11.28.

05

Lindsay Crouch
Phone: (757) 864-3189, (757) 870-6912, (mobile)
MEDIA ADVISORY: 05-078

NASA BRINGS VISION FOR SPACE EXPLORATION TO SOUTH CAROLINA

Former Astronaut Charles Bolden Jr. and NASA Langley Research Center
Deputy Director Rick Gilbrech will visit Forest Heights Elementary
School, Columbia, S.C., on Wednesday, Nov. 30, to kick off the newly
established educational partnership between NASA and the school and
to bring the Vision of Space Exploration to students and their
families.

Gilbrech will also participate in a Family Night presentation on

Tuesday, Nov. 29, at Forest Heights Elementary School at 7:00 p.m.
The public is invited to the Family Night event.

Bolden and Gilbrech will encourage students to study math and science
so they can pursue careers in aeronautics and space as they discuss
NASA's plans to return to the moon and go on to Mars. The Family
Night event is designed to bring the excitement of space exploration
to all residents of Columbia and the surrounding area.

What: Family Night

When: 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29
Who: NASA's Langley Research Center Deputy Director Rick Gilbrech
Where: Forest Heights Elementary School

What: Student Assembly

When: 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30
Who: Former Astronaut Charles Bolden Jr. and NASA's Langley Research
Center Deputy Director Rick Gilbrech
Where: Forest Heights Elementary School
Media interested in covering the events or arranging an interview with
Bolden or Gilbrech should contact Lindsay Crouch at 757-864-3189 or
757-870-6912 (mobile) by 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29 or by calling
Marny Skora, who will be present at the events, at 757-344-6111.

Born and raised in Columbia, S.C., Bolden has logged more than 7,000
hours of flying time in the United States Marine Corps. Selected by
NASA in May 1980, Bolden became an astronaut in August 1981. He has
held many technical assignments in NASA and has logged more than 680
hours in space on four different shuttle flights. Bolden served as
pilot on STS-61C (January 1986) and STS-31 (April 1990) and was the
mission commander on STS-45 (March/April 1992) and STS-60 (February
1994). He left NASA in 1994 to return to the operating forces of the
U.S. Marine Corps and is currently the chief executive officer of
JACKandPANTHER LLC, a small business enterprise providing consulting
in the fields of leadership, defense and aerospace issues.

Before being named NASA Langley's deputy director, Gilbrech served as

deputy director of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center, located at
Langley. Since beginning his NASA career in 1991 at NASA Stennis
Space Center, Gilbrech has had many roles in management, including
experience in the areas of propulsion test technology, the X-33
program and the space shuttle program.

Forest Heights Elementary School was named one of NASA's 2005 Explorer
Schools in May. The school started the program this fall and will
continue the partnership for the next three years.

The NASA Explorer School (NES) program is sponsored by NASA to help

educators and students join NASA's mission of discovery through
educational activities and special learning opportunities tailored to
promote science, mathematics and technology applications and career
explorations.
Over the next three years, students in the NES program will
participate in digital conferences with scientists and engineers at
NASA. Educators will also take the hands-on activities to their
students to provide exciting learning experiences in the science,
mathematics and technology fields.

To learn more about the NES program, please visit:

http://explorerschools.nasa.gov

For information about NASA and agency programs on the Web, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/home

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