DFRC release 03-52: NASA astronaut presentation at L.A. CountyFair

NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone (661) 276-3449
FAX (661) 276-3566
__
September 15, 2003

Alan Brown
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
(661) 276-2665


RELEASE 03-52

ASTRONAUT APPEARANCE TO HIGHLIGHT "NASA DAY" AT L.A. COUNTY FAIR

NASA astronaut Tracy E. Caldwell will discuss her life as a member of
NASA's astronaut corps during two special presentations Sept. 23 at
the Los Angeles County Fair.

Caldwell's appearance will highlight "NASA Day" at the fair, centered
around the NASA Centennial of Flight exhibit, part of the fair's
"High Flying Fun" exhibition at this year's fair at the Fairplex in
Pomona.

Caldwell, a native of the Los Angeles area, will be giving two
presentations in the theater area of the NASA exhibit. The first
presentation is scheduled for about 11:15 a.m. and the second at
about 3:45 p.m. Both programs will be about 45 minutes long and will
include time for a question-and-answer session.

Caldwell's appearance at the fair is in keeping with one of NASA's
primary goals outlined in the agency's mission statement: "To inspire
the next generation of explorers." Her presentations will focus on
her experiences while training to become an astronaut and her life as
a member of NASA's astronaut corps.

Caldwell, 34, was accepted for astronaut training as a space shuttle
mission specialist in 1998. After initial training, she has worked in
various technical assignments until she is assigned to a space
flight. Among those assignments, she was a crew support astronaut for
the fifth International Space Station crew, serving as their
representative for technical and operational issues during their
expedition, and also served as space station communicator inside
mission control at the Johnson Space Center at Houston, Texas.

Born in Arcadia, Caldwell grew up in Beaumont, graduating from
Beaumont High School in 1987. She earned a bachelor of science degree
in chemistry in 1993 from California State University at Fullerton
and received her doctorate in physical chemistry from the University
of California at Davis in 1997. Her dissertation work focused on
investigating molecular-level surface reactivity and kinetics of
metal surfaces using electron spectroscopy, laser desorption and
Fourier transform mass spectrometry techniques. She also performed
additional graduate-level work in atmospheric chemistry at the
University of California at Irvine.

Caldwell is a private pilot and is conversational in Russian and
American Sign Language. Her recreational interests include a variety
of athletic activities. She was the recipient of numerous honors and
awards during her academic and professional career, and is a member
of the Sigma Xi Research Society and the American Association for the
Advancement of Science. She has presented her work in numerous papers
at technical conferences and published in scientific journals.

NASA's Centennial of Flight exhibition forms the centerpiece of The
Final Frontier, one of four venues at the fair's "High Flying Fun"
exhibition. Entitled "Powering Flight, Powering Dreams," the
10,000-square-foot exhibit features information on NASA history as
well as visions for the future.

Other components of the NASA exhibit include full size mock-ups of
two of the International Space Station's modules and compartments and
the Mad Science "Mission to Mars" stage show that features special
effects, costumes, sets and audience participation.

For more information about the 2003 Los Angeles County Fair, visit
the fair's web site at www.lacountyfair.com or call (909) 623-3111.

For more information about NASA on the Internet, visit: http://www.nasa.gov.

- NASA -


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Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info

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