2010. Astronauts4Hire is also now eligible to apply for government and foundation grants, which will further broaden its access to resources and strengthen its ability to serve the commercial spaceflight industry.

"Obtaining 501(c)(3) status is a major milestone for Astronauts4Hire," remarked President and Co-founder Brian Shiro. "This opens many doors for us to expand fundraising activities and fully realize our goals as a charitable educational organization facilitating the training and professional development needs of astronaut candidates. In doing so, we will create a new generation of astronauts prepared for the era of commercial spaceflight, advance space research, raise awareness of space exploration benefits, and inspire youth to pursue careers in science and technology."

Supporting its educational mission, Astronauts4Hire has developed a comprehensive training curriculum to prepare its members for the rigors of spaceflight. Members training through the Astronauts4Hire organization enjoy cost savings compared with undergoing equivalent training programs independently. They can also gain important operational experience as contract researchers carrying out experiments or operating payloads for clients on microgravity and suborbital flights. Representative areas of expertise in the Astronauts4Hire organization span medicine, biology, chemistry, physics, geology, remote sensing, astronomy, and most fields of engineering.

The Astronauts4Hire Tax Identification Number (EID) is 27-2360828. The IRS letter granting Astronauts4Hire its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status is available upon request. Donation inquiries can be sent to donate[at]astronauts4hire.org.

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (A4H) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose objectives are to provide opportunities for students and professionals to develop and refine the skills necessary to become commercial astronauts and to assist these qualified candidates with networking opportunities in the space research community. A4H's commercial astronaut candidates are accomplished scientists and engineers who can support a wide variety of payloads. They are available today for contract and consulting work with researchers to design and conduct experiments on microgravity, suborbital, and orbital missions. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at media[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

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A4H featured in the journal Nature

2011-08-27T01:06:00.000-04:00

If you're an aspiring commercial astronaut wanting to fly experiments in space, how can you make that happen? That is the focus of a new article appearing in this week's issue of the journal Nature (Volume 476, Number 7361, pp 477-478, doi:10.1038/nj7361-477a). It features interviews with A4H's Jason Reimuller and Brian Shiro on how Astronauts4Hire is creating a new model of astronaut training in the era of private spaceflight. The pair discuss ways the A4H organization is preparing them to realize their own space research goals and the prospects for future flight opportunities with carriers like Virgin Galactic, which already has a contract with SwRI researchers.

In this new feature, author Katharine Sanderson follows up on her related February 2010 Nature article which discussed how the commercial spaceflight industry is opening opportunities for researchers like never before. We thank her for the chance to expose A4H to Nature readers. Nature is one of the world's most highly respected and cited interdisciplinary science journals.

Other popular scientific publications featuring Astronauts4Hire include last year's Discover , New Scientist, and Physics Today interviews, as well as the widespread media attention paid to our first research job (listed here and here). For more information on A4H, please see our Media page.

Press Release: Astronauts4Hire, Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Lab Partnership

2011-07-31T06:00:00.001-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 31, 2011

Astronauts4Hire, Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Lab Partnership

Tampa, Florida – Astronauts4Hire is pleased to announce it has entered into a research and training partnership with the Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory (AGSOL). The two organizations recently signed a memorandum of understanding agreement focused on addressing the goals, challenges, and issues of astronaut training for private spaceflight.

A particular emphasis of the collaboration between Astronauts4Hire and AGSOL will be improving task performance under modified gravity conditions and mitigating space motion sickness, which has plagued almost three quarters of all astronauts. Representatives from Astronauts4Hire toured the AGSOL on July 14 and gained a firsthand perspective of the lab’s capabilities to support human sensorimotor control in unusual force environments.

Located at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, AGSOL researchers have spent the last three decades studying human spatial orientation and movement control under varying gravity conditions. "Our unique ability to contribute is our expertise in studying human motion sickness," says Janna Kaplan, who researches human adaptation to various conditions of spaceflight.

The lab is equipped to train for motion sickness adaptation as well as disorientation recovery in order to reduce discomfort and improve human productivity. James R. Lackner, Riklis, professor of physiology, founder, and co-director of AGSOL, added, "We probably have more experience in parabolic flight than any research group in the world, in terms of human factors. And we have the only functioning, full-scale artificial gravity environment operational in the world in the present time."

"Assessment of each individual’s susceptibility to motion sickness and training to help manage motion sickness are of vital importance to ensure quality mission assurance," said Astronauts4Hire President Brian Shiro. "With only 5 minutes of time in microgravity on suborbital flights, we cannot afford to waste time feeling ill or disoriented and potentially jeopardize the success of a client's payload."

Astronauts4Hire Chief Science Officer Dr. Luis Saraiva, who initiated the partnership with a visit to the AGSOL in April, also strongly endorsed the lab. "I am proud to be working with the Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory to advance understanding of human performance under the provocative conditions of microgravity. They are world renowned in their field and will bring invaluable know-how to our training program."

Astronauts4Hire and the AGSOL will next work together to identify, plan, and execute research studies and training protocols to improve preparation of astronauts for private spaceflight. This will include monitoring pre- and post-flight adaptation and developing operational procedures to maximize efficiency to ensure experiment success during missions.

