To Play Music
Press Triangle
Click on the photo to start slide show and remember the Columbia Shuttle Crew
For the latest Memorial information check this NASA web site http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/sts107/index.html
The Columbia Shuttle Disaster occurred the morning after our NASA Teleconference. NASA scientists involved were so concerned about our Voyagers. This slide presentation was sent to us along with this letter from Gustav Koerner as we met that morning to deal with our Voyager's grief as well as our own concerning this tragedy.
It was a pleasure presenting to your class on Friday along with Lesley, Barbara and Ray. Thank you for your kind words. Lesley did a great job organizing the event in Tom Dreschel's absence. I have young children of my own in grades Pre-K, 6 and 10, so I see on a daily basis some of the pressures kids have. Sometimes when I am speaking to these young kids, its hard for me not to stress important points I want my own children to learn and practice -not just academia. Astronauts would not be astronauts if they only used what they learned from textbooks. Not all space enthusiastic kids are going to be astronauts, but if they learn these important points early in life, they will have more success and find a greater level of happiness and satisfaction than those who do not.
Space Agriculture is my love and my career. I have been working with kids and teachers through out my career, but mostly since I left research in 1998. I want to call to your attention the Space Ag In The Classroom
program. See...
It
is a brand new program that supports the kind of thing we talked about in
our video conference. I think you may enjoy using the materials we provide
educators and students, and you are welcome to participate with us in this
brand new program.
In light of the recent tragedy, I'd like to include this from our NASA Administrator,
Sean O'Keefe: As we search for solace in this challenging time, I have
found comfort in the following verse of the Navy Hymn that was written especially
for our astronauts:
Eternal Father, King of birth,
Who didst create the heaven and earth,
And bid the planets and the sun
Their own appointed orbits run;
O hear us when we seek thy grace
For those who soar through outer space.
Keep in touch, and give the students and faculty my best wishes.
Gus Koerner
Project Manager, Biological Research and Education
Program Manager, Space Agriculture In The Classroom
Spaceport Engineering & Technology Directorate
Biological Sciences Branch