‘Astronaut Teacher’ Mike Mongo gives presentation at 100 Year Starship Symposium

Sept. 24, 2012 - PRLog -- HOUSTON, TX—Last weekend, along with top scientists, engineers, astronauts, and quantum physicists from around the world ‘astronaut teacher’ Mike Mongo was in attendance as a Presenting Author at 100 Year Starship—a three-day symposium presented by Defense Advanced Research Project (DARPA) focusing on the process of humankind’s construction and launch of an interstellar space program within the next 100 years.

“Being from Florida, I’m a life-long advocate of space. It is one of the reasons I am such a dedicated supporter of the field of astronautics. This is my 2nd 100 Year Starship symposium. I was present for last year’s inaugural 100YSS in Orlando,” says Mongo. “And it just so happens I wrote the book for kids who want to become astronauts. This year when I submitted a paper to 100YSS, I was invited as a Presenting Author.”

Mongo is the Florida-based author of HUMANNAIRES! Mike Mongo’s Astronaut Instruction Manual for Pre-Teens. His paper for 100YSS was titled, “Children: The Future of Space is Presently 8-12 Years Old.”

“Whenever I speak with students,” says Mongo, “what I do is remind them that in their very near-future being an astronaut is a career choice and it will mean working and living off-planet. That’s what it means to be a “humannaire”. It’s our next-generation of astronauts—human beings who leave earth to go live and work in outer space.”

In any case, Mongo shares, he was honored to be a Presenting Author at the symposium and one of the primary representatives of kids and students among the luminaries of the annual event.

“This year’s honorary chair was President Bill Clinton. Astronaut Dr Mae Jemison, who is the first African-American woman of color to go to space, oversees 100 Year Starship and we shared quality time together. I’ve already chatted with Discovery Channel’s Dr Ian O’Neil. Space careers are in high-gear again, so suddenly I have become the go-to person for everything to do with kids and space. It is very exciting!”

For more information,
contact Mike Mongo at 305-304-1555
or mm@humannaires.org
or @MikeMongo (Twitter)