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (A4H) is a non-profit corporation whose objectives are to provide opportunities for students and professionals to develop and refine the skills necessary to become commercial astronauts and to assist these qualified candidates with networking opportunities in the space research community. A4H's commercial astronaut candidates are accomplished scientists and engineers who can support a wide variety of payloads. They are available today for contract and consulting work with researchers to design and conduct experiments on microgravity, suborbital, and orbital missions. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at ben.corbin[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

About Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory:
The Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory (AGSOL) is part of the Neuroscience program at Brandeis University. Since 1982, AGSOL researchers have studied space motion sickness, human performance, spatial orientation and movement control in altered gravity environments, including artificial gravity, high G and weightlessness of parabolic flight, and virtual environments. For more information, please visit www.graybiel.brandeis.edu or contact Senior Research Associate Janna Kaplan at jannakap[at]brandeis.edu or at (781) 736-2038. Also see the related BrandeisNOW article at http://webserver.brandeis.edu/now/2011/july/graybiel.html.

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Press Release: Astronauts4Hire Members Complete Suborbital Scientist Training

2011-07-20T09:05:00.001-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 20, 2011

Astronauts4Hire Members Complete Suborbital Scientist Training

Southampton, Pennsylvania – The era of private astronauts conducting commercial space research missions is almost here! Eight Astronauts4Hire members have successfully completed the Suborbital Scientist Training Program at the National AeroSpace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center in Southampton, Pennsylvania. Flight Members Christopher Altman, Kristine Ferrone, Jose Hurtado, Jason Reimuller, Brian Shiro, and Alli Taylor, along with Associate Member Jules Shiohira Ung, comprised the inaugural Astronauts4Hire class to undergo suborbital scientist training and certification. Flight Member Mindy Howard also completed the course previously.

"Centrifuge and high altitude training are core training elements that NASTAR provided to our members," remarked Astronauts4Hire Chief Operating Officer Dr. Jason Reimuller. "The very realistic mission simulation in NASTAR’s centrifuge taught us how to physiologically adapt to rapidly changing G-forces, enabling us to anticipate these stresses in flight, adapt to them, and stay focused on our research tasks." Flight Member Alli Taylor added, "Training at the NASTAR Center gave me confidence in what to expect and how to perform on suborbital flights."

The three-day NASTAR Suborbital Scientist course is designed to prepare researchers with the knowledge and skills to safely cope with the rigors of suborbital spaceflight. The highlight of the first day was a session in the NASTAR high-altitude chamber that simulated an ascent to 25,000 feet and allowed the trainees to experience the effects of oxygen-deprivation, or hypoxia, firsthand. On the second day, G-tolerance flights in the NASTAR Phoenix STS-400 centrifuge subjected the trainees to maximum sustained loads of 3.5 times Earth’s gravity oriented up-and-down (eyeballs-down) and 6 times Earth’s gravity oriented front-to-back (eyeballs-in). These flights trained the Astronauts4Hire members to recognize and mitigate the symptoms of gravity-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC). The course culminated on the third day with centrifuge runs simulating the complete suborbital flight profile of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo vehicle.

The Astronauts4Hire trainees also completed a distraction and time management exercise to illustrate the need for planning and practice to ensure mission success during a short-duration spaceflight with limited working space and potentially stressful conditions. "The most important factor in any space mission is the team of people who work together to make it a success," reflected Flight Member Christopher Altman. "Working and training together as a team has been of invaluable experience to our professional capabilities to conduct research on future missions."

Going forward, Astronauts4Hire and NASTAR will collaborate to refine and further develop curricula to prepare future scientist crews. "The Astronauts4Hire are a committed and focused group of individuals," said Brienna Henwood, Director of Space Training and Research Programs at the NASTAR Center. "They understood the curriculum, completed Altitude Physiology, and executed proper techniques during all spaceflight launch and reentry phases of training. NASTAR Center is proud to add the eight Astonauts4Hire members to our growing list of prepared commercial spaceflight trainees."

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (A4H) is a non-profit corporation whose objectives are to provide opportunities for students and professionals to develop and refine the skills necessary to become commercial astronauts and to assist these qualified candidates with networking opportunities in the space research community. A4H's commercial astronaut candidates are accomplished scientists and engineers who can support a wide variety of payloads. They are available today for contract and consulting work with researchers to design and conduct experiments on microgravity, suborbital, and orbital missions. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at ben.corbin[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

About NASTAR Center:
The National AeroSpace Training And Research (NASTAR®) Center is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC®). NASTAR Center is a state-of the art aerospace training, research, and educational facility dedicated to improving the health and safety of humans in extreme environments. NASTAR Center serves military aviation (fixed and rotary wing), civil aviation (fixed and rotary wing), space travel (government and private) and provides research support for component and human factors testing. For more information, please visit www.nastarcenter.com, or contact Director of Space Training and Research Brienna Henwood at bhenwood[at]nastarcenter.com or at (215) 355-9100, ext 1504.

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Press Release: Astronauts4Hire Members Complete Emergency & Sea Survival Training

2011-07-11T08:00:00.003-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 11, 2011

Astronauts4Hire Members Complete Emergency & Sea Survival Training

Groton, Connecticut – Astronauts4Hire members have successfully completed Dunker, Emergency Egress, and Sea Survival training at Survival Systems USA in Groton, Connecticut. These courses have prepared them with the knowledge and skills to safely cope with physical and psychological stresses encountered during emergency situations at sea. Flight Members Christopher Altman, Jason Reimuller, and Brian Shiro, along with Associate Member Jules Shiohira Ung, comprised the first Astronauts4Hire class to undergo these training certifications.

"We have learned how to appropriately prepare for and respond to onboard emergencies that require forced water landing, inverted underwater escape, and sustained survival at sea," said Flight Member Christopher Altman. Astronauts4Hire President Brian Shiro added, "I was extremely impressed by the expert capabilities of Survival Systems USA and can think of no better way to initiate Astronauts4Hire’s team training program."

Survival training is important for astronauts in order to prepare for possible emergency landings. As more than two thirds of the Earth is covered by water, astronauts should prepare for water landing and survival scenarios. While the risk of this happening is small for infrequent space travelers, it becomes more probable for professional astronauts undertaking multiple spaceflight missions. "Most spaceports launch spacecraft over water, and since ascent aborts comprise the vast majority of contingency scenarios, we can expect these incidents will result in a water landing," remarked Astronauts4Hire Chief Operating Officer Dr. Jason Reimuller. "In addition, there are many post-landing scenarios that mandate an unassisted emergency egress. This is why we require egress training for all of our qualified astronauts."

The Dunker Training program covered emergency incidents, how to prepare for them, and how to survive them after they have occurred. It included comprehensive academic modules and case studies to provide the proper context for hazards associated with aircraft or spacecraft in over-water situations. The preparation also included familiarization with the rescue equipment and devices. Astronauts4Hire members practiced brace positioning, breath hold, emergency breathing device use, orientation, and egress in the Shallow Water Egress Trainer (SWET) and Modular Egress Training Simulator (METS) under a variety of scenarios with varying aircraft roll and weather conditions. The Sea Survival program dealt with personal and group rescue techniques utilizing personal flotation, life rafts, signaling devices, and search and rescue equipment in an open water environment at sea.

Going forward, Astronauts4Hire and Survival Systems USA will collaborate to customize the courses to provide more specific spaceflight context. Survival Systems USA President Maria Hanna commented, "I was impressed by the vision of Astronauts4Hire in our initial discussions. Now, following the completion of their training with us, I am excited about the possibilities for the future – the development of customized academic modules to address capsule specific configurations and equipment, and the potential for the manufacture of another new simulator – a capsule simulator. It is initiatives such as these that will define the safety of the personnel and ultimately, the success of the industry."

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (A4H) is a non-profit corporation whose objectives are to provide opportunities for students and professionals to develop and refine the skills necessary to become commercial astronauts and to assist these qualified candidates with networking opportunities in the space research community. A4H's commercial astronaut candidates are accomplished scientists and engineers who can support a wide variety of payloads. They are available today for contract and consulting work with researchers to design and conduct experiments on microgravity, suborbital, and orbital missions. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at ben.corbin[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

About Survival Systems USA:
Survival Systems USA, Inc., an employee-owned company, specializes in providing military and civilian training in water survival, aircraft ditching emergency and escape procedures for both fixed and rotary wing craft, as well as rescue, land, and sea survival techniques. For more information, please visit www.survivalsystemsinc.com or contact Survival Systems USA President Maria Hanna at mhanna[at]survivalsystemsinc.com or at (860) 405-0002, ext 15.

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Press Release: Astronauts4Hire Supports the One Flag in Space Initiative

2011-07-05T07:00:00.002-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 5, 2011

Astronauts4Hire Supports the One Flag in Space Initiative

Tampa, Florida – Astronauts4Hire proudly supports the "One Flag in Space" initiative by Blue Marble Space, a nonprofit organization devoted to enabling international unity through space exploration. Astronauts4Hire Flight Members will wear the Blue Marble emblem on their flight suits during training and flight activities beginning with our inaugural training class this July.

The historic Blue Marble image, captured by the Apollo 17 crew on December 7, 1972, is the first photograph of the full planet Earth taken by a human. It has become one of the most universally recognized symbols in the world—transcending national, political, ethnic, and religious boundaries. When shown alongside national flags on astronaut flight suits, the Blue Marble sends a universal message to present and future generations that, in space, humankind is working together for the benefit of all.

The Blue Marble symbol

"The Blue Marble symbol already has the support of several astronauts from the American, European and Korean space agencies," said Sanjoy Som, founder and Director of Blue Marble Space. "We are very excited to have the support of Astronauts4Hire, and are thrilled to be collaborating with one of the leaders who are revolutionizing spaceflight."

"Astronauts4Hire is an international organization dedicated to developing the world’s first private astronaut corps, with members representing 16 countries," remarked Astronauts4Hire President Brian Shiro. "Since we do not represent any single nation, the One Flag in Space initiative is aligned with one of A4H’s key values: space belongs to everyone."

This founding collaboration between Blue Marble Space and Astronauts4Hire serves as the keystone for a more active partnership between the two organizations. The Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, the scientific arm of Blue Marble Space which opened its doors in 2011, will actively seek NASA and NSF grants for basic and applied research. "The expertise A4H will bring together in microgravity environments will be invaluable for scientific research. We look forward to working together with A4H to align the scientific goals of experiments with the engineering requirements of microgravity flight," added Sanjoy Som.

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (A4H) is a non-profit corporation whose objectives are to provide opportunities for students and professionals to develop and refine the skills necessary to become commercial astronauts and to assist these qualified candidates with networking opportunities in the space research community. A4H's commercial astronaut candidates are accomplished scientists and engineers who can support a wide variety of payloads. They are available today for contract and consulting work with researchers to design and conduct experiments on microgravity, suborbital, and orbital missions. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at ben.corbin[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

About Blue Marble Space:
Blue Marble Space is a space science and education nonprofit whose mission is to promote and enable international unity through space exploration. In addition to the One Flag in Space initiative, it is home to the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, a low-overhead institute focused on space and Earth system science. The institute is working with Teachers Without Borders to develop the "Teacher's guide to Space Technology for Disaster Management." For more information, please visit www.bluemarblespace.org or contact Sanjoy Som at sanjoymsom[at]gmail.com. A Space Policy paper on the One Flag in Space initiative is available online at http://www.oneflaginspace.org/files/som_SPJ_2010.pdf

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A4H Members Support Payloads on Final Shuttle Flight

2011-07-03T17:37:00.009-04:00

After three decades, the Space Shuttle era will draw to a close as Space Shuttle Atlantis embarks on the STS-135 mission later this week. We are proud to announce that two A4H members have supported payload integration for experiments to be flown on the final Shuttle flight.

