MELBOURNE, FL - In support of its mission to broaden public awareness of the benefits of space exploration, the Aerospace Research & Engineering Systems Institute, Inc. is giving the public the opportunity to take the ride of a lifetime to the edge of space. This event is designed to give the opportunity for a member of the public to fly aboard a commercial spacecraft who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity by raising funds to cover the cost of the flight.
Members of the public are invited to apply for this exciting opportunity to fly to the edge of space. ARES Institute is accepting applications from through our website through December 31, 2012. At the conclusion of the registration period, one person who registered prior to December 31, 2012 will be provided the opportunity to assist in conducting scientific research on a suborbital spaceflight.
And in exchange for a donation of $10 or more, registrants will receive a DVD set of highlights of space shuttle Discovery's final mission ever and a three-month subscription to SpaceflightNews.net All-Access as well as a one-year membership to ARES Institute. All-Access provides access to all of our video, photo and multimedia as well as priority login on our forums. People may also register for the drawing at no cost but won't receive the additional DVD or subscriptions.
Specifically, the person chosen to fly in space will accompany our own investigators on a suborbital spaceflight during which selected scientific experiments will be conducted. The participant will not only fly to the edge of space and experience weightlessness, but will also assist scientists and researchers with hands-on experiments in support of the Spacecoast Plasma & High-energy Electrostatics Laboratory, a state of the art fusion research facility currently in development.
Details about this event may be found on the ARES Institute website at www.aresinstitute.org/spacetrip. The Terms & Conditions are located at www.aresinstitute.org/spacetrip/terms.php.This event is designed to both provide an opportunity for a member of the public to experience spaceflight as well as act as a fundraising vehicle for the organization. ARES Institute is a 501 c(3) non-profit formed in the State of Florida and relies on donations, in-kind contributions and grants to support its programs.
ARES Institute is engaged in innovative programs to stimulate interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education among secondary and college-level students. The organization's mission also includes public outreach activities to raise public awareness and support of space exploration.
Specifically, ARES Institute is working to establish a hands-on space-oriented engineering program to give students the opportunity to work with real rockets and scientific payloads, stimulating their interest in related fields while providing valuable skills training for the aerospace workforce of the future.
The organization is also engaged in efforts to establish a cutting-edge fusion research laboratory on Florida's Space Coast. Fusion and plasma science may hold key answers to problems of clean energy, waste remediation, and terrestrial as well as space propulsion. SPHERELAB II is being developed to conduct research in these areas and advance the state of the start while, at the same time, giving college-level students the opportunity to work hands-on with technologies vital to the future health and prosperity of humanity.
