Posts Tagged ‘Patricia Hynes’

Photo courtesy of NMSGC

The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium (NMSGC) has announced that the Third Annual Education Launch will be available to view live online on Friday, May 20. This launch and the yearlong education plan to build experiments are sponsored by NASA through the Summer of Innovation Program. Four high school experiments are supported by the New Mexico Gross Receipts Tax revenue, dedicated to supporting spaceport related education. The UP Aerospace SL-5 rocket is scheduled to launch at 7 a.m. MDT, and will be seen live on the Internet at:  www.LaunchNM.com

NMSGC Director Dr. Patricia Hynes is happy to have more webcasting options than ever this year. “We’re expecting over 800 students and their families and members of the public to be on-hand to watch this year’s launch. We are privileged to share it with the world on the Internet” Hynes said. The rocket will loft 27 student experiments into space. This program provides annual access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year. Predictable access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year helps place “going to space” into the workday of the teacher in the classroom.

The student launch program was created by the NMSGC to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs for area students. Experiments include 35 sensors including electromagnetic field, carbon dioxide detectors, radiation, acceleration, temperature, pressure and electricity sensors. Descriptions of the student experiments are available online at www.launchnm.com

The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium is a member of the congressionally funded National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program that is administered by NASA and sponsored by New Mexico State University. The program promotes and inspires lifelong learning in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as it pertains to space-related activities. The consortium supports a wide range of projects and scholarship opportunities, including the Student Launch Program.

Release courtesy of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium

LAS CRUCES, NM – The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium’s (NMSGC) third annual Student Launch is now scheduled for Friday, May 20, 2011 at Spaceport America. If you are interested in attending you are encouraged to register online. NASA is sponsoring this launch as part of its Summer of Innovation program. The SL-5 rocket will be carrying experiments designed and created by students from middle grades through to university level. Students are from New Mexico, Texas and Arizona created the experiments. This launch was rescheduled from its earlier launch date in order to meet mission specifications. Registration will be open until 5 p.m. MDT May 10, 2011.

The Student Launch is open to the public by reservation via coach transportation for $45 per person. Registrants can go online to http://www.launchnm.com/registration.php to reserve their space and make payment. No private vehicles are allowed at the launch site.

NMSGC Director Dr. Patricia Hynes is enthusiastic about this year’s student launch, and welcomes the public. “This will be another unique opportunity for students, parents, teachers and anyone interested in space, to learn about sub-orbital science and engineering education and research. We will launch the rocket with the experiments and after the rocket lands, we will take the experiments out of the rocket and give the data to the student on-site.” The rocket will loft 27 student experiments into space from Spaceport America, culminating nearly a year of development and planning. “Because we want to give students the data from their experiments in the field, we tested the parachute system on the rocket. The system worked perfectly, but we had a small problem after the test, which created the delay.”

The May 20 SL-5 Student Launch will be well-attended, with many local dignitaries and industry representatives on-hand, including personnel from NASA.

The student launch program was created by the NMSGC to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs for area students. This program provides annual access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year.

Experiments include 35 sensors including electromagnetic field, carbon dioxide detectors, radiation, acceleration, temperature, pressure and electricity sensors. Descriptions of the student experiments are available online at http://www.launchnm.com

The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium is a member of the congressionally funded National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program that is administered by NASA and sponsored by New Mexico State University. The program promotes and inspires lifelong learning in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as it pertains to space-related activities. The consortium supports a wide range of projects and scholarship opportunities, including the Student Launch Program.

Release courtesy of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium

UPHAM, NM – After analyzing the results of a test on the parachute system for the SL-5 rocket, New Mexico Space Grant Consortium (NMSGC) Director Dr. Patricia Hynes has rescheduled the SL-5 Student Launch to Friday, May 20, 2011 Engineers from UP Aerospace conferred with NMSGC launch officials and it was determined that, even though the drop test was successful, a portion of flight hardware became entangled during recovery and was damaged. Safe return of the students’ 27 onboard experiments is a requirement of this launch, so in order to meet the mission specifications; the launch has been rescheduled to May 20 at Spaceport America.

Dr. Hynes is optimistic about the student launch, even though it needed to be rescheduled. “A lot of planning and effort has gone into this launch, and the final testing of the recovery systems is important to make sure the experiments return successfully.” The rocket will loft 27 student experiments into space from Spaceport America, culminating nearly a year of development and planning. “Working together with our partners at UP Aerospace and many other dedicated, talented professionals, we are making every effort to assure the success of this unique scientific opportunity for the students.”

