The Association of Spaceflight Professionals (ASP) is a US-based 501(c)3 non-profit corporation whose core focus is the connection of qualified talent with industry operators to enable the next milestones in human spaceflight. ASP was founded in 2010, guided by the vision of a highly qualified corps of commercial flight crew. ASP's offerings now encompass educational and training opportunities for students and professionals aiming to advance their careers as part of a dynamic industry.

Mission

ASP enables a robust microgravity economy by providing professional membership resources for public and private sectors of the human spaceflight industry.

Vision

ASP envisions a dynamic human spaceflight industry, and supports this vision with membership services for a global, multidisciplinary industry.

Our membership enables the next milestones in human spaceflight through the provision of qualified talent that leverages an internal microgravity science portfolio with the support of ASP's multidisciplinary Executive Team.

Values

Mission Orientation

Teamwork

History

2010-2015

ASP was founded as A4H by Brian Shiro and Veronica Zabala-Aliberto, with the goal of selecting and training the first class of fully qualified commercial astronauts. 

The Commercial Spaceflight Federation officially welcomed A4H as one of its Research and Education Affiliates. Also, A4H entered into a research and training partnership with the Ashton Graybiel Spatial Orientation Laboratory with the purpose of improving task performance in microgravity conditions and mitigating space motion sickness.

Vital Space Inc. and A4H validated the ViSi Mobile FDA-approved vital sign monitoring system built by Sotera Wireless Inc. in partnership with the Scripps Translational Science Institute.

A4H and the NASTAR Center signed a services agreement to develop training programs for A4H's commercial astronaut candidates.

2016-2019

Michael Gallagher, a civilian physician caring for soldiers in the Canadian Armed Forces, took over as the President and CEO of A4H from Brian Shiro. The organization was rebranded as the Association of Spaceflight Professionals (ASP) and placed a greater focus on human-tended space technology development.

2020-2022

At NASA HRP IWS, ASP presented its collaborative work with University of Toronto university students on a lower body negative pressure (LBNP) sleeping bag prototype. ASP continues to administer the work of university student teams for the development of the LBNP sleeping bag as well as an autotransfusion device.

ASP members attend International Astronautical Congress, the NOLS Wilderness Risk Management Conference, the NASA Human Research Program Investigators' Workshop, the Next Generation Suborbital Researchers' Conference, Aerospace Medical Association Annual Scientific Meetings, and ASCEND. Besides multiple technical publications and presentations, ASP members contribute to policy and design dialogues in workshops and panels across these events. See the ASCENDxSummit: Space Policy as an example, as well as ASCEND META 11 and ASCEND PANEL 44.

2023

ASP advances a framework aimed at leveraging integrated technology and professional development in partnership with the ISS National Lab. ASP continues conversations with launch operators and technology design teams to connect qualified talent with industry employers. In new international partnerships, ASP initiates a collaboration for formal research and training at the university level.

ASP has been featured in Nature, Wired, Discover Magazine, Time, New Scientist, PC Mag, Popular Science, and University of Toronto News, among others.