Program Seeks To Inspire Students To Pursue STEM Careers

The Air Force Association (AFA) has announced United Launch Alliance (ULA) as the newest sponsor of its StellarXplorers STEM program.

ULA is the nation's most experienced space launch company with more than 100 consecutive launches and a 100% mission success rate. ULA has delivered satellites to orbit that provide critical capabilities for troops in the field, aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, and enable personal device-based GPS navigation. ULA brings the utmost precision, passion, and purpose to one of the most technically complex, critical American needs: affordable, reliable access to space.

"We are so pleased to join StellarXplorers in helping them achieve their goal of inspiring the future generation," said ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno. "Our top community focus is science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, as the students today will be the rocket scientists driving the innovations of tomorrow."

ULA's sponsorship includes a dinner for the National Finalists, designation as the official travel sponsor, and funding for the StellarXplorers III winners. ULA will provide airfare for the ten teams traveling for the National Finals in 2017 and 2018. Additionally, ULA will provide cash awards for each student on the National Champion team, as well as awards to the second and third place teams for StellarXplorers III.

"We are thrilled that ULA has joined us to promote and encourage high school students to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics," said Denise Hollywood, Executive Vice President, AFA. "The support from our corporate sponsors is fundamental to the success of the program and the development of our future aerospace workforce."

StellarXplorers seeks to inspire and attract high school students to pursue studies and careers in STEM fields through a challenging, space system design competition involving all aspects of system development and operation with a spacecraft/payload focus. Students in the program gain valuable knowledge from the expertise of its many other sponsors, including the USAF and DoD STEM Programs, Orbital ATK, Blue Origin, Kratos Defense, and SpaceX, as well as its educational partners, Analytic Graphics, the Space Foundation, Coyote Enterprises, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The Air Force Association is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association. Our mission is to promote a dominant United States Air Force and a strong national defense, and to honor Airmen and our Air Force Heritage.

(Source: AFA news release)

FMI: www.afa.org