It's a space geek's dream!
Take a Caribbean cruise with Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter.
Go SCUBA diving with Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin.
How about a water skiing adventure with former NASA Chief Astronaut Kent Rominger?
Or witness the Nov. 25 launch of NASA's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory with legendary shuttle astronaut Bob Crippen.
These and other unique opportunities are up for grabs in the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's Fall Auction of Astronaut Experiences & Memorabilia, which opened for online bids on Friday and continues though Sept. 3.
Among memorabilia available: A piece of the Apollo 13 command module, a polo shirt worn in orbit by Hall of Fame astronaut Kathy Thornton and an autographed black-and-white photograph taken at the news conference at which America's Project Mercury astronauts were introduced to the public.
Apollo 16 moonwalker Charlie Duke said proceeds from the auction will "fuel an important mission: supporting the bright, young minds who will lead America into new frontiers of science and technology by giving them the means to succeed."
Duke, chairman of the foundation, donated an autographed lunar lander electrical systems schematics page that he carried to the surface of the moon in 1972. The bid for Lot 25 soared from $25 to $1,000 at the opening of the auction.
Get a piece of the action HERE.
To participate, bidders must register for a virtual paddle number at www.AstronautScholarship.org/auction. The online auction concludes September 3 at 10 p.m. EDT. Winning bids should be considered a charitable donation.
Formed by America's surviving six Mercury 7 astronauts in 1984, the foundation awards more than two dozen $10,000 scholarships annually to college students studying science, engineering and technology. More than $3 million has been awarded to students around the country since the non-profit organization was formed, and 80 astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and space shuttle programs have taken part in the educational endeavor.
Said Duke: "My fellow astronauts and I are committed to helping the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation in this pursuit, offering our personal mementos, autographs and time to raise vital funds for scholarships."
2 comments:
Income of $1.7 million and only give $250,000 in scholarships? Doesn't seem like a very good return. The executive director makes $97,000. Looks like I need to start a scholarship fund!
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