Rebirth
In the early 21st Century, the Teacher in Space project was revived in the private sector. The development of reusable, suborbital launch vehicles by commercial companies makes it possible for nonprofit groups to contemplate sending large numbers of teachers into space. The new Teachers in Space program (plural to indicate that many teachers would be involved) began in 2005. In March 2005, Teacher in Space candidate Pam Leestma, a second-grade teacher and cousin of Space Shuttle astronaut David Leestma, completed a training flight aboard a MiG-21 operated by X-Rocket, LLC. In 2006, the United States Rocket Academy partnered with the Space Frontier Foundation.
Armadillo Aerospace, Masten Space Systems, PlanetSpace, Rocketplane Limited, Inc., and XCOR Aerospace pledged flights to the new Teachers in Space project. Advisors to the new Teachers in Space project include SpaceShipOne builder and Ansari X-Prize winner Burt Rutan, X-Prize founder Peter Diamandis, Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and private astronaut and X-Prize sponsor Anousheh Ansari.
The United States Rocket Academy worked with the SFF to draft rules for a "pathfinder" competition to select the first Teachers in Space. The rules were announced at the Wirefly X PRIZE Cup Competition held at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo, New Mexico the weekend of October 26–28. Applications were accepted until November 4, 2008. On July 20, 2009, Teachers in Space announced its first group of astronaut teacher candidates.
During this period, the United States Rocket Academy acquired a contract for 10 suborbital spaceflights, believed to be the largest single bulk purchase of suborbital spaceflights in history.
Read more about this topic: Teacher In Space Project
Famous quotes containing the word rebirth:
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