Educational Support
RNASA is a nonprofit organization that depends on corporate sponsorships to create an event that has been called the "Academy Stellar Awards for Space Achievement." Excess funds remaining after event production expenses are donated to space-related educational programs. Past recipients of donations include Purdue, the Wings of the Eagle Foundation, and Parks College of Engineering at St. Louis University. In 2008, a donation was made to help establish the National Flight Academy adjacent to the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, FL.
Another donation was made to support the Texas High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) program. Through this program, students complete on-line lessons and then spend a week at JSC where they are briefed by engineers, scientists, and astronauts; and compete in building rovers, rockets, and landers. In 2008, HAS held sessions for 360 high-school juniors.