SUMMER 2015 SPACE RENDEZVOUS 2015 Mark your calendars for November 5-7 for the newly revamped autograph and memorabilia show, now known as Space Rendezvous! 4 Announcing the 2015 Astronaut Scholars 10 Raising Funding: Impromptu challenge results in $45,000 donation ASTROGRAM : SUMMER 2015 Astronaut ■ Scholar ● Founder ♦ New Member ▲ BOARD OF DIRECTORS Letter from the Chairman CHAIRMAN Dan Brandenstein ■ It has been a pleasure collaborating with our NASA and Delaware North partners on the induction of four astronauts, VICE CHAIRMAN Lisa Schott ● Rhea Seddon, John Grunsfeld, Steve Lindsey and Kent SECRETARY/TREASURER Rominger, into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. This time- Michael Neukamm honored tradition recognizes the inductees for their individual CHAIRMAN EMERITUS contributions to the space program, which in turn impacts our James Lovell ■ world. Special thanks to our many supporters who took part in John Blaha ■ the celebration. Larry Bradley ● Vance Brand ■ I want to thank our corporate and individual supporters who Curt Brown ■ ▲ are part of our organizational transition. ASF decided two years Richard Covey ■ Robert Crippen ■ ago that we needed to continue to evolve along with the world Charles Duke ■ around us. As with any transition, change is slow, difficult and never without a few bumps along John Glenn ■ ♦ the way. However, the transition also brings a new energy, strengthens friendships and gives hope Richard Gordon ■ to a brighter future. Fred Gregory ■ Joseph Han ● Rick Hauck ■ The brighter future cannot be clearer than when I, or anyone else, spend time with ASF’s Astronaut Jeff Hoffman ■ Scholars. They articulate what it means to have “no fear,” an innovative spirit and dreams for Edgar Mitchell ■ a better tomorrow. They strive for greatness beyond our wildest dreams. To quote one of our Charlie Precourt ■ ▲ Founders, Senator John Glenn, “The most important thing we can do is inspire young minds and Brewster Shaw ■ to advance the kind of science, math and technology education that will help youngsters take us Kathryn Thornton ■ to the next phase of space travel.” As part of the organizational transition, and through the support BOARD OF TRUSTEES from many of you, we are achieving this. This year, ASF has increased the number of scholarship recipients to 38. CHAIRMAN Laura Shepard-Churchley The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation was founded by the first astronauts, supported by astronauts Rick Armstrong ▲ from all proceeding space program, and continues to thrive through individuals and companies Ann Brown ▲ Patricia Carpenter who understand the importance of inspiration and reward. Gene Cernan ■ Vincent Cimino ▲ We look forward to seeing you soon, Nancy Conrad ▲ Suzi Cooper Walt Cunningham ■ ▲ Richard Garriott Dan Brandenstein Robert Gibson ■ Tom Hanks Chairman, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Jarret Lafleur ●▲ Henri Landwirth ♦ James Long James Mault, MD Note from the Executive Director Larry McGlynn ▲ Harvey Miller It has been an exciting first half of the year preparing for and Dirk Raemdonck ▲ Thomas Stafford ■ celebrating the space programs that have shaped America: James Wood ▲ Apollo 13’s 45th anniversary, the Apollo/Soyuz Test Project’s 40th anniversary, and the 25th annivesary of the launch of the Hubble Space HONORARY MEMBERS Telescope. This is not all ASF is celebrating - we are awarding the LeVar Burton highest number of scholarships this year: 38. These well-deserving, Bill Dana risk-taking, ingenious students will join the ranks of previous Astronaut Scholars and become part of the elite Astronaut Scholar CREDITS Honor Society. CONTENT - Rika Rowland & Griffin Communications Group As we head into the second half of 2015, we are gearing up for our fall event, Space Rendezvous LAYOUT & DESIGN - Griffin Communications Group (formerly known as Astronaut Autograph & Memorabilia Show), and scheduling our college visits PHOTOGRAPHY - to present Scholar Awards and Education Seminars. We know the upcoming season is busy with John Karjanis, Steve Torres, Charlie Pasewark kids returning to school, the holidays getting under way, and everyday life, but we hope you will SPECIAL THANKS to Fineline Printing join us for the fall event or college visits. Whatever you decide to participate in, bring your family CONTACT along - everyone is bound to be inspired by an American hero or Astronaut Scholar. Join in the celebrations; after all, your support has made this all possible! Have questions, comments or story suggestions? Please get in touch! 