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OUT ASTRONAUT PROJECT 2020 Sponsoring Partner Opportunities
For more information, please contact: Dr. Jason Reimuller, Executive Director 720.352.3227 (office) Jason.Reimuller@outastronaut.org
The Out Astronaut Project is a collaboration between Stardom Space and the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) to address the under-representation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people in science and space. We highlight the contributions of LGBTQ members currently working in science and space and provide grants to promising LGBTQ students currently pursuing professions in space-related fields. Of the 561 individuals that have been selected as astronauts or cosmonauts, none have ever identified openly as a member of the LGBTQ community during their tenure as an active astronaut. Dr. Sally Ride was never out until her death in 2012. More recently, Astronaut Anne McClain’s lesbian identity was forced into the spotlight following a highly-publicized domestic dispute. Consequently, the LGBTQ community is notably under-represented in STEM professions; according to a recent poll conducted by ‘Pride in STEM’, more than 40 percent of LGBTQ people in STEM are not out and LGBTQ students are less likely to follow an academic career. As a result, there are fewer out LGBTQ STEM professionals serving as role models to LGBTQ youth. We believe that communities are empowered when they are represented. Astronauts inspire our youth, represent limitless possibilities, and serve as ambassadors to STEM. Our goal is to train and fly a member of the LGBTQ community as a scientist-astronaut. This person would be an inspiration to the LGBTQ community while enabling cutting-edge research.
Objective One Hold annual competitions to encourage LGBTQ identified individuals in the STEM fields to share their stories publicly and in doing so create visibility and representation.
Objective Two Educate Out Astronaut ‘scientist-astronaut candidates’ that have won initial competitions to a level of credibility in scientific fields related to astronautics through the International Institute of Astroanutical Sciences, parent organization of Project PoSSUM. It is essential that our candidates are respected as scientists and/or science enablers rather than as passengers or tourists.
Out Astronaut contestants share their experiences as STEM students and LGBTQ-identified individuals
Objective Three Fly one qualified OUT Scientist-Astronaut Candidate to space on a commercial suborbital spacecraft (e.g. Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic) to conduct experiments and see the investigations through to publication.
Out Astronaut directors do space science research in high-performance jets with the Canadian Air Force.
Sponsoring Partner Benefits Out Astronaut Project is an outreach program administered by the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences through Project PoSSUM, a 501(c)(3) reserch and education program. We supports the involvement of a sponsor or sponsors provided their practices are congruent with the Project PoSSUM an Out Astronaut mission and values. We seek sponsoring partners interested in associating their brand with our values of LGBTQ empowerment, inclusion in science, and respect for diversity along imagery associated wtih cutting-edge science and the limitless frontiers of space. Choose one of three sponsorship levels below to support our continuing efforts including our annual ‘phase-one’ competitions, our public talks, and our administrative expenses. Then select any phase-two events that your organization might be interested in supporting and branding with.
Benefit Logo and website link on sponsors page Signed le�er of gra�tude Out Astronaut mission patches Out Astronaut t-shirts Rights to sponsor phase-two events
Troposphere X X 5 2 X
Paragraph and logo on phase-one contest page Social Media tags and posts Online webinar from contest winner
Stratosphere X X 10 5 X
Mesosphere X X 20 10 X
X X X
X X X
Logo on Out Astronaut website home page Logo patch on flight suit of phase-two candidates Project PoSSUM sponsorship benefits Annual Subscrip�on Fee
X X X $1,500
$2,500
$5,000
“I plan to show the world that identifying openly as LGBTQ+ should not be seen as a limitation to success, and crossing the frontiers of space will inspire the LGBTQ+ community to achieve authentically, and for the world to accept us as we are.” - Out Astronaut 2019 Phase-One Winner Shannon Gatta
Microgravity Space Suit Episode on Xploration Outer Space From 3-4 February 2020, an Out Astronaut team of directors and instructors plan to work with our first grant recipient, Shannon Gatta, in a microgravity reserach campaign with Project PoSSUM and the National Research Council of Canada. Under the guidance of an LGBTQ-identified team of astronautics professionals, Ms. Gatta will learn how to conduct microgravity research and evaluate a space suit in High-G and microgravity conditions. The campaign will be filmed for an episode of Xploration Outer Space, hosted by Emily Calendari, and released to a nationwide audience in May to June 2020. The National Research Council will subsidize this experiment 50% and allow for our branding of the aircraft interrior with the Out Astronaut and assocaited sponsor logos, but we need your sponsorship to let us demonstrate on national television what we do best: an LGBTQ-identified team of astronautics professionals empowering our community one member at a time to make a difference.
Benefit Logo patch on team flight suits Social media posts highligh�ng sponsor Logos on aircra� interrior Photographs of Team with Sponsor Backdrop
Lunar X X X X
In-Flight Video showing Sponsor Logos Interviews of Team with Sponsor Backdrop Cost:
Mar�an X X X X X X
$2,500
$5,000
IIAS student studies fluid behaviour in microgravity with Project PoSSUM and the National Research Council of Canada
The Out Astronaut flight team will consist of Out Astronaut Executive Director and Test Director Dr. Jason Reimuller, Outreach Director and Space Suit Technician Ms. Yvette Gonzalez, Operations Director and Biomedical Monitor Mr. Nicolas Nelson, Communications Director and Equipment Director Mr. Ron Sparkman, Fundraising Director and Space Suit Assistant Ms. Rachel English, and the 2019 Out Astronaut Phase-One Contest Winner Ms. Shannon Gatta. Two levels of sponsorship benefits are offered. The lunar-level sponsorship offers 1) your logo placed on the flight suits and the space suit of the Out Astronaut test team, 2) social media tags of the sponsor on all related activities, 3) individual photos during aforementioned activities, plus photos with the sponsor backdrop, and 4) sponsor logo placement in the aircraft interrior. The Martian-level sponsorship offers all the benefits of the Lunar level and also video products and interviews of the team in action showing sponsor logos. Backdrops and patches are requested from the sponsor. All video products will be filmed with a Sony a7s camera system and condenser microphone. Professional (RED 8K) video documentary production of event from individual perspective, including sponsor branding on the video may be provided by our in-house team for a rate of $2500/day, inclusive of a team of two and all equipment.
IIAS student evaluates space suit performance and functionality in microgravity and high-G conditions with Projectd PoSSUM. Similar experiment will be conducted with Out Astronaut instructors and grant recipients.
The Out Astronaut Project is a proud partner of the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals.
Additional Phase-Two Training Elements for 2020
To prepare Out Astronaut candidates, an intense curriculum is provided by the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences including EVA space suit operations, planetary field geology, spacecraft egress and rescue operations, airborne remote sensing, space flight physiology, space environment, life support systems, and microgravity experiment design.
“Regrettably, many LGBTQ people interested in STEM fear that their identity would be seen as a liability. The intent of the Out Astronaut Project is to foster diversity and inclusion in STEM fields by helping ‘out’ members of the LGBTQ community serve as role models and demonstrate that there are no limits to a career in science.” - Out Astronaut Project Executive Director Dr. Jason Reimuller All material copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved