With the idea of space vacations no longer the stuff of science fiction, the rise of commercial spaceflight could be a crucial game changer for the aerospace industry. NASA is expecting to purchase seats aboard private space vehicles to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

 

This type of high-profile paradigm shift may be just the kind of excitement that is needed to inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and space explorers, according to Paul Kostek, former president U.S. division of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE-USA), a professional society dedicated to furthering engineering and technological innovation.

 

SPACE.com recently spoke to Kostek, who is currently the president of the IEEE Aerospace & Electronics Systems Society, about how commercial spaceflight could boost interest in the so-called STEM careers (ones in science, technology, engineering and math), and why this is all good news for society.