Boss Laser is thrilled to announce our sponsorship of ‘Go for Launch, Space Coast’ held at Kennedy Space Center by Higher Orbits Foundation from July 24^th to July 26^th, 2023.

Higher Orbits is a non-profit with the mission to inspire and engage high-school students through the use of spaceflight, in hands-on, project-based learning experiences that are designed to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) and prepare them for future academic and career success by building confidence, perseverance, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills.

‘Go For Launch’ is a multiday program developed to reach high school-aged students. Students are immersed in the wonder of Human Spaceflight through a variety of talks delivered by experts in the fields of space & STEM. Students get insight and feedback from experienced space and STEM professionals whose goals are to illustrate the numerous possibilities that exist in the world of STEM. A unique facet of ‘Go For Launch’ is that the students will work with an astronaut throughout each day of the event.

Broken into teams, students will work together for the entire event. Collaborative activities allow team members to work together to complete tasks for daily awards. These tasks are designed to build leadership and teamwork skills, as well as enhance communication skills. The culminating exercise is a design project. Each team must define and design a space experiment. At the conclusion of each program, the teams will present their ideas to a panel of judges from the Space & STEM fields, who will then choose a winner from each ‘Go For Launch’ event. Depending on the Series, winning experiments will be launched to and conducted aboard the International Space Station or on a suborbital flight.

The Boss Laser team will be in attendance to share our knowledge and expertise with the bright young minds attending this event. With our state-of-the-art laser technology, we aim to show them the possibilities and opportunities that await them. Brittany Watkins, Director of Customer Experience, and John Hughes, R&D Manager, will be representing Boss Laser at the event.

John Hughes is a distinguished electrical engineer and esteemed veteran of the United States Marines. With over four decades of remarkable achievements, Hughes has made an indelible mark in his field. In 1978, he proudly graduated from Purdue University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. This paved the way for his expertise in servo control analysis, where he has excelled throughout his illustrious career.

In his remarkable 45-year career, Hughes has expertly built mathematical models that accurately forecast machine performance. With 37 years at the prestigious Lockheed Martin, a leader in global security and aerospace, Hughes has led groundbreaking projects, establishing the company’s reputation for innovation and dependability.

Hughes currently serves as the Lead Engineer at Boss Laser and has driven the company’s innovative spirit and played a central role in developing the highly anticipated Mach3, a High-Speed Laser System set to launch this year. Hughes’ extensive knowledge and diverse skillset have set new benchmarks in laser technology, exemplifying his commitment and brilliance at Boss Laser.

In addition to his professional achievements, Hughes is an accomplished inventor, holding 15 patents. These patents demonstrate his contribution to innovation and his status as a luminary in electrical engineering. Hughes has made substantial contributions to elevating industry standards and paving the way for the next generation of engineers.

We can’t wait to see what amazing ideas and innovations these future space explorers will come up with.