A South Dakota flag flown aboard space shuttle Discovery during the STS-114 mission last July will be presented to Little Wound School in Kyle, S.D., by NASA during a visit on Wednesday, Nov. 9, as part of a NASA Explorer Schools activity. Astronaut Roger Crouch and Flight Director Michael Sarafin will share the Vision for Space Exploration with the future explorers at Little Wound during the event. Media are welcome to attend.
When: 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9
Who: Astronaut Roger Crouch, Payload Specialist
Flight Director Michael Sarafin, NASA Johnson Space Center
Where: Little Wound School, 100 Main St., Kyle, S.D., school gymnasium
A media availability will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the school library following the program and classroom visits. Media interested in arranging interviews with Crouch and Sarafin should contact Debbie V. Nguyen at 832-567-1081 and Delores Pourier at 605-455-6160 for Little Wound personnel.
A family night will be held at 4 p.m. at the school to engage parents and discuss the importance of science and math education.
In 1997, Crouch logged more than 471 hours in space as a payload specialist on shuttle missions STS-83 and STS-94, traveling 7.8 million miles in 314 orbits. He has served in key positions in investigations and research groups, including program scientist on five Spacelab flights. A Tennessee native, Crouch earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Tennessee Polytechnic Institute in 1962, and a master’s degree and a doctorate in physics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1968 and 1971, respectively.
From October 1995 until August 2005, Sarafin supported 31 space shuttle missions as a guidance, navigation and control officer. He is in training as a flight director for both the space shuttle and International Space Station programs. Once trained and certified, he will oversee the entire flight control team operating out of the Mission Control Center to ensure safe and successful human spaceflight missions. He is slated to be a space shuttle flight director for the upcoming STS-119 and STS-120 missions.
The NASA Explorer Schools Program provides educators, students and families with classroom resources and innovative technology based on NASA’s unique research, discoveries and missions. During the three-year partnership, NASA assists schools in addressing needs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Little Wound was selected as a NASA Explorer School in May 2005.
For information about the NASA Explorer Schools Program on the Internet, visit:
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov
For more information about NASA and the Vision for Space Exploration on the Internet, visit:
