Old Astronauts4Hire Website

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 lea...

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...

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...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 27, 2011 The Beer has Landed: Astronauts4Hire Completes Space Beer Microgravity Test Orlando, Florida – Astronauts4Hire has completed its inaugural paid contract to test the world’s first beer designed for consumption in space. The experiment, which marks humanity’s first formal study on alcohol absorption in microgravity, took place aboard a parabolic trajectory microgravity flight out of Cape Canaveral, Florida operated by Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G). Yesterday’s flight was the first in a series of microgravity flights qualifying the beer recipe for consumption in space, funded in part by sales of the beverage on Earth. The Vostok Space Beer, produced as a joint venture between Saber Astronautics Australia and the 4-Pines Brewing Company to serve the emerging space tourism market, is a high-flavor, low-carbonation stout designed for easy drinking both in microgravity and on Earth. Astronauts4Hire was contracted by the Vostok partners to provide t...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 26, 2011 Astronauts4Hire Announces Creation of Advisory Board Comprised of Astronauts and Astronaut Instructors Orlando, Florida – Astronauts4Hire proudly announces the creation of its Senior Technical Advisory Council (STAC). This group consists of well-established human spaceflight experts who will provide technical and strategic guidance to Astronauts4Hire as it trains a new breed of professional commercial astronauts who can be hired to conduct space missions. "With such well-respected professionals advising us, Astronauts4Hire gains tremendous credibility as an organization that can effectively train its astronauts to meet and exceed customer expectations," says Astronauts4Hire President Brian Shiro. The initial STAC members include a former NASA astronaut, a former corporate astronaut, and two former astronaut instructors: Dr. Scott Parazynski – Physician and former astronaut who has flown 5 Space Shuttle missions and conducted 7 spacew...

Less than a week after completing his High Altitude Indoctrination training , Astronauts4Hire member Dr. Erik Seedhouse underwent Gravity-Tolerance training at the Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto  (DRDC) centrifuge facility. The $25 million DRDC centrifuge has a 20-foot swing arm and is capable of safely spinning humans up to 9G (9 times normal gravity). Erik performed 3 runs in the centrifuge that included gradual onset to 4G, gradual onset to 5G, and rapid onset to 5G.  He practiced the  Anti-G Straining Maneuver (AGSM) for 10 seconds while at the maximum acceleration on each of the three runs.  This nearly completes Dr. Seedhouse's qualification as a Research Specialist Astronaut according to the A4H training standards, which Erik will present next week at the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference in Orlando, Florida. A video of Erik's centrifuge training is available here: Passengers on suborbital flights will encounter differen...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2011 Schedule of Events During the 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference Tampa, Florida – Astronauts4Hire will conduct a number of activities during next week’s Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference (NSRC), providing important opportunities for the organization to connect with the suborbital research community. Unless otherwise noted, the events listed below will be held in the Student Union building on the University of Central Florida campus at 4000 Central Florida Blvd in Orlando. Saturday, February 26 (Cape Canaveral) Vostok Space Beer microgravity test flight. See also: http://www.astronauts4hire.org/2010/10/a4h-in-spotlight.html Monday, February 28 (12:30 - 1:45 pm, Garden Key Room) Press Conference: announcement of new Astronauts4Hire flight members, advisors, and more. Monday, February 28 - Wednesday, March 2 (Pegasus Ballroom A/D, Booth 107) Astronauts4Hire exhibit space open for visitors throughout the duration...