Lockheed Aims to Incite Interest in Space-Related Careers Via New App, Curriculum; Rick Ambrose Comments

Lockheed Martin has introduced a space-focused curriculum and a new application that seeks to simulate the surface of Mars as part of the Generation Beyond program.

Rick Ambrose, executive vice president of Lockheed’s space systems segment, said Tuesday the Generation Beyond program seeks to stimulate students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math by linking them to the “real-world exhilaration of space exploration.”

“It’s incumbent on all of us to help teachers inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers,” added Ambrose, an inductee into Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 for 2017.

The launch of the new resources came after a Lockheed-commissioned survey showed that only 36 percent of U.S. high school and middle school teachers believe their students are interested in STEM-related subjects.

Lockheed tapped Morar Consulting to survey 1,000 teachers across the U.S. between April 5 to 11.

The survey also found that 83 percent of respondents think that space-related career discussions could help increase students’ interest in STEM, while 43 percent say a lunar mission could help boost interest in STEM among students.

Lockheed also revealed the group and individual winners of a video challenge as part of the Generation Beyond initiative that asked students to send potential designs for a habitat that would be moored to NASA’s Orion spacecraft for future human exploration missions to Mars.