Wed, Mar 10, 2010
Next Mission Includes Teacher-Turned-Astronaut Dottie
Metcalf-Lindenburger
NASA highlighted the educational
activities planned on the next space shuttle mission during a news
briefing on Tuesday. Astronaut and former school teacher Ricky
Arnold was joined by Cindy McArthur from the Teaching from
Space Office to discuss educational activities involving astronaut
and former teacher Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger during the STS-131
shuttle flight.
Metcalf-Lindenburger will be the last of the three school
teachers selected as mission specialists in the 2004 Educator
Astronaut Class to fly on the space shuttle. Arnold and Joseph
Acaba flew on the STS-119 shuttle mission in March 2009.
The educational activities on the STS-131 shuttle mission to the
International Space Station will focus on robotics and careers in
science, technology, engineering and math. The briefing also will
explain how educators can become involved in learning activities
during and after the shuttle mission.
NASA says that, without robotics, major accomplishments of
building the station, repairing satellites in space and exploring
other worlds would not be possible. Metcalf-Lindenburger will
operate the space shuttle's robotic arm and a 50-foot Orbiter Boom
Sensing System to inspect the shuttle for any damage that might
have occurred during launch or in space. A digital camera and laser
system on the boom's end provide three-dimensional imagery used by
analysts to assess the health of the shuttle's heat shield.
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