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Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington         February 7, 2002
(Phone: 202/358-1761)

RELEASE: 03-059

EDUCATOR ASTRONAUT REPORT CARD:
PROGRAM THANKS PUBLIC FOR SUPPORT

     NASA thanks the hundreds of students, teachers, and friends who 
have sent the Educator Astronaut Program their thoughts and prayers 
since the Columbia accident.

"The public and courageous teachers are showing us they are undaunted 
by the risks and impassioned to continue the STS- 107 crew's dream to 
explore and discover," said Dr. Adena Williams Loston, NASA's 
Associate Administrator for Education.

The first phone call the Educator Astronaut Program Office received 
after the accident was from a teacher in Texas who said, "I know what 
the crew would have us do. I'm going right ahead and applying for the 
program."

On Monday, one teacher in Georgia asked her fifth grade class if they 
would like to work for NASA. The students almost unanimously 
responded, "Yes."  The one student who said "No"
explained, "It is not 
that the crash of the Columbia scared me, it's just that I have always 
wanted to be a professional basketball player."

On the day of the accident, more than 100 students, friends and 
families nominated their personal heroes -- their teachers -- to 
become Educator Astronauts.  Since the accident, the program has 
received more than 1,000 nominations.

Educators interested in applying for the program or anyone interested 
in nominating a teacher can find the qualifications on the Internet 
at:

http://edspace.nasa.gov/qualifications/qualif.html

To learn more about the Educator Astronaut Program and other NASA 
education activities visit:

http://edspace.nasa.gov

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