Luis Zea assembling hardware for STS-135

Luis Zea is part of a group currently at the Kennedy Space Center integrating several payloads on STS-135. These payloads comprise multiple scientific research objectives and experiments such as cell culture investigation, assessment of risk to biological integrity from the space environment, as well as the development of a new salmonella vaccine. Luis' job covers the life of a space-based research project from concept design, research & development, testing, documentation, integration, operations, all the way through to post-landing recovery and processing.

After this final Shuttle flight, he will continue working on projects planned to leave the planet on SpaceX spacecrafts, as well as Japanese and European transfer vehicles. Working at the intersection of industry, government, and academia as part of the BioServe Space Technologies team, Luis has immersed himself with a wide range of out-of-this-world projects with Principal Investigators from NASA, university and private research programs.

As she did in May 2011 during the STS-134 mission, A4H co-founder Veronica Ann Zabala-Aliberto will also work from the Kennedy Space Center during the STS-135 mission loading microgravity student experiments into experiment racks bound for the International Space Station through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP). During their payload integration activities, Veronica Ann and the SSEP team will also provide education and outreach to the public via live streaming USTREAM broadcasts. When Atlantis lands at the end of July 2011, she will focus her attention on the extraction of the payloads, making observations of the experiments under the microscope, and shipping then them off to the students and other Principal Investigators from around the world.

Zabala-Aliberto, who has previously worked on microgravity payloads for students and nonprofits, is no stranger to the space community. She has spent the last decade educating and inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers through her work on the Mars Exploration Rovers, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, and Mars Express missions.

To commemorate Luis' and Veronica Ann's work supporting this historic mission, as well as A4H's capabilities for payload and experiment operation, we are launching a social media campaign on Twitter and Facebook during the STS-135 mission and A4H's training activities to raise awareness of Astronauts4Hire.

Press Release: Astronauts4Hire Announces Summer Training Schedule

2011-06-28T15:49:00.004-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 28, 2011

Astronauts4Hire Announces Summer Training Schedule

Tampa, Florida – The inaugural Astronauts4Hire training class will perform a series of group astronaut training activities leading to eventual research specialist qualification during the month of July 2011.

"Our training providers have been carefully chosen to provide comprehensive initial and recurring training for Astronauts4Hire," said Chief Operating Officer Dr. Jason Reimuller. "Their training programs will indoctrinate our candidates to the environment where they will be conducting experiments, greatly increasing the probability of full mission success. Candidates will also be well prepared to effectively react to possible mission contingencies."

The upcoming group training activities include:

July 6-8: Survival Systems USA
Astronauts4Hire training participants will complete emergency escape and sea survival courses at Survival Systems USA located in Groton, CT. These programs will provide the knowledge and skills necessary to remain calm and react appropriately to on-board emergencies requiring evacuation from a spacecraft in over- or under-water situations.
July 11-13: NASTAR Center
Astronauts4Hire training participants will complete the Suborbital Scientist Training Program at the NASTAR Center located in Southampton, PA. They will undergo high altitude, G-tolerance, distraction, and spaceflight physiology training focused on the needs of suborbital scientist-astronauts.
July 14: Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory
Astronauts4Hire training participants will tour and test the facilities at the Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory located at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. They will gain a first-hand understanding of how unusual force environments affect human sensorimotor control and orientation.

Astronauts4Hire members also plan to complete microgravity flight and wilderness survival group training activities later this year as well as accomplish individual training elements such as SCUBA diving certification, an aerobatic flight training course, and self-study theoretical courses on the space environment, spacecraft systems, and human factors.

"This is a major step for us," said Astronauts4Hire President Brian Shiro. "Training as a team and leveraging the collective power of the group are key aspects of the Astronauts4Hire philosophy. These training activities will prepare Astronauts4Hire members for a wide variety of suborbital missions and will pave the way for future opportunities."

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (A4H) is a non-profit corporation whose objectives are to provide opportunities for students and professionals to develop and refine the skills necessary to become commercial astronauts and to assist these qualified candidates with networking opportunities in the space research community. A4H's commercial astronaut candidates are accomplished scientists and engineers who can support a wide variety of payloads. They are available today for contract and consulting work with researchers to design and conduct experiments on microgravity, suborbital, and orbital missions. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at ben.corbin[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

About Survival Systems USA:
Survival Systems USA, Inc., an employee-owned company, specializes in providing military and civilian training in water survival, aircraft ditching emergency and escape procedures for both fixed and rotary wing craft, as well as rescue, land, and sea survival techniques. For more information, please visit www.survivalsystemsinc.com or contact Survival Systems USA President Maria Hanna at mhanna[at]survivalsystemsinc.com or at (860) 405-0002, ext 15.