The student launch program was created by the NMSGC to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs for area students. This program provides annual access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year. Predictable access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year helps get going to space into the workday of the teacher in the classroom.

Experiments include 35 sensors including electromagnetic field, carbon dioxide detectors, radiation, acceleration, temperature, pressure and electricity sensors. Descriptions of the student experiments are available online at http://www.launchnm.com/

The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium is a member of the congressionally funded National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program that is administered by NASA and sponsored by New Mexico State University. The program promotes and inspires lifelong learning in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as it pertains to space-related activities. The consortium supports a wide range of projects and scholarship opportunities, including the Student Launch Program.

Article Courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News

By Diana M. Alba

LAS CRUCES – Michael Blum’s conference name tag dubs him as an “astronaut-in-waiting.”He’s one of Virgin Galactic’s customers, and, if all goes well, he and five friends will launch into suborbital space about a year after the company begins its commercial space tourism operations at Spaceport America in southern Sierra County.

Personal interests are part of the reason Blum, an investor from Singapore, has traveled to Las Cruces annually to attend the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight. This year is his seventh conference. But business also drives his interest.

“Like a number of other early Virgin Galactic customers, we’re also interested in investing in Virgin’s business and what’s going to pop up around Virgin’s business,” he said. “We’re always looking at what it is and where it is that we can get involved.” Continued Blum: “This conference is a great way to connect with the local community here in southern New Mexico, with other like-minded individuals and with other companies that are bringing change to the industry.”

Blum said he believes it’s time for the government to focus more attention on space exploration, a role that can be filled by commercial aerospace companies, such as SpaceX, Bigelow Aerospace and Virgin Galactic.

Some 340 people are at the conference this year – the largest-ever attendance, said Patricia Hynes, director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium. The event was founded in 2005. “We have every single large player in the industry here,” she said.

The symposium began Tuesday, with a free, all-day public forum at the Pan American Center. People attending Wednesday had to pay a registration fee.

In a morning panel, representatives from three large companies spoke about the difficulty in gaining the public’s trust in their eventual spaceflights, while at the same time conducting vehicle development programs that not only allow for failures, but rely on them in order to solve as many problems as possible early on.

Jeff Greason, CEO of XCOR Aerospace, said part of that entails countering a myth that calls for everything to go right the first time.

Steven Brody, vice president of North American operations for International Space University, based in France, said this is the third year he’s attended the symposium. He said gaining exposure for the institution is one reason for the trip. Also, “I come partly to see people I know and others I’d like to meet,” he said. “The networking potential is great here.”

Author and Pulitzer winner Neil Sheehan did not speak Wednesday morning, as originally scheduled, because of an allergic reaction to a medication, Hynes said. Sheehan was slated to give the keynote address

The symposium, hosted at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, wraps up today.

Diana M. Alba can be reached at (575) 541-5443

One of the foundational principles for having a spaceport in New Mexico is to provide tangible evidence of what can come from a good education, and enough excitement and incentive to encourage our students to learn and go make a difference. Spaceport America can be that catalyst for many of our youth to go beyond circumstance to a great future!

The April Dona Ana County Spaceport Community Council will feature a panel of leading educators from the Southern New Mexico who will discuss how Spaceport America is impacting our local schools from those that are involved in creating the change we’ve desired.

The event’s facilitator will be Margie Huerta, CEO of Dona Ana Community College.  Panelists include:

• Tom Burton, Department Head and Professor of New Mexico State University’s Aerospace Engineering Program;
• Patricia Hynes, Director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium;
• Jerry Welch, Division Dean of Dona Ana Community College’s Technical and Industrial Studies;
• Stan Rounds, Superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools;
• Steven Sanchez, Associate Superintendent for Learning, Teaching and Research of Las Cruces Public Schools;
• Bill Coker, Superintendent of Hatch Valley Public Schools;
• Cynthia Nava, Superintendent of Gadsden Independent School District; and
• Tom Burris, Superintendent of Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 22, 2010 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Gerald Thomas Auditorium on the campus of New Mexico State University.  The meeting is open to the public and there is no admission charge.

For more information contact the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, 575-524-1968.