Got Kids in K-12?

Contest Can Encourage their Interest in Space.

ZG Aerospace, a company dedicated to making space exploration available for all, is offering students in grades K-12 the opportunity to send a school science project into space. Entries for the ‘Space Project Contest’ must be received by June 15, 2006.

The top 3 entrants will have their project flown into space when the first-ever commercial rocket is launched at the new Southwest Regional Spaceport in New Mexico, which is targeted for July. “We hope to provide a unique educational experience for science classrooms across America,” said Tom Gonser, ZG Aerospace co-founder, “and will be looking for entries with a good story and scientific creativity.”

The student projects will be flown aboard the ZGS-1 along with a variety of already registered personal consumer items, including business cards, photographs, wedding rings and even ashes.

“We hope that providing access to space for kids onboard our flights will encourage their interest in space exploration and the future development of space travel,” said Gonser. “With this launch, the growth of space tourism and commercial access to space becomes mainstream.”

All project entries must be received by June 15, 2006 and meet ‘Mission Parameters,’ as outlined at www.zgspace.com/MainSite/K12_contest.htm. Some example projects include testing for cosmic radiation, effects of g-forces on objects, and many others. Once back from space, projects will be returned to the school with a Certified Space Seal to authenticate space travel, and be entered in the International Space Registry.

The ZGS-1 will blast into space on a high performance sub-orbital rocket developed by UP Aerospace, Inc. (www.upaerospace.com), the world’s only private company with a fleet of space-flying rockets. The rocket will reach space in 90 seconds, and will remain weightless for several minutes. The ZGS-1 payload will be recovered on the White Sands Missile Range.