NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
John C. Stennis Space Center
(228) 688-3341 Feb. 20, 2004 Paul Foerman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000
STS-04-013
NASA News Chief
(228) 688-3341
NASA STENNIS SPACE CENTER DIRECTOR SHARES NEW VISION WITH NEXT GENERATION OF EXPLORERS
HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. – NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) Director Rear Adm. Tom Q. Donaldson V (USN, Ret.) visited Bay-Waveland Middle School today to share NASA’s new vision for space exploration with the next generation of explorers.
Donaldson talked with nearly 65 students at Bay-Waveland Middle School, a NASA Explorer School, about America’s destiny as explorers and NASA’s stepping-stone approach to exploring the Moon, Mars and beyond.
“As NASA implements the President’s new vision for space exploration,” Donaldson said, “it’s important this next generation of explorers understand the exciting opportunities this vision holds for them. Partnering with our schools is one way to help create learning environments that will nurture these students who may one day explore Mars and beyond. We’re a nation of explorers who depend on our youth to turn this vision into reality.”
Accompanying Donaldson were his wife, Debbie, and U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., and his wife, Margaret.
Speaking on the benefits of space exploration, Taylor said, “It really is important that when this current generation of scientists retires, we have another to take their place.”
“Mars is an exciting planet to explore and someone in your generation is going to walk on Mars,” Donaldson told the students.
The Explorer Schools program, sponsored by NASA’s Education Enterprise in collaboration with the National Science Teachers Association, was established in 2003 to forge ties between NASA and teachers and administrators from diverse communities. Bay-Waveland Middle School is one of only 50 schools around the country and five from Mississippi chosen for the three-year partnership. The program’s aim is to increase student interest in math, science and technology, and to educate them about careers in those fields. For information about the NASA Explorer Schools Program on the Internet, visit: http://explorerschools.nasa.gov
For more information about the President’s new vision for space exploration on the Internet, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsystem/bush_vision.html For information about NASA on the Internet, visit: https://www.nasa.gov
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News releases provided by NASA’s Stennis Space Center are available at https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ssc/news/newsreleases/2004. For more information, call the NASA Public Affairs Office at Stennis at 1-800-237-1821 in Mississippi and Louisiana only, or (228) 688-3341.
2004 News Releases