Old Astronauts4Hire Website

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...

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...

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...