Recent advances in entrepreneurship and training in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, are bringing new career opportunities to Maine.
But some people worry that a persistent gap in the workforce prevents the state s burgeoning STEM industries from finding the talent they need.
That was the subject taken on by a panel of STEM experts in a webinar this week, “The Future of STEM Jobs and Innovation in Maine.” It was hosted by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and the Science is US, a nonprofit that brings together leaders in science, engineering, industry, higher education and labor.
Cheaper Bio-Fuel Based Commercial Rocket Takes Its First Flight
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Despite two false starts and unwelcoming outdoor weather, the Brunswick-based startup bluShift Aerospace launched its first rocket prototype, called Stardust 1.0, on 31st January.
It lifted off Sunday afternoon from a snow-covered runway at the Loring Commerce Center in Limestone, Maine. “It landed right where we were hoping for and where we were planning for. It couldn’t have been better than that”, bluShift CEO Sascha Deri told reporters after the launch.
Discussing biofuel and its integration with the Stardust 1.0 rocket, Deri said,
We want to prove that a bio-derived fuel can serve just as well, if not better in some cases, than traditional fuels to power rockets and payloads to space.
Over the weekend, a first in rocketry successfully took off from northern Maine.
On Sunday, bluShift Aerospace out of Brunswick, launched their Stardust Gen.1 rocket. Liftoff took place at Loring Commerce Centre, in Limestone. The rocket is the first in the world to be powered by bio-derived fuel. The company says the non-toxic biofuel can be cheaply soured from farms, and is carbon-neutral. The launch also marked Maine s first commercial rocket launch. The company hopes to establish a space port here in Maine.
During a livestream back on Jan. 15, bluShift Aerospace said they re in a bit of a space race with Nova Scotia. Launching sites for polar orbital satellites needs to be near a coastal area with a southern ocean overflight area, making Maine (or Nova Scotia) a perfect location.
BluShift Aerospace realiza el primer lanzamiento de cohete comercial propulsado por biocombustible sinembargo.mx - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sinembargo.mx Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.