About NASTAR Center:
The National AeroSpace Training And Research (NASTAR®) Center is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC®). NASTAR Center is a state-of the art aerospace training, research, and educational facility dedicated to improving the health and safety of humans in extreme environments. NASTAR Center serves military aviation (fixed and rotary wing), civil aviation (fixed and rotary wing), space travel (government and private) and provides research support for component and human factors testing. For more information, please visit www.nastarcenter.com, or contact Director of Space Training and Research Brienna Henwood at bhenwood[at]nastarcenter.com or at (215) 355-9100, ext 1504.

About Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory:
The Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory (AGSOL) is part of the Neuroscience program at Brandeis University. Since 1982 AGSOL researchers have studied human spatial orientation and movement control in altered gravity environments, including artificial gravity, high G and weightlessness of parabolic flight, and virtual environments. For more information, please visit www.graybiel.brandeis.edu or contact Senior Research Associate Janna Kaplan at jannakap[at]brandeis.edu or at (781) 736-2038.

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A4H Supports DC Area Outreach Events

2011-06-15T13:43:00.000-04:00

A4H Flight Member Kristine Ferrone recently presented at Alice Deal Middle School's Space Exploration Day held at American University in Washington, DC on June 3, 2011. Other groups represented at the day-long event included FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation, First Orbit, Giraffe 'n' Ant, International Space University, NASA, New Space Magazine, Virgin Galactic, We Want Our Future, and more. Beginning with discussions of astronomy and early human spaceflight, the presenters transitioned to space tourism and commercial space by the afternoon.

Ferrone engaged the 300 sixth grade students with a 20 minute presentation on Astronauts4Hire and what it is like to train as an astronaut. The excited students asked many questions about A4H training activities including NASTAR, SCUBA diving, microgravity flights, and survival training. They also enjoyed watching a video of an A4H Flight Member participating in a microgravity flight. The class was asked who would like to become astronauts for hire someday. The show of hands in the photo below is a good indication of their enthusiasm for commercial human spaceflight!

Ferrone with the class of sixth graders from Alice Deal Middle School. Those raising their hands would like to become Astronaut4Hire!

The next day, Kristine joined A4H Flight Member Alli Taylor at the Federation of Galaxy Explorers' 10th annual Galaxy Ball. The festivities began with a cocktail hour and silent auction of space trinkets, including commemorative Vostok Space Beer coasters flown by an A4H researcher on a microgravity test flight. Taylor and Ferrone had the opportunity to speak with Bill Nye “the Science Guy”, who was very interested in A4H. The event also included the presentation of several awards from the Federation of Galaxy Explorers for major contributions in the field of spaceflight education.

A4H Flight Members Taylor and Ferrone with Mr. Bill Nye "the Science Guy".

Inspiring the next generation of space explorers is an important aspect of the A4H mission. We thank Alice Deal Middle School and the Federation of Galaxy Explorers for the opportunity to participate in these inspiring events.

Press Release: Astronauts4Hire Announces TargetProcess Sponsorship

2011-05-31T15:16:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 31, 2011

Astronauts4Hire Announces TargetProcess Sponsorship

Tampa, Florida – Astronauts4Hire is pleased to announce its sponsorship by TargetProcess, Inc., an agile project management software provider. As part of the sponsorship, Astronauts4Hire is receiving complimentary licenses for TargetProcess’s online project management system. Astronauts4Hire uses TargetProcess to track tasks and concentrate on applying members’ volunteered time in the most productive way.

"We are an organization spread across the United States, Canada and Europe, so communication and structured collaboration are essential to our daily business," said Astronauts4Hire Chief Technology Officer Amnon Govrin. "The customizability of TargetProcess’s On-Demand service have allowed us to adapt it to our unique needs."

TargetProcess Vice President of Business Development Andrey Mihailenko praised the Astronauts4Hire implementation of TargetProcess software, noting that "Astronauts4Hire is a great test case demonstrating that TargetProcess is adaptable to fit organizations with needs other than engineering or software development. We are extremely excited to be part of such a great program and be able to contribute to its success."

For their in-kind donation of software licenses worth $15,000, TargetProcess becomes Astronauts4Hire's first Lunar Level sponsor. In return for the sponsorship, Astronauts4Hire will proudly display the TargetProcess logo on its website and on the flight suits its members wear during their training and flight activities. TargetProcess also has the option to invite an Astronaut4Hire member to come speak at a company event.

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (A4H) is a non-profit corporation whose objectives are to provide opportunities for students and professionals to develop and refine the skills necessary to become commercial astronauts and to assist these qualified candidates with networking opportunities in the space research community. A4H's commercial astronaut candidates are accomplished scientists and engineers who can support a wide variety of payloads. They are available today for contract and consulting work with researchers to design and conduct experiments on microgravity, suborbital, and orbital missions. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at ben.corbin[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

About TargetProcess:
With over 600 corporate customers in over 40 countries, TargetProcess, Inc. has deserved a reputation of being the most intuitive Agile project management tool on the market. TargetProcess supports Scrum, Lean, Kanban, XP and other agile processes, allowing development teams to easily set up custom processes and workflows of their own. Headquartered in Amherst, NY, the company delivers a project management solution that maximizes business productivity and quality assurance by making project management processes more visual and intuitive. TargetProcess is used by companies worldwide such as Sony, Epson, Johnson & Johnson, and many more. For more information, please visit www.TargetProcess.com, email info[at]targetprocess.com, or call (877) 718-2617.

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Seedhouse Completes High-G Jet Training

2011-05-25T18:45:00.002-04:00

Adding to his recent high altitude and G-tolerance training, A4H member Dr. Erik Seedhouse completed unusual attitude training in a BAE Hawk 115 at 15 Wing of the Canadian Forces Base in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The training allowed him to develop aerobatic skills to track and control aircraft motion paths during unusual attitudes and high G-forces. His first-hand account of the exciting activity follows.

At 0700 on 17th May I went to the Aviation Life Support Equipment (ALSE) office for my G-suit fitting which took about 30 minutes. After being fitted, the G-suit was tested on a rig to make sure the thing inflated properly. Once that was done I moved on to the helmet fit. Then, it was time for a review of how the parachute works – how to steer, when to release the survival pack (that's the yellow pack you can under my backside), and what to do if you have 'twists'.

Next, it was time to visit the ejection seat trainer and take an ALSE exam on what to do and not do in the event of an ejection.

After all the ALSE preparation, I waited until the next day for the Hawk flight. The Hawk can reach Mach 0.88 in level flight and Mach 1.15 in a dive. The airframe is stressed for +9 g, but the normal service limit service is +7.5/-4 g. My flight was scheduled at 0855 on Wednesday. My pilot was a German exchange pilot – Hank - who had 3000 hours in the Hawk. We listened to the METAR weather report and had the flight brief before getting suited up and walking out to the aircraft: I was grinning like Cheshire cat!

We had lifted off and within seconds were flying at 500 knots. It was surreal, because there was hardly a sound and the jet was solid as a rock – no buffetting. Nothing!. Hank gave a running commentary of what he was doing as he cranked on the speed – 530, 540, 550. Beautiful. Above the clouds at 12,000 feet, he handed me control. Awesome – that was why that word was created by the way – to describe moments just like this – absolutely awesome. I flew some tight G turns and generally flew around the area before handing the controls back to Hank who demonstrated the high G onset – 6.5 G’s in less than half a second. Wow! The 1.3 hours went by way too fast. What a ride!

More Space Beer News

2011-05-18T14:35:00.005-04:00

Astronauts4Hire received global media attention in major TV, radio, print, and online news outlets following our September 2010 announcement that Vostok Pty Ltd had hired us to conduct microgravity flight tests of their new space beer. After some flight schedule changes, we successfully carried out the first space beer test in February 2011, completing our first research contract as "astronauts for hire." Several news outlets took note of this accomplishment, including Fox News, Discovery News, MSNBC, Slashdot, FOOD Magazine, Beer and Brewer Magazine, and Hemispheres Magazine (on United/Continental Airlines).

Hot on the heels of the successful final launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, a new Reuters article titled "Australian beer hopes to boldly go into space" is making waves in the current news cycle. Drawing upon interviews with Jaron Mitchell of the 4 Pines Brewery and Dr. Jason Held of Saber Astronautics Australia, as well as footage of the Astronauts4Hire Flight Member conducting the experiment, the video that accompanies the Reuters article does a great job explaining the goals and methods behind the project.

The Reuters article has spurred a windfall of new stories appearing so far in CBS News, Fox News, PRI's The World, Sydney Morning Herald, Toronto Sun, The Independent, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Guardian, New Scientist, Forbes, InnovationNewsDaily, Space.com, MSNBC, Discovery News, NTDTV, and CNTV.

A4H thanks the Vostok Space Beer partners for the opportunity to contribute to such a historic project. The Principal Investigator of the experiment Dr. Jason Held had this to say about A4H:

We hired Astronauts4Hire to support our first microgravity flight experiment because of the demonstrated experience of their team and their ability to accomplish the job... A4H delivered everything with consummate professionalism and diligence, with the attention to detail expected from medical and aerospace field research. Thank you A4H!

If you have an experiment that needs tending or a product that needs testing in microgravity, A4H's versatile team of researchers is up for the challenge.

A4H in Discover Magazine

2011-05-07T21:43:00.000-04:00

The June 2011 issue of Discover Magazine includes a 2-page spread called "After the Shuttle: Astronauts for Hire." Featuring interviews with A4H President Brian Shiro and former NASA astronaut Ken Bowersox (now of SpaceX), the article focuses on how the astronaut profession is changing in the post-Shuttle era. It highlights one of the most important reasons we started Astronauts4Hire in the first place: to recruit and train the next generation of astronauts for the new age of commercial spaceflight. The article is available on newsstands now. We thank Discover for taking an interest in A4H and the future of human spaceflight.

Other articles featuring A4H, including last year's New Scientist interview and the widespread media attention paid to our first job, are listed on our Media page.

A4H Member Supports Experiments on Final Shuttle Endeavour Flight

2011-04-29T07:22:00.005-04:00

The Space Shuttle Endeavour will soon lift off into history as it begins the STS-134 mission, signifying the penultimate orbital flight of the NASA Space Shuttle program. Flying aboard the vehicle will be student experiments bound for the International Space Station through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP). The 16 experiments selected for flight include studies of cell biology, life cycles, seed germination, food preservation, and crystal growth.

During the 14-day mission, A4H co-founder Veronica Ann Zabala-Aliberto will monitor the experiments from the Kennedy Space Center, where she also helped prepare them for integration into the payload before the launch. After the mission she will retrieve samples from the experiments and return them to their respective Principal Investigators at schools across the country. Veronica Ann will help manage samples for use in ITA's Materials Dispersion Apparatus (MDA) and Liquid Mixing Apparatus (LMA) hardware. These will help investigate the effects of the absence of gravity on fluids. Both the MDA and LMA hardare are part of Commercial Reusable Experiments for Science and Technology (CREST-1) payload by American Aerospace Advisors, Inc. You can watch the SSEP team hard at work on its live Ustream broadcast.

