CHUCK MCCLARY
Cosmosphere
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Captain Haida StarEagle, the first Native American woman to become an intelligence officer in the Space Force and founder of the Future Indigenous Trailblazers in STEM (FITS) foundation, will embark on a cruise to Antarctica from December 19 to December 29, 2024. On this cruise she will present several Cosmosphere educational activities across her social media platforms. Presented by the Future of Space (FoS) organization, the cruise, called Space2Sea, brings together scientists, science educators, entertainers, and notable members of scientific fields to communicate the importance of space science and exploration to guests on the luxury ship.
Speakers on the cruise will include Moonwalker Charlie Duke, astronauts Scott Kelly and Jose Hernandez, and others.
Captain StarEagle’s involvement with the Cosmosphere began in the summer of 2024 when she was invited to serve as a subject matter expert for Cosmosphere Camps. During that summer, she invited several Native American students to attend the science education center’s space-themed camps with the support of a group of space enthusiasts known as the Space Hipsters. While at the Cosmosphere, she expressed her passion for science education, saying, “I love seeing that moment when it just clicks.” StarEagle plans to return for the Cosmosphere’s 2025 camps and will bring more Indigenous girls to experience the camp.
You can join Captain StarEagle on her extraordinary voyage to Antarctica on the Space2Sea voyage.
She will participate in real-time exclusive voyage highlights and share her story through her Instagram account. She'll feature several scientific Cosmosphere Education activities, including building a homemade battery and conducting buoyancy experiments with an activity titled “Will It Float?” and
more. These activities are available for students through Cosmosphere Educational Experiences or at Cosmosphere Camps.
Follow Captain Haida StarEagle’s journey on Instagram @haidastareagle.
For more on Space2Sea and Future of Space, visit space2sea.io.
Learn more about Cosmosphere Educational Experiences at cosmo.org/education, and about Cosmosphere Camps at cosmocamps.org.