321-449-4876 [email protected] Tammy M. Knowles Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Executive Director, Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Mail Code: ASF-1 Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899 2 ASF welcomes new directors and Trustees Nearly a dozen accomplished professionals recently Larry McGlynn is the president and owner of McGlynn, Clinton joined ASF’s board of directors and board of trustees. & Hall Insurance Agencies and a member of the MIT Space, Policy, and Society Research Group. He is also a spaceflight The newest Board of Directors members include retired U.S. history lecturer, a collector of spaceflight tools and memorabilia, Air Force colonels and astronauts Curt Brown and Charlie and a co-author of The Future of Human Spaceflight. Precourt. Brown is a veteran of six Space Shuttle flights. During his time at NASA, he served as the Astronaut Office Lead Dirk Raemdonck, DVM worked as the Senior Director and of Shuttle Operations and Deputy Director of the Flight Crew Group Leader for Program and Project Management within the Operations Directorate. Upon retiring from NASA, he entered International Medical and Commercial Drug Development Group the private sector and is currently an independent aviation and of Pfizer, Inc. He was also a practicing veterinarian, as well as a aerospace professional. pharmaceutical regulations and FDA compliance analyst. Precourt spent 15 years at NASA, flying on four Space Shuttle James Wood is a graduate from Wabash College, where he missions and spending four years as Chief of the Astronaut Corps majored in zoology. He worked as a Director of Admissions and He retired from NASA in 2005 and now serves as Vice President Director of Public Affairs at his alma mater. His career then shifted and General Manager of Space Launch Systems at Orbital ATK. to bank investment and money management, leading to his position as Executive Vice President for Global Institutional Marketing Nine individuals have been added to the Board of Trustees. The son for Templeton Investment Counsel, and later as President of of the late Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, Rick Armstrong, STI (Suntrust) Captial Management. Wood also serves on many is a database developer and consultant. He is currently producing charity boards. a full-dome planetarium film based on a speech his father gave in 2006 that he hopes to use to promote STEAM principles. Ann Brown is President of New Vista Image, a division of the Lowen Corporation based in Golden, Colo. She has chaired the Cosmosphere Foundation for six years. Brown also serves on the board of the Colorado Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund and is active in the Colorado Chapter of ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists). Vincent Cimino works as Managing Director for RBC Capital Markets LLC - Royal Bank of Canada in New York. A member of ASF’s Visionary Circle, he has been an active supporter of the Foundation for many years. Nancy Conrad is the founder and chairwoman of The Conrad Foundation, an annual multi-phase competition that challenges high school STEM students to develop technologies and solutions to real-world needs. She has founded and co-founded several companies, including Universal Space Works, Universal Spacelines, Universal Spaceware and the Rocket Development Company. Walter Cunningham was the pilot of Apollo 7, the first manned flight test of the Apollo Program. A retired Marine Corps fighter pilot with the rank of colonel, he is the author of The All-American Boys and currently hosts “Lift-Off to Logic,” a radio talk show. Jarret Lafleur, Ph.D. is an engineer and systems analyst in www.visitSpaceCoast.com the Homeland Security and Defense Systems Center at Sandia National Laboratories, where he conducts research related to defense systems and multi-attribute decision analysis. He has also engaged in engineering design and analysis work at the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA White Sands Test Facility and NASA Johnson Space Center. 3 2015 astronaut scholars A record 38 students received ASF’s Astronaut Scholarship! Every fall, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation selects a number of exceptional university students across the United States and awards them with a $10,000 scholarship to use toward their studies. The Astronaut Scholarship is one of the largest monetary awards given in the U.S. to undergraduate STEM students based solely on merit. The chosen students exhibit motivation, imagination and exceptional performance in their fields of study. In 2015, the Foundation surpassed last year’s record of 32 scholarships by its increase to a total of 38. Congratulations to the 2015 Class of Astronaut Scholars! Scholar Major University Austin Baldwin Physics / Astronomy Louisiana State University * Ceili Burdhimo Aerospace Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Bradley Caponigro Mechanical Engineering University of Texas at Austin Robert Cass Mathematics University of Kentucky Lia Cattaneo Civil & Environmental Engineering University