The SSEP is a project of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and is enabled through NanoRacks, LLC and Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc. (ITA), which are working in partnership with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory. This mission will be the first of several planned missions to give routine, affordable access to the space environment for researchers, educators, and industry.

To commemorate Veronica Ann's work supporting this important mission, as well as A4H's capabilities for payload and experiment operation, we are launching a social media campaign on Twitter and Facebook during the STS-134 mission to raise awareness of Astronauts4Hire.

Astronauts4Hire Completes First Orbit

2011-04-12T05:00:00.007-04:00

Today is April 12, otherwise known as the Cosmonautics Day, Yuri’s Night, and the International Day of Human Space Flight. 50 years ago on this date, man first ventured into space and ushered in the era of human spaceflight. It was only fitting that the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle occurred on this date 30 years ago. Astronauts4Hire (A4H) shares its anniversary with these important milestones of space history. One year ago today we formed A4H, signifying a new chapter in the unfolding story of human spaceflight.

Inspired by the 2010 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, we started A4H to fill a need for highly qualified scientists to carry out research experiments on commercial spacecraft. After incorporating A4H as a Florida non-profit corporation, we proceeded to lay the groundwork for the organization. Over the months that followed, we expanded our team of astronaut candidates twice and now have 23 Flight Members plus 27 Associate Members in our ranks. Through the volunteer-based efforts of A4H members, we have created the world’s only commercial astronaut training cooperative and flight crew service.

A4H members at the 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference

As a Research & Education Affiliate of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation and a sponsor of the 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, A4H has established itself as an integral player contributing to the growth of the commercial spaceflight industry. While tourism is driving much of the current commercial space vehicle development, scientific missions have the potential to sustain the spaceflight market in the long term. A4H is building its cadre of scientific professionals from a wide array of disciplines to meet the emerging need for highly skilled scientist-astronauts who can safely and effectively provide operations expertise in support of scientific payloads onboard commercial spacecraft.

Last year, A4H made history when it was selected by Vostok Pty Ltd to test the physiological effects of a specially brewed beer under conditions of microgravity. Our first contract, which was completed in February 2011, signified A4H’s entrance as the world’s only commercial microgravity testing service for research experiments. Major news media outlets have given the project and A4H widespread public exposure, as have science-focused publications like New Scientist and Physics Today. This is only the beginning. Future contracts where A4H Flight Members serve as expert consultants on research flights with other clients representing different fields are in the works.

"We hired AstronautsForHire to support our first microgravity flight experiment because of the demonstrated experience of their team and their ability to accomplish the job. A4H delivered everything with consummate professionalism and diligence, with the attention to detail expected from medical and aerospace field research. Thank you A4H!" --Dr. Jason Held

In consultation with former NASA astronauts and other industry experts, A4H has developed a comprehensive training plan to prepare its Flight Members for the rigors of spaceflight missions. A4H’s training scope goes well beyond that required of space tourists but is provided at great cost value relative to the training programs government astronauts undergo. Our first class of A4H Flight Members is scheduled to complete all training elements leading to qualification as Research Specialist Astronauts later this summer. Some of our training activities this summer will include completion of the NASTAR Suborbital Scientist Training Program and the Survival Systems emergency egress and sea survival courses.

Dr. Mindy Howard (left) and Dr. Erik Seedhouse (right) complete high-G centrifuge training.

Going forward, A4H strives to serve as the industry’s main focal point facilitating the professional development of astronaut candidates for suborbital, orbital, and missions beyond. Socrates once said, "Man must rise above the Earth -- to the top of the atmosphere and beyond -- for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives.” It is for that reason that Astronauts4Hire exists.

If you want to help A4H, or you think A4H can help you, please contact us and become a part of this exciting future. Thank you to all A4H supporters for helping make our first year such a success. We look forward to many more to come!

Press Release: Astronauts4Hire, Survival Systems USA Enter into Training Partnership

2011-03-28T13:44:00.002-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 28, 2011

Astronauts4Hire, Survival Systems USA Enter into Training Partnership

Tampa, Florida – Astronauts4Hire is pleased to announce that it has entered into an exclusive training partnership with Survival Systems USA for the purposes of emergency spacecraft escape and surface water survival training. Survival Systems USA will provide A4H members with the knowledge and skills necessary to react appropriately to post-landing emergencies and successfully perform an underwater egress with and without an Emergency Breathing Device, and to care for themselves in a sea survival situation.

"Spaceflight missions are still a long way from becoming routine, and there is always real possibility that a failure in the launch vehicle or the de-orbit operation could occur," said Astronauts4Hire Chief Operating Officer Jason Reimuller. "Though manned spaceflight systems cover such contingencies with abort systems, the resulting abort trajectories often lead to a post-landing situation that might require the crew to egress the vehicle in one of a variety of environments, some of which may be hazardous and time-critical."

Emergency egress training is a required element of the training program that Astronauts4Hire astronaut candidates must complete to earn their qualification as Research Specialist Astronauts. After an extensive review of training providers, Astronauts4Hire chose to partner with Survival Systems USA because it offers the most comprehensive and applicable training program available.

"Underwater egress has long been recognized by the military aviation community as a necessary component of training. It has only been in recent years, that the commercial aviation industry began adopting similar training standards," said Survival Systems USA President Maria Hanna. "Although commercial space flight is in its infancy, we are excited to be part of this ground breaking effort with Astronauts4Hire in order to set the example that will affect this industry in the future."

