2022: Dan Saldana
Kennedy Space Center, Florida (March 31, 2022) — Dan Saldana [photo], of The Quest Institute for Quality Education, has been selected to receive the 2022 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award.
The award, named for Mercury and Apollo astronaut Alan Shepard, is presented jointly by the Space Foundation, the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in recognition of creative and innovative use of technology by K–12 educators, or district-level education personnel.
Twelve years ago, Dan Saldana, with the support of Fran his wife of 52 years and his two daughters, came out of retirement to serve as a mentor, teacher, director and ambassador for the Valley Christian Schools of San Jose (CA), Quest for Excellence ISS Research Lab Program.
Dan Saldana acquired a passion for space at a very early age, when his 5th grade class was chosen to attend a series of lectures by Dr. Werner Von Braun on space travel to the moon and Mars. Dan’s passion led him to a 32-year career with Lockheed Martin as an Engineering Manager. There, he worked on Earth-orbiting satellites and payloads for the Space Shuttle. Dan was also a Project Leader and teacher at both Stanford University (CA) and NASA Ames Research Center (ARC; Moffett Field, CA). In this role, he was responsible for the design and development of CubeSat satellites, which involved Stanford Graduate Students in collaboration with NASA ARC Engineers.
The ISS Research Lab Program, gives middle school, high school, and university-student teams the capability to select, plan, design, build, program, test, and deliver a to the ISS an automated science experiment within the nine-month school year.
At the heart of the Program is the MicroLab - a low cost 1U NanoLab science and engineering enclosure that can carry up to four individual experiments. The MicroLab was conceived by Mr. Saldana, and he led his engineering team in its development. The Program offers a Summer Mentor’s Workshop that trains Partner School teachers and mentors on all facets of the ISS Program. To date, a total of 172 student team experiments have flown on the ISS using the MicroLab platform, with an additional 14 new experiments to be launched later this month. These experiments and associated instruments were defined, designed, developed and implemented by student teams from Valley Christian Schools, as well as other U.S. and international schools.
Students who have participated in this program have gone on to be accepted to many different colleges and universities, and they have said that their time in the program helped them to see their career path and strengthen their commitment to careers in a STEM profession.
In his free time, Dan enjoys playing golf with his friends, family vacations in Hawaii, and homemade chicken enchiladas. He also cherishes his time with his daughters, Diana and Doreen.
About the Award
The award will be presented to Saldana on Monday, April 4, 2022, at the Opening Ceremony for the 37th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
About the Astronauts Memorial Foundation
Founded in the wake of the Challenger accident in 1986, AMF honors and memorializes 25 astronauts who sacrificed their lives for human space Exploration. AMF, a private, not-for-profit organization, built and maintains two major facilities at the John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The Space Mirror Memorial is a 42-foot high by 50-foot wide polished granite monument designated by Congress to be the national memorial for America’s astronauts. At the Center for Space Education AMF partners with NASA to inspire future generations of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians. Students, teachers and mentors experience building rockets, robotic competitions and other hands-on space-related learning activities led by NASA space education specialists. The Center for Space Education also houses a massive conference space with state-of-the-art audio/visual capabilities. This conference space is used for NASA Day of Remembrance ceremonies as well as educational programs, community and international conferences throughout the year, including the NASA collegiate Robotic Mining Competition involving over 500 students from almost 50 colleges throughout the nation. For more information about AMF visit www.amfcse.org, and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. See award information at https://www.amfcse.org/alan-shepard-technology-in-education-award.
About the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's civilian space program and aeronautics and aerospace research. Operational since 1958, NASA’s mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research. It has led U.S. space exploration including the Mercury and Gemini space programs, the Apollo missions to the Moon, the Space Shuttle, U.S. involvement in the International Space Station, the Hubble Telescope and robotic interplanetary and distant space missions. NASA is also responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research and research focused on better understanding Earth, the solar systems, and the universe beyond. For more information, go to www.nasa.gov.
About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the world’s premier organization to inspire, educate, connect, and advocate on behalf of the global space community. It is a leader in space awareness activities, educational programs, and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium. Space Foundation headquarters is in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, and has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere®, and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a Washington, D.C., office, as well as field representatives in Houston and on the Florida Space Coast. It publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification™ and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit both websites — www.SpaceFoundation.org and DiscoverSpace.org — and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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The Astronauts Memorial Foundation Contacts:
Isabel Kennedy, Director of Education; Tres Holton, Special Projects
ikennedy@amfcse.org ; tholton@amfcse.org
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