MAVEN launch

November 18 brought the launch of the Mars Atmosphere Volatile EvolutioN satellite and I was honored to play hostess at Kennedy Space Center to the Fellows able to attend.  MAVEN was being launched to Mars, where it will study the remaining atmosphere around Mars, in an attempt to figure out what happened to it and why so very little of it is left.

The weekend began on Saturday, the 16th when I attended a workshop at the Mexican Consulate in Orlando.  There I was honored to hear Sandra Cauffman, MAVEN's Deputy Program Manager from Goddard Space Flight Center speak about the mission and also what it meant to her to have grown up Costa Rica and to come to the United States and eventually work for NASA.  She was very inspiring!

Sandra Cauffman

It was a wonderful workshop, in that I got to meet a new friend - Laurie Sullivan, former Virginia TOY, and connect with an old friend - Barb Gosney, Space Camp alum.

Sunday the 19th was spent touring Kennedy Space Center with the Fellows.  If you have never been to Kennedy Space Center, they have the Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis on display there.  She is truly spectacular.  She is my favorite of the orbiters, because the teachers at Space Camp fly the Atlantis simulator.  It was my job at Space Camp to train the pilot and commander how to complete the pre-launch checklists.  I wanted to jump in and power her up!

The pictures do not do her justice.  It was a very emotional experience to see her up close and in person.

The actual launch was on Monday, November 18th.  My parents, Janet and Jim Erbe, were able to join us for the launch.  I was excited to show them off! 

Papa, on the left, wearing his Hawkeye hat

 It was also great to see a familiar face from back home in Alabama.

Marcia Lindstrom, my former boss at Space Camp

The launch was beautiful, but quick.  We were at Kennedy's Saturn V Center, about 3.5 miles from the launch pad and it took over a minute before the sound of the launch reached us.

It was an amazing experience!

A Celebration for Carl Sagan: Luncheon

Following the formal program, the Fellows were invited to join the presenters at a luncheon in the Library of Congress.

Ann Druyan, widow of Carl Sagan
(That's Seth MacFarlane and Neil deGrasse Tyson behind us on the left side of the photo)
(Fellow Kathy Hoppe on the right)

Barbara Buckner, Seth MacFarlane, David Thesenga, Me, Britta Culbertson

Not an attractive picture of me, but look over my left shoulder.
Yep, that's Bill Nye!

NdGT giving me a hug!  I was overwhelmed with emotion!

NdGT with the Fellows

Bill Nye, the Science Guy! (Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!)

Our luncheon

We also got to see papers in the Carl Sagan up close!

A letter from Carl Sagan to NdGT

Carl Sagan's notes - I love how he used symbols to note the names of planets. 

A book that the Library of Congress contends contains the handprint of Galileo.

Me, holding the book that contains the handprint of Galileo.

Incidentally, these papers belong to the citizens of the United States.  So, if you would like to see them in person, you can.  You need to get a Reader's Card, which allows you into the Reading Room and then place a request with the Manuscripts division to examine the papers.  No special clearance, no special gloves or tools - just you and the papers.  Incredibly cool!

A Celebration of Carl Sagan

On Tuesday, November 12th, the Einstein Fellows were honored to be among the invited guests at the Celebration of Carl Sagan.  This amazing celebration commemorated Seth MacFarlane's gift of Carl Sagan's and Ann Druyan's papers to the Library of Congress.

The celebration began with remarks from the Librarian of Congress, James Billington.

Then came comments from Seth MacFarlane himself.  You may recognize him as creator of Family Guy.  His best joke of the afternoon was the recognition of the fact that we all evolved from Robin Williams.  He also spoke of his collaboration with Neil deGrasse Tyson and Ann Druyan in producing a new Cosmos series on Fox.

He had amazing hair...

Then came presentations and tributes from friends, colleagues, and students of Carl Sagan.  I must admit, it was incredibly humbling to be in the same room as these incredible scientists.  And each of them spoke, in very loving terms, of how Carl Sagan had influenced their lives and their careers.

Christopher Chiba, professor of astrophysics at Princeton

John Holdren,director of the White House
Office of Science and Technology

David Morrison, SETI

Bill Nye

Ralph Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Science

Jonathan Lunine, Cornell University

Carolyn Porco, lead of Cassini imaging team

Official release of the Cassini Pale Blue Dot 2013 image

That dot is Earth!

Steven Soter, American Museum of Natural History

A letter from Carl Sagan to Kip Thorne, thanking him for his help with Contact

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Ann Druyan, widow of Carl Sagan

The best part of the celebration?  I got to be there!