SpaceBusiness.com announces a new prize designed to encourage students to perform original research and submit papers with history of spaceflight themes.
The annual award, consisting of a $300 cash prize, a trophy, and the possible publication in the journal, Quest: The History of Spaceflight, is open to undergraduate and graduate level students enrolled at an accredited college or university.
Submissions must be postmarked by 10 June 2011 with the winners announced in August. Manuscripts should not exceed 10,000 words, be written in English and emphasize in-depth research with adequate citations of the sources utilized.
Originality of ideas is important. Diagrams, graphs, images or photos may be included.
The prize committee will include the editor of Quest: The History of Spaceflight and members of the Society for the History of Technology / Aerospace Committee (SHOT/Albatross).
Although works must be historical in character, they can draw on disciplines other than history, e.g. cultural studies, literature, communications, economics, engineering, science, etc. Comparative or international studies of the history of spaceflight are encouraged. Possible subjects include, but are not limited to, historical aspects of space companies and their leaders; regulation of the space business, financial, and economic aspects of the space industry; the social effects of spaceflight; space technology development; the space environment; and space systems design, engineering, and safety.
Additional details on the prize can be found here.
"The Sacknoff Prize for Space History" is named after Scott Sacknoff, who has been involved in the space community for the past two decades as an engineer, analyst, financier, and entrepreneur specializing in the commercialization and business of space. Mr. Sacknoff is best known as the author of the "State of the Space Industry" market analyses produced from 1996 through 2005, the "North American Space Directory" (produced from 1993 to 2006), and from his efforts leading the International Space Business Council.
He won a Ben Franklin award for his book "Space Careers" (co-authored with Leonard David) and was nominated for an AAS Emme award as editor of "In Their Own Words: Conversations About America's Journey Into Space", a collection of interviews with astronauts and other key space figures.
Currently, Mr. Sacknoff manages the SPADE Defense Index, an investment benchmark for the defense, homeland security, and government space sectors and volunteers as publisher of "Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly".