For Immediate Release

Moffett Field, CA – The Mavericks Civilian Space Foundation, The Paton Group, and Inspirtech LLC today announce the formation of a strategic alliance whose mission is to establish Space Education Research Center (SERC)’s to be located at 5 regional centers throughout California over the next 5 years.

The facilities will provide the state of the art in CAD/CAM/CAE/CNC technology and equipment, along with the latest training curriculum and certification programs to support high school and middle school students designing, and building their own sub-orbital space vehicles, as participants in the Mavericks In The Classroom Explorers and Jr. Explorers STEM Education programs operated by the Mavericks Civilian Space Foundation. The facilities will also facilitate research and development initiatives associated with Maverick’s NASA partnership as well as some of the worlds leading Universities.

The first facility will be located in the northern San Francisco Bay Area and will be operational later this year. Each year, an additional SERC will be opened, in each region, until a center will be available in Sacramento, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego areas to support programs in those areas. Specific information regarding the equipment, services, and capabilities at each center will be disclosed as part of the announcement of the opening of each facility.

“Instructors and students have always enjoyed learning and utilizing the industrial standard CAD/CAM/CNC tools provided by The Paton Group”. Explains Frank Paton, “By combining our technology and machine tools with the ‘Mavericks In The Classroom’ STEM education initiative and ‘Explorers’ program curriculum, students will experience a true “real world” and collaborative STEM project guaranteed to knock their socks off”. Paton continues “I can’t think of a better way to energize and excite our country’s future engineers, scientists, machinists, designer’s and technologists than designing, testing and fabricating a sub-orbital rocket to launch a few hundred-thousand feet into space. Our team at Paton Group is looking forward to a long lasting partnership in supporting the Mavericks and all parties involved”

“Learning starts with inspiration and is solidified with the application of knowledge,” explains Al Whatmough, CEO of Inspirtech LLC. “As students design, test and manufacture rockets, the hunger to learn and apply real-world STEM based skills is unparalleled.” Whatmough goes on to say, “Inpirtech is proud to a part of this revolutionary program that is inspiring a generation of engineers in the same way that the Space Race did.”

Thomas Atchison, founder of the Mavericks Civilian Space Foundation
said, “With over 25 years of servicing and supporting technology and STEM education, The Paton Group partnership provides us with access to valuable state of the art technology, expertise, training, ongoing technical assistance and support in the areas of CAD/CAM/CAE & CNC technology. This contribution is crucial to establishing our Space Education Research Center’s throughout California’s major metropolitan areas”. He continued, “by integrating our STEM education curriculum with the outstanding on-line CAD, CAM, CAE and CNC training materials and certification materials being developed by Inspirtech, the students will have both the knowledge, tools, and capabilities to produce any ideas and concepts they would like to create for their sub-orbital vehicles. It is this ability to demonstrate their mastery of STEM education and capabilities to create and test their concepts that makes our Explorer’s program unique from any other STEM program that exists today”.

Mavericks Civilian Space Foundation is the leading pioneer and enabler of
civilian space exploration through STEM education, research, and
competitions. The foundation was established in 2007 as a 501©3 nonprofit
corporation and is located at the NASA Ames Research Center, in
Mt. View, California. For more information visit: http://www.rocketmavericks.com/mavericks-in-the-classroom
Press Contact: Thomas Atchison
Mavericks Civilian Space Foundation, NASA Ames Research Park PO Box 223 , Moffett Field, California 94035
Phone: 650-492-5978 E-mail: toma @ rocketmavericks.com

The Paton Group, based in Los Angeles California, has been providing engineering technology systems, on-going support and teacher training to educators/institutions and students for the past 25 years.
For more information visit http://www.patongroup.com
Press Contact: Frank Paton
The Paton Group, 7470 N, Figueroa St. Suite103
Los Angeles, Ca. 90041
Phone: 800- 826-0570 E-mail: frank @ patongroup.com

Inspirtech LLC, based in Tehachapi, CA, is a certified SolidWorks Soluition Partner and leading developer of SolidWorks and HSMWorks Tutorial, Training and Certification Solutions. For more information visit http://www.inspirtech.com
Press Contact: Al Whatmough
Inspirtech LLC , 20104 Clubview Dr.
Tehachapi, CA 93561 Phone: 661-310-0251 E-mail: albert @ inspirtech.com