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Moon & Mt. Everest Rocks Now on Display on International Space Station

Alexandria, VA, 19-Feb-10

Pieces of the Moon collected during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 and carried to the summit of Mt. Everest by former NASA astronaut and Challenger Center Board Member Dr. Scott Parazynski are now on display in the cupola on the International Space Station.

The Moon rocks, along with rocks from Mt. Everest, were placed on permanent display in the cupola today after Station commander Jeff Williams and Space Shuttle Endeavour commander George Zamka cut the ribbon on the Tranquility module’s seven-windowed observation deck.

"These Moon rocks have had quite a journey and they will continue their journey for thousands and millions of miles in a very short amount of time," Zamka said. "They will be placed in the cupola as a reminder of man's reach and man's grit as they go out and explore."

A video of the presentation is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO45KoVPsxk.

Dr. Parazynski, Chairman-Elect of Challenger Center’s Board of Directors, presented the rocks to NASA during a January 6 event at Space Center Houston. Dr. Parazynski carried the Moon rocks with him when he became the first astronaut to reach the summit of Mt. Everest on May 20, 2009.

To schedule an interview with Dr. Parazynski, contact Rob Cork at 703-535-1361.

About Challenger Center

Using space exploration as a theme and simulations as a vehicle, Challenger Center and its international network of nearly 50 Challenger Learning Centers create positive educational experiences that raise students’ expectations of success, fosters a long-term interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and inspires students to pursue studies and careers in these areas. Challenger Center’s network of Challenger Learning Centers across the United States and in Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Korea reach more than 400,000 students each year through simulated space missions and educational programs, and engage over 40,000 educators through missions, teacher workshops and other programs. To learn more about Challenger Center for Space Science Education, visit www.challenger.org.

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