Tue, Nov 30, 2004
Company Provides Real-world Experience to Students
"Space Exploration."
Definitely not a new term; but the rejuvenated enthusiasm for
the expression most certainly is. We've all been hearing about the
newest frontier - the commercialization and privatization of space.
Gone are the days that our celestial borders can only be explored
by the elite few. Now, ordinary people with a vision can pursue
either working in or for someone in space.
SPACEHAB has recently joined forces with the University of
Houston's Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture
(SICSA), to develop concepts for space exploration. Spawned by
SPACEHAB's recent award of a NASA contract supporting the
evaluation and refinement of a Lunar Exploration System concept,
SPACEHAB engineers along with SICSA staff and graduate students
will be working in tandem to develop architecture for lunar
outposts to be used as a proving ground for the systems required to
explore our solar system, beginning with Mars. This contract is one
of many initiatives NASA is pursuing in response to the National
Space Vision outlined by President Bush earlier this year.
SICSA's director, Professor Larry Bell, believes this
opportunity to parent a project with private industry has limitless
benefits for both the university and private enterprise. "Bringing
together the corporate world and academic world to jointly embark
in this new era is very exciting. Our young scientists and
architects will gain real-life, hands-on experience, while our
private-sector partners gain a competitive edge and unique
analytical expertise. The fact that these students are directly
involved with a project mandated by the President is
invaluable."
For SPACEHAB, this relationship is also a win-win situation.
Mike Bain, SPACEHAB's Vice President of Space Commerce Development,
feels that the SICSA/SPACEHAB arrangement will continue to develop
and grow over time. "It's a strategic partnership where both
parties benefit. University students and staff get the opportunity
to participate in real-world development projects, while we gain
fresh perspective and unconventional design concepts that our NASA
customer is seeking."
For more than 20 years SPACEHAB has
been providing NASA with commercial space services, assisting in
spaced-based research, telecommunications, and the development of
human space-flight hardware.
The SICSA program was developed in 1987 and is the first of its
kind in the world, as well as the only Space Architect degreed
program of its kind. Its students are comprised of architect and
non-architect fifth-year and graduate students, as well as
individuals who are currently in the workforce. Upon completion of
the program students will gain a Masters of Science degree in Space
Architecture. SPACEHAB's relationship with SICSA plans to foster
the next generation of space designers and architects, while
simultaneously developing the foundation for the new era of
commercial space exploration.
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