Space Program

Students in Debra McPherson's third-grade class at Sharpsburg Elementary School heard a presentation on the NASA space program April 22. Ralph Silvestro, a human resource analyst for the federal government, wearing a facsimile spacesuit, emphasized that students will need advanced skills in reading, writing and mathematics to become involved in the space program. Silvestro showed students small bottles of facsimile "moon dust" and gave each student a uniform patch from the space program.

As I write this, crew members of the space shuttle Endeavour are preparing to leave the international space station and head back to Earth. They will make the trip knowing that NASA decided the astronauts did not have to repair a 31/2-inch gouge that penetrated the thermal shielding on the ship's belly. That happened when a grapefruit-sized piece of insulating foam hit the shuttle when it lifted off on Aug. 8. Despite NASA's reassurances that the gouge doesn't pose a threat on re-entry, the specter lingers of space shuttle Columbia breaking apart over Texas in 2003.

One of my earliest memories was watching coverage of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. Even though, at age 3, I didn't realize the magnitude of the event, that historic moment was captured in my mind. I sensed several things. This had not been done before. Space exploration was exciting. There was a "What's next?" expectation from the adults who were watching. I was told I would remember that historic moment the rest of my life, and it is interesting to look back.

Monday, July 7 5 p.m. on Comedy Central "Heroes of Jewish Comedy" A six-part series looks at top comedians who have drawn on their Jewish identity, starting with an episode devoted to "Insult. " Judd Hirsch is the narrator. Continues through Friday. 9 p.m. on PBS "American Experience" "Bataan Rescue. " In what is said to be the most daring rescue mission of World War II, more than 500 American prisoners of war were saved in 1944.

After two decades and more than 100 flights, Americans have come to take the flights of the space shuttle program for granted. And with good reason: In more than 40 years of U.S. manned space flight, there has never been an accident during a descent to earth or during a landing - until now. Shortly after 8 a.m. this past Saturday morning, as its crew prepared to land, the space shuttle Columbia fell apart over Texas, resulting in the deaths of...

Man's first walk on the moon 30 years ago was one of those pivotal moments in history when many people still remember exactly what they were doing when it happened. "The whole family sat around when it was happening," said Waynesboro resident Joe Bowling, recounting the moment he watched it on television. "It was neat. But it seems a waste now," said Bowling. "There are other things to worry about. " The idea of a lunar walk was so unusual that some people didn't believe it was happening, area residents said.

Freaky Fridays Ghost Tours A tour featuring spooky tales of unexplained goings-on at the Hager House. 9 p.m. today. Jonathan Hager House, 110 Key St., City Park, Hagerstown. $3 per person. Intended for ages 9 and older. Call 301-739-8393 or e-mail hagerhouse@hagerstownmd.org "> hagerhouse@hagerstownmd.org. Free movie The movie "Garfield" (PG) will be shown. Free hot dogs, popcorn, snow cones, sodas. Dusk today. Grace United Methodist Church parking lot, 712 Church St., Hagerstown.

By LISA GRAYBEAL Staff Writer, Waynesboro MERCERSBURG, Pa. - NASA Astronaut Thomas Jones told Mercersburg Academy students Monday night that they're part of a generation whose members will likely have to commute over thousands of miles aboard a rocket to get to their jobs in space. Jones, 42, who's wife, Elizabeth, graduated from Mercersburg Academy in 1974, spoke to a packed crowd in Boone Hall about his aeronautics career and his most recent mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in November 1996.

photo: MIKE CRUPI / staff photographer enlarge By LISA GRAYBEAL / Staff Writer FUNKSTOWN - Though an eye disease may prevent 10-year-old Richard Kaufman from seeing the stars, it doesn't mean he can't reach for them. With a boost from firefighters at Funkstown Volunteer Fire Company, Kaufman is closer to fulfilling his passion for space exploration by going in September to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., for children who are visually impaired.

JAN. 17, 1931-AUG. 22, 2010 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Leonard Royston French, 79, of Washington, D.C., passed away Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010, at the U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Born Saturday, Jan. 17, 1931, in Hagerstown, Md., he was the son of the late Hillard W. French and the late Mabel E. Foreman French. Leonard served 22 years in the Air Force as a B-25 airplane mechanic. He then transferred to the missile program. After retiring from the Air Force, he worked for the government as a quality assurance representative for the A-10 program for Fairchild.

The Zion Baptist Church ministry will show the movie “Courageous” Saturday at 6 p.m. in the fellowship hall of the church, 61 W. Bethel St. The doors open at 5:30 p.m.  Admission costs $2 per person and there will be free popcorn and drinks. Hot dogs will be available for purchase. All proceeds will benefit the church's outreach efforts.   Dinners continue The ladies of Ebenezer AME Church, 40 W. Bethel St., are continuing their fundraising with a fish and chicken wing dinner Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. The menu includes fried fish or chicken wings, fried potatoes, coleslaw and bread.

JAN. 17, 1931-AUG. 22, 2010 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Leonard Royston French, 79, of Washington, D.C., passed away Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010, at the U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Born Saturday, Jan. 17, 1931, in Hagerstown, Md., he was the son of the late Hillard W. French and the late Mabel E. Foreman French. Leonard served 22 years in the Air Force as a B-25 airplane mechanic. He then transferred to the missile program. After retiring from the Air Force, he worked for the government as a quality assurance representative for the A-10 program for Fairchild.

Freaky Fridays Ghost Tours A tour featuring spooky tales of unexplained goings-on at the Hager House. 9 p.m. today. Jonathan Hager House, 110 Key St., City Park, Hagerstown. $3 per person. Intended for ages 9 and older. Call 301-739-8393 or e-mail hagerhouse@hagerstownmd.org "> hagerhouse@hagerstownmd.org. Free movie The movie "Garfield" (PG) will be shown. Free hot dogs, popcorn, snow cones, sodas. Dusk today. Grace United Methodist Church parking lot, 712 Church St., Hagerstown.

As 600 million people watched live on television, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their bug-like Eagle module on the moon, four miles off course with less than 30 seconds of fuel to go. The United States had won the space race. Man had walked on the moon. It was July 20, 1969. There had been frustrating disappointments against the Soviets, including a fire that killed three astronauts during a training simulation early in the moon mission. Armstrong, Aldrin and their Apollo 11 comrade, Michael Collins, returned home as heroes to a grateful nation.

"I'm calling in reply to the Smithsburg area caller who complained about the trail at Veterans Park. One, the trail is one mile long, and two, the equipment installed along the five points in the trail is not playground equipment, but exercise stations, designed to help achieve the fitness and well-being of the many users who walk, jog or bike the trail. " - Smithsburg "This is concerning the Mail Call from Sharpsburg. My parents recently had to start paying for their Medicare and now they are taking three months of their Medicare out and there is no way that they can live off of $500 for the next two months.

One of my earliest memories was watching coverage of Apollo 11 landing on the moon. Even though, at age 3, I didn't realize the magnitude of the event, that historic moment was captured in my mind. I sensed several things. This had not been done before. Space exploration was exciting. There was a "What's next?" expectation from the adults who were watching. I was told I would remember that historic moment the rest of my life, and it is interesting to look back.

Students in Debra McPherson's third-grade class at Sharpsburg Elementary School heard a presentation on the NASA space program April 22. Ralph Silvestro, a human resource analyst for the federal government, wearing a facsimile spacesuit, emphasized that students will need advanced skills in reading, writing and mathematics to become involved in the space program. Silvestro showed students small bottles of facsimile "moon dust" and gave each student a uniform patch from the space program.

Editor's note: Each Sunday, The Herald-Mail publishes "A Life Remembered. " This continuing series takes a look back - through the eyes of family, friends, co-workers and others - at a member of the community who died recently. Today's "A Life Remembered" is about J. Allen Martin, who died March 20 at the age of 92. His obituary was published in The Herald-Mail on March 21. Like many young boys and girls, J. Allen Martin was fascinated with the stars and planets, and he often spent hours on his back looking up at the celestial tapestry that is the universe.

As I write this, crew members of the space shuttle Endeavour are preparing to leave the international space station and head back to Earth. They will make the trip knowing that NASA decided the astronauts did not have to repair a 31/2-inch gouge that penetrated the thermal shielding on the ship's belly. That happened when a grapefruit-sized piece of insulating foam hit the shuttle when it lifted off on Aug. 8. Despite NASA's reassurances that the gouge doesn't pose a threat on re-entry, the specter lingers of space shuttle Columbia breaking apart over Texas in 2003.

It seems like an old sci-fi movie. You pull into your garage and close the air-lock behind you, then disengage your controlled atmosphere. You push back your joystick and your navigation gear, and climb out of your awesome new BMW Interstellar, with those sweet nitrous boosters and extending stabilizers, the ones you've been saving up for what seems like forever. Turn on that life-support belt around your waist and enter an airlock where you're pressurized and fed an oxygen-helium mixture of air to stabilize you. Pass through the airlock, and finally, you're home, orbiting the Earth in a new space station.