The first Astronauts4Hire emergency egress training class at Survival Systems USA is scheduled for July 2011.

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. is a non-profit corporation poised to blaze new trails in the commercial spaceflight industry. Its members are available for hire by researchers to conduct experiments on suborbital flights. As the gateway to commercial human spaceflight, Astronauts4Hire serves as the matchmaker among the suborbital research community, training providers, and spaceflight operators. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at ben.corbin[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

About Survival Systems USA:
Survival Systems USA, Inc. specializes in providing military and civilian training in water survival, aircraft ditching emergency and escape procedures, as well as rescue and sea survival techniques. For more information, please visit www.survivalsystemsinc.com or contact Survival Systems USA President Maria Hanna at mhanna[at]survivalsystemsinc.com or at (860) 405-0002, ext 15.

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NSRC 2011

2011-03-09T20:25:00.004-05:00

The 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference (NSRC) was held in Florida last week. Like its predecessor that gave birth to Astronauts4Hire (A4H), this year's NSRC was very educational and inspiring. It was attended by more than 350 people, which was a significant increase from 2010. In the 10 months it has existed as an organization, A4H has come a long way, and the NSRC venue once again proved important for A4H to gain exposure and help further the suborbital research industry.

As a sponsor and exhibitor, A4H made three announcements at this year's NSRC, including the creation of our Senior Technical Advisory Council, the completion of our first flight contract as the world’s only commercial microgravity testing service, and the selection of nine new Flight Members. These all signify major milestones for A4H as it matures into a premier professional development organization for astronaut candidates. A steady stream of interested visitors stopped by the A4H booth to learn about us throughout the conference. Below is an excellent interview SpaceKate made with A4H Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin:

Listen!
In the Crew Training for Suborbital Spaceflight session, A4H Training Officer Dr. Erik Seedhouse presented the proposed A4H qualification standard members must meet to be certified by A4H as research and mission specialist astronauts. This spurred a healthy debate among attendees on what the role of standards should be in the industry. A4H Flight Member Dr. Mindy Howard presented on the human factors cabin design requirement tradeoffs for tourists versus researchers.

The Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) made two notable announcements that it has made full deposits for six researchers to fly on XCOR's Lynx and two to fly on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo in order to carry out scientific experiments developed by its in-house technical staff. These are the first commercial contracts to fly scientists into space to conduct research experiments, and they represent big breakthroughs for the development of the emerging research and education market in suborbital spaceflight. The New York Times published a good article about the SwRI announcements.

Another focus of NSRC was NASA, which has recognized the importance of suborbital vehicles as research platforms through its new Flight Opportunities Program. The NASA program will open significant additional opportunities for researchers to fund experiments onboard suborbital vehicles. Presentations at the conference highlighted several potential areas of research ranging from planetary science and medicine to technology development and testing. The CSA and ESA have counterpart programs too. Of particular interest were presentations dealing with payload integration and the roles and responsibilities of payload specialists. For example, XCOR announced its new global network of Research and Educational Mission Payload Integrators for its Lynx suborbital vehicle.

While NSRC 2010 dealt with the “why” of suborbital research, this year’s NSRC focused more on the “how”. By the time of next year's NSRC, the "what" can be explored with results from initial research flights. A4H looks forward to this exciting year as the industry matures.

Press Release: Astronauts4Hire Announces Selection of New Flight Members

2011-02-28T05:51:00.003-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 28, 2011

Astronauts4Hire Announces Selection of New Flight Members

Orlando, Florida – Astronauts4Hire is pleased to announce the selection of its third class of commercial scientist-astronaut candidates. The nine new recruits were selected through a rigorous process that included consultation with former NASA astronauts.

"The selection process was painstaking," said Astronauts4hire Vice President and Membership Chair Jason Reimuller. "We received numerous applications and over the course of a month had to chose only a handful of applicants who showed just the right balance of professional establishment, broad technical and operational experience, and a background that indicates adaptability to the spaceflight environment."

The new Astronauts4Hire Flight Members are accomplished research professionals spanning diverse fields of science, engineering, and medicine:

Christopher Altman – Graduate Fellow, Delft University of Technology
Dr. Jon-Erik Dahlin – applied physics, engineering, and education consultant
Melania Guerra – Ph.D. candidate, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Dr. Mindy Howard – Sustainable Development Manager, Royal Dutch Shell Group
Dr. Kris Lehnhardt, MD – Assistant Professor, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University
Dr. Abhishek Tripathi – Lead Systems Engineer, commercial space transportation services
Dr. Cosan Unuvar – materials science and microgravity research consultant
Dr. Pavel Zagadailov, MD – physician and biomedical researcher
Luis Zea – Ph.D. student, University of Colorado

"With the addition of these new members to the organization, Astronautst4Hire has solidified its standing as the premier provider of scientist-astronaut candidates," said Astronauts4Hire President Brian Shiro. "Our diverse pool of astronauts-in-training represent more than two dozen disciplines of science and technology, speak 16 languages, and hail from 11 countries. We can now handle a much greater range of missions in different geographic regions."

About Astronauts4Hire:
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. is a non-profit corporation poised to blaze new trails in the commercial spaceflight industry. Its members are available for hire by researchers to conduct experiments on suborbital flights. As the gateway to commercial human spaceflight, Astronauts4Hire serves as the matchmaker among the suborbital research community, training providers, and spaceflight operators. For more information, please visit www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at ben.corbin[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

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Interested parties can download and distribute the press release as a MS Word or Adobe PDF document.