Astronauts4Hire: Enabling the Next Generation of Scientist-Astronauts
- Paper number
IAC-16,E1,5,1,x32002
- Coauthor
Dr. Shawna Pandya, University of Alberta, Canada
- Year
2016
- Abstract
While companies such as Shackleton, Deep Space Industries and Planetary Resources aim to further our presence in space through private sector initiatives, the question remains as to who will provide qualified, flight-ready personnel who can go into space and realize these grand ambitions. Astronauts4Hire was founded by several astronaut candidate finalists from recent rounds of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency astronaut selection competitions, with the intent of creating a workforce of scientist-astronauts to realize the visions of the commercial space sector. The organization’s current membership includes individuals in aerospace engineering, the physical sciences and the life sciences. A4H maintains a mandate of developing the next generation of future commercial scientist-astronauts. This presentation will examine the organization’s present activities, such as payload development, commercialization support and knowledge acquisition and dissemination. The presentation will conclude with a look towards future plans for research, commercialization and expansion.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)