Vets to share space ‘knowledge’ in UAE

Honeywell ‘connects’

DUBAI, UAE, April 16: Honeywell will host engagement sessions with two space industry veterans at Think Science Connect 2017 taking place at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) April 18-20. Retired NASA astronaut Don Thomas, who orbited Earth almost 700 times as a veteran of four NASA Space Shuttle missions, will engage with students and teachers, and take questions alongside Dr Deborah Barnhart, CEO of the US Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) affiliated to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, USA.

As a Think Science sponsor and global softwareindustrial company with involvement in most major space missions and satellite projects since the beginning of the space age, Honeywell is hosting the sessions as part of efforts to help inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Think Science Connect 2017, which is spearheaded by Emirates Foundation, is a national program that strives to empower Emiratis to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related fields. Its aim is to nurture a culture of scientific thinking whilst helping to grow the next generation of technology pioneers in the country. The fair will also provide the opportunity for hundreds of youth participating in the Think Science Competition to showcase their innovations to thousands of visitors, parents, investors, and stakeholders.

Honeywell is committed to supporting the UAE government in its quest to stimulate innovation and achieve a high-tech future for the country as part of its seven-year National Innovation Strategy plan. Within the strategy, ‘space’ is highlighted as a key pillar of importance.

It also comes as part of a wider UAE movement towards developing a knowledge-based economy and improving capabilities and skills.

Barnhart

Developing

Following graduation from Cornell University in 1982, Dr Thomas joined AT&T Bell Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey, developing advanced materials and processes for high density interconnections of semiconductor devices. He left AT&T in 1987 to work for Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Company in Houston, Texas, where his responsibilities involved reviewing materials used in Space Shuttle payloads. In 1988 he joined NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center as a Materials Engineer. His work involved lifetime projections of advanced composite materials for use on Space Station Freedom. He was also a Principal Investigator for the Microgravity Disturbances Experiment, a middeck crystal growth experiment which flew on STS-32 in January 1990. This experiment investigated the effects of Orbiter and crew-induced disturbances on the growth of crystals in space.

Selected by NASA in January 1990, Dr Thomas became an astronaut in July 1991. Dr Thomas has served in the Safety, Operations Development, and Payloads Branches of the Astronaut Office. He was CAPCOM (spacecraft communicator) for Shuttle missions STS47, 52 and 53. From July 1999 to June 2000 he was Director of Operations for NASA at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. A veteran of four space flights, he has logged over 1,040 hours in space. He was a mission specialist on STS-65 (July 8-23, 1994), STS-70 (July 13-22, 1995), STS-83 (April 4-8, 1997) and STS-94 (July 1-17, 1997). Initially assigned to the ISS Expedition-6 crew, his flight assignment withdrawal resulted from a medical issue affecting long duration space flight qualifications. In his last assignment he served as the International Space Station Program Scientist overseeing NASA experiments performed on the ISS. Dr Thomas retired from NASA in July 2007 in order to pursue private interests.

He is a private pilot with over 250 hours in single engine land aircraft and gliders, and over 800 hours flying as mission specialist in NASA T-38 jet aircraft.

STS-65 Columbia (July 8-23, 1994) set a new flight duration record for the Space Shuttle program. The mission flew the second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2). During the 15-day flight the crew conducted more than 80 experiments focusing on materials and life sciences research in microgravity. The mission was accomplished in 236 orbits of the Earth, traveling 6.1 million miles in 353 hours and 55 minutes.

STS-70 Discovery (July 13-22, 1995). During the STS-70 mission, Dr Thomas was responsible for the deployment of the sixth and final Tracking and Data Relay Satellite from the Space Shuttle. Mission duration was 214 hours and 20 minutes, traveling 3.7 million miles in 142 orbits of the Earth.

STS-83 Columbia (April 4-8, 1997). The STS-83 Microgravity Science Laboratory ( MSL-1) Spacelab mission, was cut short because of problems with one of the Shuttle’s three fuel cell power generation units. Mission duration was 95 hours and 12 minutes, traveling 1.5 million miles in 63 orbits of the Earth.

Science

STS-94 Columbia (July 1-17, 1997), was a re-flight of the Microgravity Science Laboratory ( MSL-1) Spacelab mission, and focused on materials and combustion science research in microgravity. Mission duration was 376 hours and 45 minutes, traveling 6.3 million miles in 251 orbits of the Earth.

Dr Barnhart became the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the US Space & Rocket Center in December 2010. The Center is the official Visitor Center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian, and the showcase for Redstone Arsenal and defense programs, including energy.

Home to the world renowned US Space Camp®, US Space Academy®, Aviation Challenge®, and Robotics Camp, the Center is Alabama’s leading tourist attraction.

Dr Barnhart’s career spans three decades of service in commercial industry, government, aerospace and defense.

A retired Navy Captain (0-6), she was one of the first ten women assigned to duty aboard ships and commanded five units in her 26 year career.

She was Vice-President of three Dow 30 aerospace and defense companies, serving in manufacturing, business development, program and research management, and congressional lobbying for Honeywell International, McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing), and United Technologies Aerospace.