Corporate Sponsors of the Annual Scientific Meeting

In this issue of our journal, I am sharing information on several of our corporate sponsors, some of whom are Corporate Members. These organizations provide invaluable support to our annual scientific meeting. Most of you are probably familiar with them; however, if you want to learn more about these corporate sponsors, join us during our Sunday evening Welcome Reception or by visiting them in the Exhibit area at the annual meeting.

Axiom Space: Their website (https://www.axiomspace.com) introduces them: Axiom Space is the leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure. We operate end-to-end missions to the ISS while developing its successor, Axiom Station, and are building next-generation spacesuits for low-Earth orbit, the Moon, and beyond.

The company has been sending astronauts to the ISS. The crew aboard their vehicle consists of three crewmembers and an experienced commander. The crew can be private citizens. They are trained to NASA qualifications at space agency facilities. The Axiom group specializes in candidate selection and training. Axiom will assist in organizing a country’s training infrastructure and help the government create a spaceflight program.

The company is involved in creating a new space suit to explore the lunar surface. The suit is called the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU). It reportedly will provide more flexibility and protection to withstand the lunar environment and contain specialized tools. The suit will be capable of fitting more of the general population and possess an increased range of motion, enabling the astronauts to perform more tasks. Axiom also plans to create the next-generation orbital laboratory, which will give astronauts the capability to perform additional types of testing.

MedAire: Their company (https://www.medaire.com) provides air transport pilots with the ability to contact physicians on the ground for advice regarding ill travelers on board. MedAire specializes in offering medical advice and assistance to the aviation and maritime industry. Their remote medical assistance team consists of physicians, paramedics, and nurses who are experienced in providing remote medical advice.

MedAire’s employees provide education on how to respond to a travel safety incident. They have first-aid courses on managing in-flight illness and injury and maritime first-responder training.

Their experts design medical kits so crewmembers can provide timely care for commonly seen medical problems. The kits include equipment and items meeting applicable regulations. The kits have been accepted by airlines and ships as a standard. They even have an app that provides notifications about medical and travel risks and disease outbreaks. So, the next time you are the sole doctor aboard a flight and respond to a medical problem, be aware that the captain may be contacting a physician at MedAire to relay the information you are giving to the flight attendants.

Environmental Tectonics Corp. (ETC) (https://www.etcusa.com/about/) has been an AsMA corporate sponsor for as long as I can recall. One of our longtime members, past AsMA President Maj. Gen. George Anderson, is a member of their Board! The CEO and President, Robert L. Laurent, Jr., usually attends our annual meetings and is very involved in the AsMA Foundation.

On the ETC website, Mr. Laurent states the company’s core purpose: “ETC is an engineered solutions company. Our mission is to be the technological and quality leader in each market we serve. We work with our customers to deliver state-of-the-art product and service solutions that create a bond of trust, increase our market positions, and maximize value to customers and other stakeholders.”

The company has been around since 1969. ETC designs, manufactures, provides, installs, and supports aircrew training systems. They provide military training environments that deliver realistic flight training. They build centrifuges, spatial disorientation trainers, altitude chambers for hypoxia training, night vision goggle systems, ejection seat simulators allowing pilots to train and experience what it is like to eject from an aircraft, and water survival equipment. They can provide these training devices for both military and civilian use. So, the next time you are lucky enough to experience some of the simulators at your aeromedical center, remember who may have built and installed the device.

David Clark Company (https://www.davidclarkcompany.com) has been around since 1941 and provides protective equipment. Here are some intriguing historical facts about the company.

They developed the first standard anti-G suits the allied fighter pilots used in WW II. The suits assisted in preventing blackout during high-G maneuvers. David Clark Company also developed pressure suits for the X-1 pilots when they broke the sound barrier and explored high-altitude flight. They developed the Gemini space suits. In fact, Ed White wore their suit for the first U.S. space walk. The David Clark Company also developed the full-pressure suits worn in high-altitude aircraft, such as the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird.

The company analyzes the mission and determines the objectives, the particular environment, and the required function in which the crew operates to produce a suit. They do this considering the needed function of a suit.

In conclusion, the contributions of these organizations—Axiom Space, MedAire, Environmental Tectonics Corporation, and David Clark Company—are indispensable to the aeromedical and aerospace sectors. Their innovative solutions and dedicated efforts ensure crewmembers, pilots, and military personnel are equipped with state-of-the-art technology for training, safety, and operational efficiency. As we continue to advance in the realms of aviation and space exploration, the commitment of these companies to excellence and their collaborative spirit with associations like AsMA will undoubtedly pave the way for safer and more effective missions worldwide.

I will continue to reference other AsMA Corporate Members and sponsors in future President’s Pages.