posted 05-05-2022 10:08 AM               

Uplift Aerospace Offers Space+ NFT Collectors the Opportunity for Once-In-A-Lifetime Flight to Space

Uplift Aerospace is delighted to announce a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an NFT collector to travel to space aboard New Shepard, Blue Origin's suborbital rocket.

On May 10th, 2022, Uplift Aerospace will release the "Launch Pass" NFT collection with 10,921 NFT artworks — a nod to the Moon's circumference (in km). Every collector who acquires an NFT from this special collection is then eligible to apply for a job to fly to space on New Shepard. Applicants will be evaluated, and a finalist will be selected by the Uplift Aerospace team.

Full details on entry requirements and the selection process will be available by May 9th, 2022 here. Blue Origin reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to evaluate all potential astronauts and to approve or deny access to any mission of all or some potential astronauts proposed by Uplift Aerospace.

Space+ NFT Selection & Spaceflight Eligibility Requirements

Beginning May 10th, Launch Pass NFTs can be purchased through the project website. Thereafter, collectors who have purchased the NFTs will have the opportunity to apply to become an astronaut and represent the Space+ community in space.

Above: A selection of the Space+ NFT Starborn concepts. The Starborn collection will have 10,921 unique PFPs. The Launch Pass and Starborn NFTs will double as membership tokens for future, real-life access to space.

Only owners of the Launch Pass NFT are eligible to apply for the opportunity and must be current owners to be considered. An applicant from the Space+ community will be selected at 11:59 pm EDT on May 22nd, 2022. The Space+ team will take a snapshot of the owners' wallets at the time of the deadline on May 22nd to ensure the applicant selected is a current Launch Pass owner.

Once a member from the NFT community has been selected from the applications for the spaceflight, all owners of the 10,921 Launch Pass NFTs will have the option to convert their Launch Pass to a Space+ NFT avatar character called Starborn. The Starborn profile pictures (PFPs), built for Space+'s upcoming metaverse, visually represent the future of humanity in space. The timing of this conversion option is programmed into the NFT "smart contract." No PFP can be revealed before the selected applicant is announced. The Launch Pass and Starborn NFTs will double as membership tokens for the holders to join the Starborn Space Program and access future additional space-related community benefits, contests, and products.

Starborn NFTs

The Starborn collection exemplifies Uplift Aerospace's vision for how humanity will maintain its self-identity and creativity within the restrictions of space travel in the future. The project also reflects the important role web3 technologies – such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), NFTs, cryptocurrency, and the blockchain – will play. Moreover, it will enable NFT holders to stretch their imagination and have experiences in Space+'s forthcoming metaverse tethered to what the company is creating in reality.

AR overlays on the artwork such as colored stripes on the spacesuits and illuminated helmets were used to enhance diverse Starborn personalities and make them look personalized and futuristic. Space+ can create over 120 billion unique Starborn options by combining over 120 artistic AR traits with multiple base characters, 10,921 of which have been selected for the NFT artwork collection.

Space+ in Web3

The long-term objective of Space+ is to use web3 technologies to create community connections between Earth and Space. The Starborn collection will provide a membership token to the Space+ metaverse. It will also provide access to real-life experiences, including suborbital and Zero-G flights, rocket launch events, professional networks, and "payload space" for exhibiting and showcasing items on the International Space Station.

Space+ and the Starborn NFT collection further affirm Uplift Aerospace's pioneering position in the aerospace industry, including agreements with organizations like NASA, Sierra Space Co., and Zero-G.

Following the rapid increase of innovation in the private space sector over the last five years, Uplift Aerospace is building the web3 infrastructure to create relationships between those on Earth and in space.

