Old Astronauts4Hire Website

Astronauts for Hire (A4H) had a strong presence at the recent  65th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) and 13th Space Generation Congress (SpaceGen) meetings in Toronto, Canada. Six A4H members joined more than 3,200 other delegates from around the world at the event, whose theme was 'Our World Needs Space.' Flight members Aaron Persad and Michael Gallagher presented a poster titled, “Long-term stability of nutrients inside and outside of the body on long-duration spaceflights: A review of space and ground-based studies tracking nutrients from pre-flight to post-flight” (IAC-14.A1.P.6). Their poster represented some of the latest work being carried out by the A4H Aeromedical Working Group. Aaron and Michael engaged in productive discussions with their audience during the poster session and received valuable feedback on the need for more ground-based controls on spaceflight nutrition studies.    The IAC expo was a bustling place with many exhibitors representing...

The electrifying atmosphere of the  Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference  (NSRC) filled us with great expectations for the coming year.  This year's suborbital science meeting had some big shoes to fill after featuring  a keynote by Neil Armstrong last year , but it did not disappoint.  NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver surprised everyone by revealing that the Flight Opportunities Program is not excluding the possibility of funding human researchers on suborbital flights!  Virgin Galactic announced selling more tickets for flights on their suborbital vehicle than people who have gone to space.   XCOR Aerospace continued its strong support research and education missions, offering a 2-for-1 payload deal for NSRC participants. These were just a few of the exciting developments that emerged at the 2013 NSRC. Astronauts for Hire (A4H) members presented on many subjects, ranging from how A4H empowers suborbital research to how to ...

In celebration of Women's History Month , NASA conducted a one day conference titled " Women, Innovation and Aerospace " (WIA) at George Washington University on March 8th. A4H Associate Member Kavya Manyapu represented Boeing at the event, which highlighted women's contributions to innovation and progress in the aerospace community. The conference also focused on issues and challenges faced by women in the aerospace workforce, which is primarily dominated by men. The aim of the conference was to inspire and encourage young girls to enter science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions. In the photo below, Kayva (right) and her colleague are pictured with NASA Administrator and former astronaut Charles Bolden . According to a 2010 National Science Board study , women comprise less than 25% of the workforce in STEM fields. Women@NASA comprise one third of the space agency's employees, making NASA one of the largest employers of women aerospac...

The 2012 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference (NSRC) was held in Palo Alto, California last week. Like its predecessors that gave rise to Astronauts4Hire (A4H), this year's NSRC provided a stimulating environment for approximately 450 attendees to discuss research and educational applications on suborbital vehicles. A record 34 organizations, including A4H , sponsored the meeting, which boasted a rare keynote address by Apollo Astronaut and X-15 Test Pilot Neil Armstrong , who is pictured with A4H Flight Members Seedhouse, Shiro, Altman, and Reimuller below. Armstrong's participation in the conference signified the growing relevance and importance of suborbital spaceflight. More than a dozen A4H members and partners presented on a number of topics ranging from A4H's two years of remarkable growth to its commercial astronaut training programs . It seemed like hardly a session at the meeting passed without someone affiliated with A4H presenting. The photos ...

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 b...

Flight member Laura Stiles recently represented Astronauts4Hire (A4H) at the Commercial Human Spaceflight Technical Forum , hosted by Special Aerospace Services in Boulder, Colorado. The invitation-only two-day event provided experts in human spaceflight a forum to discuss what is necessary for industry success, particularly in relation to NASA human rating certification, training, medical qualification, and FAA commercial spaceflight licensing. Distinguished speakers included leaders in the aerospace industry such as Wayne Hale, Dr. Alan Stern, Tim Bulk, NASA Astronauts, FAA representatives, to name a few. Attending the conference provided the opportunity to engage with people who are key to the Astronauts4Hire organization. For example, Laura met with former astronaut Scott Parazynski and many other accomplished and knowledgeable personnel who can potentially provide input to the A4H organization. Having an A4H representative at this forum was key to keeping at the forefront of t...

Team members discuss A4H with Buzz Aldrin Astronauts4Hire Jim Crowell , Luis Saraiva , Ryan Kobrick , Veronica Ann Zabala-Aliberto , and new recruit Todd Romberger attended the National Space Society's International Space Development Conference ( ISDC ) held on May 27-31 in Chicago, Illinois. The conference allowed members to meet face-to-face and discuss the future of A4H.  It also provided an excellent forum for networking with others in the space community to increase awareness of A4H and it's mission. The group discussed A4H with Buzz Aldrin and several prominent members of the suborbital community including Dave Masten, President/CEO of Masten Space Systems , Jeff Feige, CEO of Orbital Outfitters , and Rick Homans, Director of Spaceport America . The numerous talks and panels attended by the A4H team showed the incredible progress being made by the suborbital spaceflight industry. Masten Space Systems , Armadillo Aerospace , XCOR Aerospace , and Virgin Galactic all repo...

A4H's very own Bruce Davis was among the select few invited to attend the Presidential Space Summit held at the NASA Kennedy Space Center on April 15, 2010. At the event, President Obama outlined his new strategy for human spaceflight, which includes the expanded support for commercial space transportation systems - the same systems that will also enable the nascent suborbital and eventually orbital science research community.   Bruce, who is pictured here with Norm Augustine , shared his impressions and photos from the event on his website spacedavis.com .