The U.S. Space & Rocket Center® is pleased to announce the 2015 class of the Space Camp® Hall of Fame. These four exceptional individuals are all Space Camp® alumni who have achieved professional success in the areas of engineering, aerospace and the arts. They are: Elizabeth Bierman, Senior Project Engineer at Honeywell Aerospace and national President of the Society of Women Engineers; Bobak Ferdowsi, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Flight Engineer;Susanna Phillips, Metropolitan Opera star; and Dr. Kate Rubins, a NASA astronaut scheduled to fly to the International Space Station in 2016.

“This year’s Space Camp Hall of Fame class demonstrates a diverse mix of passion, imagination, determination and intelligence,” Dr. Deborah Barnhart, USSRC CEO, said. “These inductees have followed their dreams to realize amazing achievements in their respective careers. From working on Mars Rover Curiosity to singing opera at the Met, these men and women exemplify the spirit of Space Camp. I am honored to welcome them to the Space Camp Hall of Fame.”  

The Space Camp Hall of Fame includes graduates and former employees who have distinguished themselves in their respective careers and friends of the Center who have made considerable contributions of personal time, effort or resources to further the goals of the Space Camp programs. Members exhibit leadership among the globe-spanning Space Camp alumni community of almost 700,000, providing guidance and encouragement for alumni to continue to support the Space Camp mission.

This year’s inductees join the ranks of 31 Hall of Fame members, including Dr. Wernher von Braun and astronauts Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger and Samantha Cristoforetti, the first two Space Camp graduates to fly in space.

The 2105 class will be inducted at the Hall of Fame Ceremony and Dinner, to be held July 25, 2015, at the USSRC’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration. Todd May, Program Manager for NASA’s Space Launch System, is the guest speaker for the evening.

The induction ceremony is part of a three-day Space Camp Alumni Festival Weekend, a family-friendly event that offers participants the chance to relive the Space Camp and Aviation Challenge® experience, meet seven astronauts and celebrate the 25th anniversary of Aviation Challenge. The weekend concludes with a concert with Yacht Rock Revue™ in the USSRC’s Shuttle Park.

A discounted “Countdown Special” for the July 23-25 festival ends June 1. For more information, visit spacecamp.com/alumnifestival or email festival@spacecamp.com.    

CONTACT: Tim D. Halltimh@spacecamp.com, 256-722-5609