Visit spaceplus.xyz to see the latest updates on the project trajectory, Launch Pass, and newly revealed NFT membership token for Space+ NFT.

posted 06-17-2022 10:47 AM               

Space+ to Contract an Astronaut from a Group of Five Finalists

NRP Stone, Inc. subsidiary, Uplift Aerospace, is privileged to announce the selection of 5 finalists for their upcoming Space+ astronaut position. The chosen astronaut and community ambassador will travel to space aboard an upcoming Blue Origin New Shepard rocket to showcase Space+'s Starborn Program, which aims to provide greater access and diversity in space.

Voting will open for current members of the Space+ community this coming Saturday, June 18th. Membership is established through blockchain technology through the ownership of a Space+ Launch Pass NFT. The Launch Pass collection consists of 1969 tokens representing the world's first Web3 astronaut class. Only holders of the Space+ Launch Passes will be eligible to apply to become astronauts on upcoming real-life missions in the Starborn Space Program.

The finalists are Ruben Salinas, Trent Tresch, Joan Melendez-Misner, Mike Mongo, and Sydney Hamilton. The five potential astronauts were chosen through an objective evaluation process by a third party HR firm contracted by Uplift Aerospace to prevent bias. The finalists were graded according to specific criteria: ability to comply with Blue Origin physical flight requirements, availability, devotion to space exploration, passion for the Space+ project, and completion of necessary legal application documents.

Ruben "Lightyear" Salinas (Twitter: @rubenfsalinas) is a Latino medtech serial entrepreneur, government advisor, and activist supporting underrepresented leaders in life sciences. He has pioneered and patented multiple medical technologies, several of which have become standards of care globally. In 2017, Ruben was selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar and appointed by Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Economic Development Planning Council in 2018. He is also an active duty volunteer EMT, a pilot, avid biker, and scuba diver.

Trent Tresch (Twitter: @Moonshot87b) is the Founding Director of the University of Arizona's Center for Human Space Exploration. Even in his 20's, Trent has a vision. With a humanities degree from Western Washington University, he's pushed the limits to bridge the gap in traditional aerospace and new space-innovation. Here to inspire all generation's of all backgrounds, Trent is an explorer and teacher at heart. His projects and affiliations range from training people for space at the Biosphere 2 to even researching the deep ocean via submarine with the Sustainable Oceans Alliance and the Explorers Club.

Joan Melendez Misner (Twitter: @YourFemaleEng) is an Integration Engineer at NASA working on space & asteroid planetary defense missions. Her work includes sending a helicopter to Titan (Dragonfly), a spacecraft to Europa (Europa Clipper), and crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid (DART). Joan volunteers throughout the community and is fully involved with STEM Outreach Programs, most notably, Passage – a program aimed to bring STEM education to Latin America. For Joan, being a change maker and inspiring the next generation is her ultimate goal.

Astronaut teacher & NFT creator Mike Mongo (Twitter: @MikeMongo) is author of "The Astronaut Instruction Manual" and host of "Mike Mongo's Astronaut Adventures" on YT. Mongo is the founder of Astronaut Job Camp at SaxaVord Spaceport, and co-creator of Muttniks NFT (Twitter: @PawsInSpace). Mike is famous for supporting student's success in space and astronautics, annually speaking to thousands of students around the world and regularly coaching students in achieving space and astronautic careers. He is a Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) alum and presently serves on SEDS Board of Advisors.

Finally, Sydney Hamilton (Twitter: @SeeSydSoar) was the 1st African-American to win the Space & Satellite Professionals International (Twitter: @SSPI) Promise Award. She is a STEM Advocate inspiring future space leaders. Sydney was honored at the Smithsonian for inspiring the youth via aerospace with a life-size 3D-printed statue. Her goal is to leverage the Space+ community to expose more untapped global talent to opportunities in space! Sydney is an Aerospace Structures Manager at Boeing.

