 "Leland Melvin")
California-based Spaceship Earth Grants (SEG), in a unique crowdfunding contest, will award one ticket onboard a privately operated suborbital spacecraft for every 50,000 applications it receives between September 15 and December 31 this year. SEG President Leland Melvin, 51, who was a mission specialist onboard space shuttle Atlantis on two missions in 2008 and 2009, speaks to Joel Rai about the effort to send common people into space. For contest details, go to www.spaceshipearthgrants.com
Can you tell us a little about this effort to take more people to space?
Only one in 13 million people have been to space. It is SEG's mission for as many people as possible to have a spaceflight experience through our contest to crowdfund an open number of space-flight awards. The winners will be able to choose the suborbital flight providers of their choice. The project is funded through private contributions and contestant application fees. The fees are $15-90, adjusted according to the relative wealth of the applicant's home nation. [Indian applicants have to pay $50.]
How do you think it will help if people get an opportunity to travel in space?
There are aspects of spaceflight that cause a profound shift in perspective and, in turn, positively influence the way people behave and impact the world. Alongside, our grants are intended to facilitate that positive impact on the world. SEG will be providing grants to both individuals and organisations that are likewise committed to creating a world that works.
What sort of people are you hoping will be selected for the flights? Are there special attributes that you are looking in potential space travellers?
We are looking for people who are full of life and excitement not only about travelling to space, but also about how they'll use their experience to better the world upon their return. Applicants fill out a short written summary application and then submit a 90-second video answering the question "How will you use this experience to better yourself, your community or our planet?" SEG will initially award one space flight for each 50,000 applications, but will increase the number of awards given per 50,000 applications as the number of applicants grows.
Who will impart training to the selected individuals?
Training will take place at Star Harbor Space Training Academy (SHSTA) in San Diego, California. SHSTA is a publicly accessible, fully immersive, and comprehensive spaceflight training facility. More information will be available about this facility in October.
What about India? The country has a credible space programme and has sent a man into space. The latest is India's Mars mission, which entered the Red Planet's orbit a few days ago.
I think the talented and diverse Indian population is going to continue to make significant contributions in space. I always reflect on the contributions of my friend Kalpana Chawla who perished in the Columbia accident, and that my job is to honour her and her colleagues by empowering others to fly in space to help carry on their legacy as we inspire the next generation of explorers.
As an astronaut, how did you prepare for space travel?
I prepared for space travel by learning everything I could about the Space Shuttle and International Space Station systems - robotics, rendezvous & docking, and so on. But I also learned everything I could about my crewmates so we would work flawlessly together to complete the construction of the International Space Station.
What was your takeaway from your space experience?
I flew to space twice on my bird, Atlantis. On my first flight I installed the European Space Agency's Columbus Laboratory on the International Space Station. When I broke bread with people from around the world, some we used to fight against in past wars, it blew my mind. We were travelling at 17,500 miles per hour, seeing a sunrise and sunset every 45 minutes as we orbited around the planet every 90 minutes. That experience really took my breath away and fundamentally changed my life as I saw how small the world really was and how we are all so interconnected. I want others to have the same experience.
