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.

FMI: www.spacehab.com