Happy National Astronaut Day 2024! Holiday’s founder talks importance of honoring America’s spaceflyers (exclusive)
Completely happy Nationwide Astronaut Day 2024!
Because the inspiring President and CEO of Uniphi Good, music trade fixture Annie Balliro has presided over her profitable artist administration and advertising and marketing agency since 2009 earlier than branching out into Uniphi Area Company, which has expanded into the nation’s largest personal expertise administration agency for astronauts.
Emboldened with the corporate’s tagline of #webelieveinastronauts, Uniphi Good companions with firms or establishments to advise NASA’s intrepid homegrown heroes on navigating partnerships in media, movie and tv by making a optimistic community of bridges between the worlds of area journey, music, and popular culture.
In 2016, Balliro envisioned a chance to create a wellspring of astronaut recognition by launching National Astronaut Day. This big day is now noticed each Might 5 in salute to Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard‘s historic first spaceflight aboard Freedom 7 on Might 5, 1961.
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This 12 months she’s thrilled to spearhead the inaugural Astronaut Rock Star Awards, an evolving occasion that celebrates the distinctive intersection of astronauts and music, with actual rock stars handing out awards in three classes to astronauts, people and organizations who’re pillars of assist and pioneering voices in area exploration and STEM/STEAM training. All winners might be introduced on Might 5, 2024.
Included on this debut 12 months’s checklist of victors are:
Astronaut Alan Shepard – First American in Area on Might 5, 1961. Astronaut Wendy Lawrence will current this legacy award to Alan’s daughter Laura on Might 30 at Kennedy Area Middle earlier than the Astronaut Corridor of Fame.
Excessive schooler STEMist Yuridia Sanchez & 18-year-old Sophia Crowder, ITGirls girl-empowering initiative founder and past.
Jack D. Fischer & “Odie” lunar lander – Feb 22, 2024 marked 1st time in 5 a long time that an American lunar mission landed safely on the moon floor and transmitted useful knowledge again to earth. In keeping with previous earth & area collaborations like Publish Malone, Coldplay, Peter Gabriel and extra, a notable musician will current this award.
The Science Haven’s initiative to supply 100 telescopes to 100 households throughout the U.S.
“We nonetheless proceed to develop our roster at Uniphi Area to today,” Balliro tells Area.com. “We’ve virtually 40 unique purchasers and we have labored with over one-hundred astronauts to date. It is a small household if you’ll. We contemplate ourselves as astronaut allies and advocates. That is what we’re right here for, actually, to assist navigate no matter request would possibly are available, like e-book offers or endorsements, and to assist them nevertheless a lot or nevertheless little they wish to be lively.”
When Balliro initially launched Uniphi Area Company there was no industrial area program or personal astronaut program, so this was a completely new idea.
“So now it has been such a trip as a result of one in every of our purchasers, Michael Lopez-Alegria, has gone again to area twice and we have been a key a part of that and it is actually unimaginable to look at. After we first began this I don’t suppose folks fairly realized that a few of our purchasers would then be going again to area so quickly. Due to that we have been in a position to do some unimaginable collaborations as a result of it is a very totally different twist when there is a personal astronaut mission versus a government-type mission. In order that’s been an actual honor to have the ability to work with not solely the astronauts, however all of the industrial area corporations. We’ve our fingers and toes in a little bit little bit of all the pieces as a result of now all of our astronauts work in any respect these corporations.
“As a woman from Swampscott whose dad would drive us down close to Cape Canaveral and we would keep within the trailer to look at rocket launches once I was 5 – 6 years previous, and being all the time fascinated with the celebs, to be within the presence of such people is unimaginable.”
Nationwide Astronaut Day is now in its eighth 12 months after kicking off at Area Symposium in 2016 with a core cadre of astronauts, Fisher Area Pen, and nice enthusiasm.
“To get the assist early on was crucial,” she explains. “Nationwide Astronaut Day just isn’t going anyplace. It’s now totally baked into the DNA of our tradition which is strictly what we needed. However we knew we needed to take it to the subsequent step in order that’s the place the Astronaut Rock Star Awards got here alongside. The reality of it’s, if MTV may give astronauts to bands, why cannot we give rock plaques to astronauts?
“Probably the most gratifying half for me is feeling like we’re creating one thing that can final perpetually I hope, that can all the time proceed to honor and have a good time astronauts for generations to come back.
“And additional amplify their platform to allow them to preserve inspiring folks and discuss issues just like the ‘Overview Impact’ or proceed to assist have area be essentially the most stunning instance that worldwide peace is feasible, and proceed to share tales about why science that occurs in area is so vital and does assist these of us on Earth. It is a true honor.”
For more information on National Astronaut Day 2024, the Astronaut Rock Star Awards and their upcoming shows, go to them on social media and their official site.
