Sponsorships!

Well, as you well know, all non-profits exist on the generosity of others. Right now, Higher Orbits biggest project is Mission Discovery. I am very excited that we have so many Mission Discovery events scheduled for this summer.

As you may know, one of the very unique things about Mission Discovery is that out of each event/camp (call it whatever you prefer) we will pick the best experiment to be launched into space to the International Space Station! I certainly wish I could've done something like that when I was that age!

www.mission-discovery.info

Obviously you don't have to be a rocket scientist (sorry couldn't resist!) to recognize that launching something into space doesn't happen without cost.

So with that in mind...

Higher Orbits is working to find some sponsorships for our 2014 summer Mission Discovery programs. There are a variety of ways that this can be done and I'd be happy to discuss any and all options with anyone who is interested. Please don't think that any amount of sponsorship is too little from a company. Every dollar helps! Likewise, we are also looking for individual donations that we will pool to fund scholarships for deserving students to attend Mission Discovery at the various locations. Here's a blog that tells you more about how you can make a donation.
http://higherorbits.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-great-umbrella-not-quite-what-you.html

Corporate Sponsor? Here's a list of sponsorship opportunities and the benefits that go with them!
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tfmqhhfonybmoed/AABLiZwVs2VnZ0gLXhrl9PMJa

Please consider helping in any way you can... our next generation of Scientists, Engineers, Mathematicians and Leaders are counting on you!

                                                        .....and please spread the word! :)

Exercise! Astronauts Do It - Do You?

Well with this blog I am going to admit that I'm writing it at the encouragement of some other friends of mine who are much wiser in the realm of social media etc. than I am. They pointed out that some of  my followers on this twitter account might be interested to learn more about upcoming run especially since exercise does tie directly to some space stuff. I'm not sure wether you all really want to know about this or not but I thought I'd give it a shot. (I do generally do my best to not post too much that's not truly space stuff.) Here's to hoping I don't lose too many followers! For those of you who want pure space stuff, don't worry, in just 2 weeks I promise this line of tweets will end!

So there I was... minding my own business.... Oh wait that's a different story ;) Let's see how to begin this one... I know - with something space!

Do you have any idea how long ISS astronauts work out every single day? 2 hours! Every. Single. Day! It is absolutely essential for their health that they do so. I won't get into the nitty gritty here (because I think many of you already know all this) but micro-gravity wreaks havoc on your muscle and bones so without exercise your body would be a total mess! (Yes that is a technical term!)

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/teachingfromspace/dayinthelife/exercise-adil-index.html

Quick version of types of workouts is that they spend half their time doing resistance exercise and half of it doing cardio. I could go into much more detail (and perhaps I will in a future blog) but for this one that info will suffice. I remember, during my days of being an Ops Plan Flight Controller in MCC, thinking that in some ways it sure would be nice to be SCHEDULED for exercise every day. Because let's face it, most of us lack the time and/or motivation to work out some days.

So here's where I diverge from space a bit... I'm a firm believer that a healthy body helps make a sharp mind. Don't get me wrong - there any many days when the last thing I want to do is exercise (and it's certainly not to say that I exercise every day because believe me - I don't!) but I also know that my mind feels sluggish if I am not keeping my body healthy and fit. So while I certainly don't work out as much as the astronauts on ISS, I do my best to work out several times a week.

So back to that lack of motivation thing - I am signed up to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC on April 28th and to say I haven't trained is an understatement. It's been too cold for me to run outside and I am not a fan of the treadmill. But not only have I signed up for the run, 2 very special young ladies have signed up to run this with me and they will be traveling in from the West Coast to do so, as such, I've got to get myself motivated! So each day I've been posting to my personal Facebook page some sort of picture that I find motivational. Surprisingly, it is sort of helping! Shall I share those with you too? Here are the first 2 days of pictures:

Day 1 of Pictures: The signs I saw in the Gallery Place Metro in DC this past week

Day 2 of Pictures: My Running Shoes- As you can tell I like colorful :)

So let me ask you - what do YOU do to keep your mind and body at its healthiest? Do you Train Like An Astronaut? http://www.space.com/22714-train-like-an-astronaut-nasa-s-physical-fitness-program-video.html You may not have 2 hours a day to workout like the astronauts but who on Earth does?! Motivation comes in many forms so perhaps you can find something to motivate you... If I can be of any help let me know :) 

Announcing Our First Scholarship Winners

One of the big reasons that I wanted to create Higher Orbits was to be able to offer opportunities for students to attend programs that they might not otherwise be able to attend. One of the obvious ways to do this is through scholarships. Clearly Mission Discovery is a program that I am incredibly vested in and believe in whole-heartedly. I wish something like Mission Discovery had existed when I was a student because it truly is a life changing experience for many students. I am so thrilled to be able to pour my energy into such a worthwhile endeavor. (Just how crazy has life been in working on Mission Discovery lately? Well I can tell you that all is going great but the answer to what all I've been up to in working on it is worthy of another blog all in and of itself!)

Our First Scholarships are all being awarded to students to attend the Valparaiso University Mission Discovery in July 2014.

http://isset.org/mission_discovery/upcoming/Valparaiso/

It is with great pleasure I announce the first winners of our first set of scholarships....


** Tara Marlow, from Indian Creek High School, has devleoped a love for the cosmos over the years and is considering becoming an astronautical engineer because, " I would have the opportunity to correlate my ideas with others and produce exceptional solutions to problems"

**Megan Mitchell, from Kankakee Valley High School, is passionate about space exploration for many reasons including that she believes it helps broaden our knowledge about the universe and creates new advances in technology. Exploring a career in aerospace has been a goal of hers since she was a little girl

**Emily O'Fallon, from Roncalli High School in Wisconsin, has always loved "new" things and has found a passion about space and hoes to pursue an education in astrophysics. She joined the rocketry team and while she loved building the rocket, launch was really what hooked her!

** We have 2 more winners but I have not heard back from them yet and do not want to publish their names without permission... I will tell you more about them when I hear back from them.

How about a big round of applause for all these amazing young minds!


I really look forward to all of these students joining us at Mission Discovery in July. Don't you want to attend too? You can register today to insure your spot! Additionally there will be more scholarships posted in the not too distant future on the Higher Orbits website (which is about to actually about to start looking like a proper website thanks to the help of some friends I think!) - check out www.higherorbits.org and be sure to click on the Scholarships page/tab.