With Eileen Collins at Tulsa Air & Space Museum

by JonathanNo Comments
Saturday March 25 was one of those days when I pinch myself and say, “I can’t believe I get to do this.” Eileen Collins and I signed 300 copies of her memoirs today at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. EVERY child in attendance received a free, personalized copy of the book, thanks to the generosity of Spirit AeroSystems. What a remarkable way to inspire the generation who will take us to Mars and beyond in their lifetimes! Eileen and I also spoke in the planetarium about her career and answered questions from the audience. Thanks to Tonya Lewis Blansett for inviting us to be part of this event, to Dayle Kenyon and Lois Huneycutt for crowd control and taking photos, to Bill Moore for his fascinating perspectives on Oklahoma aerospace history, and to the staff of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum for treating us like royalty. Signing books and welcoming the public!...
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“Farewell, Columbia” at Spacefest VIII, June 11, 2017

by JonathanNo Comments
With seven-time astronaut Jerry Ross at my side, I gave a presentation at Spacefest VIII in Tucson on June 11. It summarized the incredible story of the recovery and reconstruction of space shuttle Columbia following the February 1, 2003 accident that took the lives of her crew. Having spent the past two years conducting nearly a hundred interviews with people ranging from the former Administrator of NASA to the women who volunteered at the Hemphill, Texas VFW Hall, I had so much I wanted to say and so little time in which to say it! Of course we could only touch on the highlights of the story and just a few of the 25,000 people who made this—the largest search and recovery operation in US history—a success. Even the book, which is due in December, will just barely be able to scratch the surface. I recorded the presentation, and Jerry kindly consented to my posting his comments publicly. I encourage you to listen...
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