| Shuttle pilot briefs Gordon about mission |
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Posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 12:44 pm
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Rep. Bart Gordon and Astronaut Barry Wilmore.
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Today, Tennessee native and NASA space shuttle pilot Barry Wilmore briefed U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon about his November mission aboard the space shuttle Atlantis.
Gordon worked with NASA to arrange a special videoconference between Cookeville-area students and Wilmore and his fellow astronauts at the International Space Station. The event, held at Wilmore’s alma mater, Tennessee Technological University, gave students an opportunity to ask questions to the astronauts about their experiences in space.
“The last time I spoke with Barry he was aboard the International Space Station. It’s nice to talk with him face-to-face about his experience,” said Gordon. “The live videoconference with students was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and something they will always remember.
“When I was in college, I had the opportunity to watch astronauts land on the moon. I remember the enthusiasm our nation felt about space and science then, and we need to generate a similar excitement in students today. Barry Wilmore is a great ambassador to inspire future students to pursue careers in math and science, which will give them the skills they need to compete for the jobs of the future.”
Wilmore and his crew met with Gordon, who chairs the House Science and Technology Committee, to discuss their mission to deliver critical spare components to the International Space Station. The crew conducted several experiments throughout their mission, including ones to expose several types of material for use in future space travel and the Butterflies in Space Program, which will allow elementary and middle school children to compare the development of larvae grown in space to those grown on Earth.
Wilmore was born in Murfreesboro and raised in Wilson County.
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