At our Rosemont project in Arizona, we have contributed around $2 million to local organizations and charities since inception of the permitting process. In particular, we focus on supporting STEEAM – science, technology, engineering, environment, agriculture and math – educational initiatives. A committee of our employees evaluates all funding requests, which include a description of the initiative and how it supports STEEAM.
In March 2018, we approved a proposal from the Catalina Foothills High School’s astronomy department that requested financial support for the hardware, tools and raw materials needed for the school’s project to conduct a near-space mission. The students used the materials to design and build a spacecraft that they launched into earth’s upper atmosphere (known as “near space”) using a large helium balloon. The spacecraft was equipped with electronics that gathered data such as air temperature, air pressure, altitude, latitude, longitude, and high-definition video and photos. The students retrieved the spacecraft via GPS technology, and plan to use it for future flights.