The Starborn Space Program is the first Web3 Space Program. Membership to the space program is facilitated through ownership of Launch Pass NFT tokens that double as membership for real-life access to space including suborbital space flights, the International Space Station, and with the vision of creating a community-supported mission to the Moon. The upcoming Starborn NFT collection will provide access to a web3 metaverse for holders that provides a technological bridge for commerce and culture between Earth and space.

posted 06-23-2022 08:48 PM               

Space+ Selects First Astronaut and Announces Training for Astronaut Class

NRP Stone, Inc. subsidiary, Uplift Aerospace, is privileged to officially announce that Ruben Salinas has been selected as the first commercial astronaut for Space+'s upcoming flight on the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket.

Space+ is also forming the "Space+5" Astronaut Class, a group of five individuals being contracted to train as commercial astronauts. The Space+5 includes Ruben Salinas as the first Astronaut and group leader, Sydney Hamilton, Mike Mongo, Trent Tresch, and Joan Melendez-Misner.

The full Space+5 class is training to support the mission and will also fly if an additional opportunity arises. The Space+5 future astronauts were announced last night, June 22nd at NFT.NYC at The 40/40 Club during a private event.

Above: Uplift Aerospace announced the "Space+5" astronaut class on June 22nd, 2022. The Space+5 includes Ruben Salinas, the first commercial astronaut in the Starborn Space program, along with four astronaut trainees. From left to right: Josh Hanes (Uplift Aerospace CEO), Ruben Salinias, Trent Tresch, Joan Melendez-Misner, Sydney Hamilton, Mike Mongo, Emily Higgins (Uplift Aerospace Director of Space+).

As the chosen astronaut and community ambassador, Ruben Salinas will travel to space aboard an upcoming Blue Origin New Shepard rocket. The mission objectives for this space flight include a focus on science, art, and charity. Space+ will be announcing more details on the chosen charity for the mission, along with specific research objectives in the coming months. Space+ is currently engaging with public/private collaborations to integrate research and cultural projects into this first mission. Ruben will also be showcasing Space+'s Starborn Space Program, which aims to provide greater access and diversity in space.

Ruben "Lightyear" Salinas (Twitter: @rubenfsalinas) is a Latino medtech serial entrepreneur, government advisor, and activist supporting underrepresented leaders in life sciences. He has pioneered and patented multiple medical technologies, several of which have become standards of care globally. In 2017, Ruben was selected as a Presidential Leadership Scholar and appointed by Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts to the Massachusetts Economic Development Planning Council in 2018. He is also an active-duty volunteer EMT, a pilot, avid biker, and scuba diver. As the first Space+ astronaut to be selected for a space flight, Ruben will be working with Space+ as the leader of the Space+5 Astronaut Class and to complete the mission objectives.

The additional commercial astronaut trainees in the Space+ 5 are Trent Tresch, Joan Melendez-Misner, Mike Mongo, and Sydney Hamilton. Tresch is the Founding Director of the University of Arizona's Center for Human Space Exploration; Melendez-Misner is an Integration Engineer at NASA working on space & asteroid planetary defense missions; Mongo is the author of "The Astronaut Instruction Manual" and host of "Mike Mongo's Astronaut Adventures" on YT. Mongo is the founder of Astronaut Job Camp at SaxaVord Spaceport, and co-creator of Muttniks NFT (Twitter: @PawsInSpace); and Hamilton is an Aerospace Structures Manager at Boeing and was the first African-American to win the Space & Satellite Professionals International (Twitter: @SSPI) Promise Award.

The Space+5 is the first astronaut class building toward creating Uplift Aerospace's "Starborn Space Program". The Starborn Space Program is working to create a range of missions over the long-term that will contract a diverse group of individuals from the community to train and serve as commercial astronauts. Membership to the space program is facilitated through ownership of Launch Pass NFT tokens that double as membership for real-life access to space, including suborbital space flights, the International Space Station, astronaut training, and other authentic space related events.

Uplift Aerospace's Space+ project is using artificial reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), NFTs, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology to increase access and diversity in space by providing space experiences and opportunities for its members. The upcoming Starborn NFT collection will provide access to a Web3 metaverse for holders that provides a technological bridge for commerce and culture between Earth and space.