Seth Lockman, a graduate of Maine School of Science and Mathematics (MSSM) is part of the team launching “Stardust,” a 20′-tall, 14”-diameter prototype rocket from Loring Commerce Centre in Limestone in late October. The rocket will have a 540-pound liftoff mass and reach 4,000 feet. The purpose of the launch is to show the bio-derived, carbon-neutral rocket fuel in flight, and to demonstrate commercial demand for suborbital launches by carrying commercial payloads. Lockman said one benefit of the non-toxic fuel is that it could be ingested without causing notable harm. Lockman believes Maine could be an affordable alternative to existing suborbital and orbital launch sites for small rockets and noted the growth pipeline company Frost & Sullivan “projects small-satellite launch service revenues will pass $69 billion by 2030.”
Lockman graduated MSSM in 2011 and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology summa cum laude from the University of Maine in 2015.
Lockman said he enjoyed the psychology program because it has “a great focus on statistics, data sampling, and skeptical interpretation of data.” After college, he volunteered at Southworth planetarium at the University of Southern Maine under the tutelage of Edward Gleason, Planetarium Manager. While there, Lockman founded a radio program in collaboration with WMPG in Portland, Maine. The program, Radio Astronomy, now called Scientifically Speaking, brought astronomy to the general public and included field recordings from events, live shows, as well as guest interviews with industry experts. One such interview was with Sascha Deri, Founder and CEO of BluShift Aerospace, Inc. in Brunswick, Maine. That connection led to Lockman’s employment with the company in October of 2018.
This story was submitted by Ryan McDonald, Public Relations Coordinator from Maine School of Science and Mathematics as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.