“Light the Fire” for the space industry is the theme for this year’s Space Congress® in honor of the 50th anniversary of the U.S. moon landing and highlights new technologies, exploration, innovation, imagination, and inspiration.

Though the news reporters neglected to mention this, obviously this is our Higher Orbits Go For Launch! program which was presented in partnership with the Durham County Library.A group of local students are working to change the future of space travel.

Higher Orbits Reignites its GO FOR LAUNCH! STEM Event in Fort Collins

Local Students to Compete Again for the Opportunity to have their Experiment Launched into Space Work with the help of a Hometown Hero, Astronaut Dottie Metcalf-LindenburgerFebruary 5, 2019 – Higher Orbits is back and better than ever, ready to host their signature Go For Launch! event at Fort Collins High School from February 16-18. Students grades 8-12 from any surrounding school (or homeschool) are welcome to participate in this three-day program that uses space exploration as a platform to propel student engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and STEAM (Art), while also building their teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Students will engage in collaborative activities, including team-building exercises and mission patch design, and develop a concept for a potential space experiment which will be presented to a panel of judges. These judges will choose one winning experiment at each Go For Launch! event that will move on to compete for the overall Series title, in which the winners will have their experiment launched into space! Registration for students to attend and participate is $250. This cost includes all supplies, snacks, and meals as well as an event shirt, event patch, space swag bag, and more. To register or find more information, please visit www.GoForLaunch.space. Through their participation in Go For Launch!, students learn about human spaceflight through an array of hands-on activities delivered by experienced industry professionals. As of today, Go For Launch! has sent eight groups’ experiments to the International Space Station (ISS) with two more already scheduled in 2019. Key speakers scheduled to take part in this event this time around are retired Astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, a Fort Collins native, and former ISS Flight Controller and Astronaut Instructor Michelle Lucas. By illustrating the numerous opportunities that exist within STEM-related careers, Go For Launch! hopes to inspire tomorrow’s scientists and engineers. This program is designed to appeal to any student with even the slightest interest in space or STEM. “Once again, I am looking forward to returning to my home town and sharing the possibilities of space flight and space exploration with the next generation of explorers, scientists, engineers, and leaders,” says Astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger. Go For Launch! Fort Collins is presented in partnership with Fort Collins High School. It is supported by following Intergalactic Voyager Sponsors: Space Tango, uniphi space agency, Space Shirts, and National Day Calendar. Without these partners and sponsors, this event would not be possible. Sponsorship opportunities are still available at various levels for this event, other individual events, a series, or the overall program. About Higher OrbitsHigher Orbits is a 501(c)3 non-profit with the mission of promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM); along with leadership, teamwork, and communication through the use of spaceflight. Mankind's journey into space serves as an ideal launchpad to excite students of all ages about STEM and working to fulfill their dreams and ambitions. Higher Orbits uses a variety of programs and partnerships with other organizations to achieve these goals and is excited to be holding events across the US in 2019. To learn more visit http://www.HigherOrbits.org About Astronaut (Retired) Dorothy Metcalf-LindenburgerDottie Metcalf-Lindenburger flew as a Mission Specialist on STS-131 and served as Commander of NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 16 mission. She is one of four educator astronauts to fly in space and continues to be an active advocate for STEM programs. To learn visit http://www.astronautdorothymetcalflindenburger.com/ Media note: Additional Photo Collaterals, including an event patch, are available. Astronaut interview also available. For more details please contact Michelle Lucas at GoForLaunch@higherorbits.org or call 281-451-5343. ###  

Aliah Haigh, a local Woodinville student, will see her engineering design to produce artwork in microgravity launched into space on a Blue Origin rocket later this year.  She, along with her teammates Madelyn Heaston and Katja Kirchner won this honor after participating in the Higher Orbits Go for Launch workshop at the Museum of Flight.

The five high schoolers who authored this post participated in the Go For Launch! program as Team Waffle. After winning the local competition in Dulles, VA, their experiment went on to win the higher-level Cygnus Seriescompetition that included teams from San Diego, California and Gilbert, Arizona. Higher Orbits, Space Tango, and the ISS National Lab supported the development and flight of Team Waffle’s experiment. It launched to the ISSon November 17, 2018 as part of the Cygnus NG-10 mission.Materials engineers have developed self-healing plastics, metals, ceramics, and concrete. These materials can repair damage to themselves automatically, without any external intervention. We are working with this relatively new technology in our experiment, “Efficiency of a Self-Healing Material in Microgravity.” The experiment launched to the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s 10^thcommercial resupply services mission in November 2018.