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Headquarters Report
Space Foundation names Brendan Curry vice president of Government Affairs
The Space Foundation named Capitol Hill veteran Brendan Curry to the position of vice president, Government Affairs. In this role, Curry will lead the Space Foundation's government affairs efforts based in Washington, D.C. He will serve as principal interface with key customers, staff, and officials in the Administration, Congress, the space industry and federal agencies including the Departments of Defense, Commerce, State, Education, Transportation, and NASA. Curry assumed responsibility, reporting to Steve Eisenhart, Space Foundation senior vice president of Policy and Public Affairs, on Dec. 1.
Space Foundation launches free online lesson bank for educators
The Space Foundation has recently developed a comprehensive bank of science lessons that meet national science standards and can be downloaded online. Practicing teachers, working with the Space Foundation, developed more than 200 lessons for teachers in pre-k through high school classrooms. All lessons specify the science standards met, key words, objectives, other subject areas taught, timelines, background, materials, lesson format, extensions, evaluation and assessment, and resources. This new resource is free, and new lessons will be added periodically throughout each year. Hundreds of teachers have already registered and downloaded lessons from the online bank at www.ScienceStandardsLessons.org.
Space Foundation conducts "Space in the Classroom" in Florida
The Space Foundation conducted a Space in the Classroom (SITC) educational program Nov. 18 for a select group of middle school students from Jackson Middle School in Titusville. The theme of the program was "Opportunities in Aviation and Space." The SITC event was in conjunction with the Florida Space 2005 conference held Nov. 15-17 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Students spent the day at the Space Coast Regional airport and at NASA's Exploration Station at the Kennedy Space Center. They heard about careers in the aviation and aerospace industries, viewed aircraft, visited the hangar, learned about the history of spaceflight, Newton's laws, rocketry, and the Space Shuttle program, and built and launched paper rockets.
Rex Gauge durometer and KeyMaster XRF analyzer become Certified Space Technologies
The Space Foundation has added two space-related technologies to its Space Certification program: the Rex Gauge Company and KeyMaster Technologies, Inc.
The Rex Gauge Company produced a custom durometer SG-5000, which was flown aboard Space Shuttle Mission STS-114 to enable astronauts to test an experimental technique developed to repair thermal protection tiles that may have sustained damaged during lift off. The Rex Gauge Company worked with engineers at Lockheed Martin and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop the durometer that can endure the extreme conditions of outer space while remaining easy to use. Durometers measure the hardness of rubber, plastic, and other non-metallic materials.
KeyMaster Technologies, Inc., developed the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer to perform on-the-spot chemical analyses. KeyMaster worked with NASA to enhance the technology using a built-in vacuum to help determine the composition of aluminum alloy parts for use on the Space Shuttle Discovery. XRF analysis is accurate to within four decimal places. NASA engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center teamed with KeyMaster to develop the XRF analyzer, which is lightweight but capable of quick and accurate analysis of aluminum, titanium, and other elements. This technological advancement is important to the aerospace and aviation community because aluminum and titanium previously have been undetectable with portable X-ray fluorescence.
Corporate Member News
The Space Foundation welcomes The Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Space Department, as its newest Corporate Member, joining at the patron level. APL, which focuses on engineering, research and development, is the largest division of one of the world's premier research universities. APL serves as a technology resource to the DoD and other government agencies, solving complex problems that present critical challenges to the nation.
Congratulations to SpaceVest for upgrading its membership status from Corporate Patron to Corporate Partner. SpaceVest is a venture capital firm investing in advanced technologies to provide compelling solutions for rapidly growing new markets. SpaceVest has been a Corporate Member of the Space Foundation since 1997. Space Foundation Corporate Partners enjoy additional member benefits, including more complimentary registrations to the National Space Symposium and Strategic Space and Defense.
Companies become Corporate Members of the Space Foundation for many reasons. Ultimately, every dollar invested in the Foundation goes toward achieving our mission, to vigorously advance and support civil, commercial, and national security space endeavors and educational excellence. This mission addresses our Corporate Members' strategic needs in the areas of program advocacy, and development of the skilled workforce of tomorrow. For a comprehensive list of Space Foundation Corporate Members and the benefits of joining, visit the Space Foundation's Corporate Supporters' site.
Don't miss these other upcoming Foundation events:
22nd National Space Symposium - April 3-6, 2006, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Inside Aerospace - April 24-25, 2006, Washington, D.C.
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