Environmental Tectonics has announced that Alex Howerton has joined ETC’s National AeroSpace Training and Research Center (NASTAR Center) as Business Development Manager for Space Training.
With the addition of Alex to the staff, The NASTAR Center is moving solidly ahead in its plans to become the premier provider of evaluation, training, and adaptation of crews and passengers for space travel. The NASTAR Center will open in January of 2007.
Mr. Howerton has been researching the commercial space industry for over 16 years. He began publishing “Space Available: The Space Investors’ Report” in 1992, and was its publisher and editor until 1995, when it was acquired by Countdown Magazine. He has written two books on space development.
“Free Space! Real Alternatives for Reaching Outer Space” (Loompanics, 1995) is an assessment of the then current private space initiatives. “Project Avalon” (Space Available Press, 1998) is a science fiction novel exploring the ramifications of private space development and the consequences to society of not moving swiftly enough to create a spacefaring civilization.
Mr. Howerton holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan and a Master’s Degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Washington. For several years he held positions as a corporate software trainer and support specialist, and as an English and Humanities professor. He is intensely interested in addressing the human aspects of space travel.
“Alex Howerton brings the needed expertise to establish NASTAR Center as the premier space training and research facility in the United States. Commercial space travel is now a reality and ETC is preparing to meet the growing training needs with NASTAR Center,” said Bill Mitchell, ETC President and CEO.
