Space4All took center stage at the Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 21, featuring a collaboration between Leidos, Darrell "Bubba" Wallace, Jr., 23XI Racing, and numerous aerospace organizations. NASCAR's annual GEICO 500 infused a unique energy into this new national awareness campaign aimed at reaching audiences not traditionally associated with space and STEM.

Background: Space4All is a public-private partnership that aims to inspire, prepare, and employ an inclusive Space STEM workforce by sharing the excitement of space on a national scale, igniting interest in future careers in STEM and space, and revealing the many ways that space enhances our lives on Earth.

The campaign was first announced on April 8 when Vice President Kamala Harris issued a Call to Action to bring the benefits of space to communities across America.

With the United States facing a projected deficit of 3.5 million STEM workers by 2025, Space4All wants to spark widespread interest in space exploration and STEM career pathways across the nation.

Jonathan Pettus, Leidos senior vice president of aerospace systems, emphasized the critical need to address this challenge:

• “Leidos is proud to contribute to the Space4All initiative, collaborating alongside our customers like the Air Force, Space Force, FAA, DoD STEM, NASA and other key organizations. Together, we are dedicated to addressing this gap by reinforcing the belief that careers in space and STEM are truly accessible to all.”

Press Conference: Pettus joined 23XI driver Bubba Wallace, retired NASA astronaut Leland Melvin, commercial astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor, and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Vice President Brian Talbot, in a press conference, held prior to the GEICO 500, announcing the launch of the campaign.

The event was marked by Wallace, Melvin, and Proctor exchanging an astronaut helmet and racecar driver fire suits — an embodiment of the collaboration fueling the initiative. Additionally, the Space4All logo proudly adorned various elements of the race, including Bubba Wallace’s iconic number 23 Leidos Toyota Camry XSE.

What’s Next: As a leading organization spearheading the initiative, AIAA aims to expand the campaign to even more communities in the coming months:

• “Through the extraordinary partnership with Leidos, we’ve kicked off this awareness campaign making a meaningful connection with people of all walks of life so they can see themselves in space and STEM,” said Brian Talbot. “This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to expand the Space Champion network, adding more space companies and educational organizations to help shape how people can directly connect the benefits of space to our lives.”

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