US navy pilot in flying visit to Cranfield.
Milton Keynes students will be among the people given the chance to meet a real astronaut when Cranfield University hosts a NASA Space Shuttle speaking event next month.
Pilot Susan Kilrain is coming to the UK for her first fully interactive public event, and the 10th May Cranfield appearance is the only one during her visit here.
The US Naval Aviator, one of only three women to pilot the Space Shuttle, will speak about her career and two missions to space, she’ll meet and greet the audience, pose for pictures and sign autographs.
She will describe her pioneering career: 20 years in the Navy paving the way for women, more than 3,000 flight hours in over 30 different aircraft and her two missions to space as pilot of the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Susan logged 472 hours in space across two missions in 1997: the aborted STS-83 Columbia mission and the re-flight on mission STS-94 Columbia. Both missions focused on micro-gravity experiments in the Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL) which was a European Spacelab module installed in the Shuttle payload bay.
“There will be space related trade stands, memorabilia for sale and of course many social opportunities with like-minded enthusiasts throughout the event,” said Rowland Lindill, founder and director of organisers The Armchair Astronaut.
“We will have a selection of meteorites on show and guests can hold in their hands a rock from space, a piece of the Moon and even a piece of the planet Mars.
“This is a non-profit event hosted by The Armchair Astronaut for the benefit of all our members, friends and followers, and open to the general public. Local students get 20% off. Invitations with details and discount code have already been sent to all schools in the Cranfield, Milton Keynes and Bedford area.”
Tickets start at £49. More details here: https://thearmchairastronaut.co.uk. The 20% student discount code is: ‘MKstudent’.
