Astronaut Barbara Morgan to Teach Hawaii Students About Space Mission

NASA astronaut Barbara Morgan, a mission specialist aboard Endeavour during STS-118 will visit Hawaii Jan. 25-31. While in the “Aloha State,” Morgan will give a firsthand account of her recent mission to the International Space Station.

Morgan’s visit to Hawaii begins in Hilo, where she will share her experiences as an astronaut with students and teachers. Afterward, she will make several appearances in Kailua-Kona and Honolulu. The visit will conclude with a presentation at the Challenger Learning Center in Kapolei. Below is a schedule of events open to media.

Saturday, Jan. 26

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Science Day, University of Hawaii at Hilo

Sunday, Jan. 27

9 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Space Center, Kailua-Kona

Monday, Jan. 28

9:30 – 11 a.m. – Konawaena High, Kealakekua

1 – 2:30 p.m. – Hualalai Academy, Kailua-Kona

Tuesday, Jan. 29

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Rotary Club of Honolulu Luncheon, Royal Hawaiian Hotel (Waikiki)

Wednesday, Jan. 30

9 – 10:45 a.m. -Moanalua High School, Honolulu

Thursday, Jan. 31

8:15 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Challenger Learning Center Hawaii, Kapolei

Morgan began her career as an elementary teacher in 1974. From 1979 to 1998, she taught second, third and fourth grades at McCall-Donnelly Elementary School in McCall, Idaho. In 1985, she was selected as the backup to astronaut Christa McAuliffe for NASA’s Teacher in Space Program. Following the Challenger accident, Morgan assumed duties of the Teacher in Space Designee.

Selected by NASA as a mission specialist in January 1998, Morgan has logged more than 305 hours in space. She completed her first space flight in 2007 aboard Endeavour for STS-118, an assembly mission to the International Space Station. The mission continued space station construction and involved multiple spacewalks. The crew traveled 5.3 million miles during the 13-day mission. The seven astronauts returned to Earth Aug. 21.

For more information about Morgan’s visit to Hawaii, contact Claude Onizuka at 808-324-4226. To schedule an interview with Morgan, contact Dana Davis, Astronaut Appearances Office, at 281-244-0933. For more information about Morgan, visit: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/kellyjm.html

CONTACT: Dana Davis or Kylie Clem of NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, +1-281-244-0933