Report from Headquarters

An informal survey conducted this year by the Space Foundation has revealed that a wide variety of people – real and fictional – inspire us as space heroes. Astronauts get most of the spotlight and, even with the extraordinary space activity we’ve seen at the International Space Station (ISS) and in the Space Shuttle program,…

The Internet is full of fun, factual and funny information about space and about our nation’s fascination with space. Try these on for size: Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ph.D., explains the importance of water in finding life on other planets and the impact of the discovery of Gliese 581; click here. Confirmation that an old wives’…

Educators who want to improve their classroom skills, better motivate their students and – potentially – earn a master’s degree can sign up for Space Foundation Space Across the Curriculum teacher professional development classes. These week-long, intensive, graduate-level courses provide PreK-12 educators with space-related STEM education knowledge and content that is instantly transferable to the…

Eighth grade students at the Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy in Colorado Springs are incorporating rockets into their math classes. Swigert Academy math  teacher Andre Paul helped his students launch pop rockets fueled by water and Alka Seltzer tablets. The students then measure the distance of the launches. The Space Foundation and Colorado Springs School District…

In October, Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy students visited Pikes Peak, just west of Colorado Springs, to learn more about the physiological effects of altitude on heart rate. At a height of 14,110 feet, Pikes Peak serves as an ideal altitude lab for the students to record observations about changes in ecosystems and to use scientific probes to record changes…

NASA has launched a video contest for students, grades 3-8, that raises awareness of how NASA technologies contribute to our everyday lives. The awards will be presented next April during the Space Foundation’s 27th National Space Symposium at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. Colo. The contest has also been granted Certified Space Education Product…

Space Foundation CEO Elliot Pulham spoke about the impact of the space industry on the local economy at the 14th Annual Southern Colorado Economic Forum in Colorado Springs in October. Participating in a panel that also comprised Norman Bellingham, chief operating officer of the United States Olympic Committee, and Tom Duening, the El Pomar chair of business…

NASA’s Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission, which was honored earlier this year by the Space Foundation with the John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration, has won Popular Mechanics’ 2010 Breakthrough Award for innovation in science and technology. The Swigert Award is given annually to an individual or organization for…

The Harris Corporation celebrated National Aerospace Week (Sept. 12-18) by providing two employees who volunteered their time to work with 180 eighth grade students at Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy in Colorado Springs. The students spent part of one day in the AGI Space Missions Simulator at the Space Foundation Discovery Institute and the next day received a hands-on classroom demonstration about the…

The Space Foundation had a strong showing last month at the 11th annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) conference in Maui, Hawai’i. Involvement included a reception for young space professionals, education programs for teachers and students and a keynote presentation by Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Elliot Holokauahi Pulham. Notable was the…