New program offers grants for space travel
Spaceship Earth Grants, a crowd-funded scholarship program, co-founded by USC alumnus Shubham Garg, is the first to offer scholarships for space travel with the aim of sending private citizens to space.
Garg’s experience working with students and professionals at USC prepared him for his work at Spaceship Earth Grants. Garg is a 2012 graduate with a master’s degree in astronautical angineering.
“Meeting with professors for my two years at USC was helpful. However, what was more helpful was the culture that USC provided,” Garg said. “I had phenomenal mentors who coached me and was exposed to the culture of international students.”
Applicants to the program must pay a fee of $15 to $90 depending on the relative wealth of the country in which they reside. The application fees, in part, fund the scholarships.
The funds gained from those who have applied for the scholarship from Spaceship Earth Grants are allocated to several areas.
“It’s an opportunity for people to apply to be part of a community that is interested in joining a group of people across the globe who wish to make our planet a better place,” said Leland Melvin, astronaut and president of Spaceship Earth Grants.
Melvin himself has been to space twice as a NASA astronaut. He also participated in missions to the International Space Station.
“The resources are balanced so that some go to STEAM education, organizations working to better our planet and people’s resources for our planet, and the scholarship to space,” Melvin said.
STEAM education refers to the subjects of science, technology, engineering, art and math. According to Melvin, STEAM education makes way for an interdisciplinary approach to space and planet sustainability in science and the humanities.
“If you make it STEAM, not STEM, everyone is included in it. Everyone is involved in making this project work,” Melvin said.
STEM education is the more common reference toward an emphasis in science, technology, engineering and math. By incorporating, STEAM allows for a wider variety of participants to go into space so that the scholarship will not be limited just to those with a science background, Melvin said.
Melvin described travelling to space as an experience that transforms and inspires people.
“When you look down at Earth, you get a sense of peace and serenity,” Melvin said. “It almost brings tears to your eyes to know that all around the planet there is some type of strife going on.”
Melvin said the purpose of Spaceship Earth Grants is to have a member of the public go up to space, have a profound experience and come back down to change the planet into a better place.
“I agree with the idea of sending someone to space for sustainability and the humanity aspect,” said Sierra Drummond, an undeclared freshman. “Realizing that we are just a small part of this universe and having a transformative experience of seeing Earth instead of being within it is how one can realize how special it is to take care of our Earth.”
The scholarship program emphasizes that it looks for members with all different experiences.
“You need your musicians and you need your poets,” Melvin said.
Melvin said it is important to have students with STEAM educational backgrounds solve interdisciplinary problems.
“I like having students working together around the globe to get students working as a team,” Melvin said. “When we built the space station, we were nations that had never spoken to one another outside of modules, and yet, my Russian colleagues began to know what I was about and I knew what they were about. We broke bread together.”
Melvin said that working with Garg has been helpful to the development of the scholarship.
“Working with Shubham [Garg] has been excellent,” Melvin said. “He has been such a great team member. We have people from all over the world and different walks of life and there is a solitary purpose for changing the world that we all have, including Shubham [Garg].”
Melvin said that he hopes going to space will create transformative experiences for potential recipients of the grant.
“We can help change people’s perspectives not only by sending a few to space but by having them come back to inspire others,” Melvin said. “That’s the whole mission. Space transformed me, and I want to help others have the same experience. You’ve got to go up to space.”