Astronaut To Celebrate Space Day With North Carolina Students

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Apr 20, 2012, 12:15 ET

HOUSTON, April 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA astronaut Lee Morin will participate in Space Day with students at Betty Dixon Elementary School in Holly Ridge, N.C., on Friday, April 27.

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Space Day activities begin with a hot air balloon launch on campus at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Throughout the day, students will participate in several hands-on science activities including simulated lunar landings and rocket launches. The school is located at 130 Betty Dixon Road adjacent to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The event is open to the media.

Morin, who flew aboard space shuttle Atlantis in 2002, will speak at an assembly in the gymnasium from 10 to 11 a.m. He will share his experiences as an astronaut and video of his space shuttle mission to the International Space Station. Morin also will discuss NASA careers and the opportunities available to students who pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) studies.

As a member of the STS-110 crew, Morin logged more than 259 hours in space. He performed two spacewalks totaling 14 hours and nine minutes. He holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematical/electrical science from the University of New Hampshire, a Master of Science in biochemistry from New York University, a doctorate of medicine and microbiology from New York University in 1981 and 1982, respectively, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1988.

For Morin's complete bio, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/morin.html

For more about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

For more about NASA's educations programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education

SOURCE NASA