Space Heroes

Gene Cernan:  Eugene Cernan, last human to walk on moon, dies at 82  Gene Cernan, who commanded Apollo 17, NASA’s final human moon landing mission in December 1972, died Monday afternoon, in a Houston hospital following ongoing health issues. Cernan made the lunar journey twice, serving first as lunar module pilot aboard the May 1969 Apollo 10 mission, an orbital precursor to the historic Apollo 11 moon landing by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969. Cernan, who retired from the U.S. Navy, was also the second American to carry out a spacewalk, while in Earth orbit aboard the Gemini IX mission in 1966.

 “Hidden Figures”:  Box office: ‘Hidden Figures’ calculates another win with $20.5M  Hidden Figures, the story of a team of African American women who furnished critical mathematical services to NASA’s early human spaceflight successes, leads the box office for a second week in a row. Their efforts helped launch the first American into Earth orbit and send NASA’s astronauts to the lunar surface.  (See also:  Working woman: Inspiring NASA’s chief scientist,‘Hidden Figures’ stars write inspiring posts after film dominates box office, ‘Hidden Figures’ explores NASA and civil rights history)

Citizens for Space Exploration – a pro-space, taxpayer, grassroots advocacy group (http://www.bayareahouston.com/content/c_s_e/c_s_e) – has traveled to Washington, D.C. the past 24 years to meet face-to-face with Members/staff of Congress to discuss the value of America’s investment in space exploration. In order to sustain that dialogue on a regular basis, Citizens distributes “Space Exploration Update” to Congressional offices on a weekly basis. The intent is to provide an easy, quick way to stay abreast of key human space exploration program and policy developments.