NASA Deputy Administrator Visits St. Louis for Future Forum

ST. LOUIS – On Tuesday, March 25, NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale will present the keynote address to launch a daylong event at the Saint Louis Science Center celebrating the space agency’s 50th birthday. NASA’s St. Louis Future Forum focuses on how space exploration benefits Missouri’s economy and is part of a yearlong series. Media are invited to attend the day’s events, as well as a media-only question and answer session at 10:30 a.m.

Astronaut Carl Walz, director of the Advanced Capabilities Division in NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, will provide an overview of the agency’s plans to return to the moon and explore beyond. Retired astronaut Tom Jones also will participate in the forum. Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder will deliver the luncheon address.

POLAR-PALOOZA National Tour Dates Announced

POLAR-PALOOZA is a national tour featuring public presentations entitled “Stories From a Changing Planet.” These tales of adventure and science are told by a charismatic “cast” of characters, using HD video and authentic props — such as a piece of ice core 2,000 years old, or a caribou parka — to bring polar research to life. Each stop on the tour will include special programs for schools, workshops for K-12 educators and museum volunteers, briefings for local news media and business leaders, and camp-ins for Girl Scouts and Boys and Girls Clubs.

• March 13-14, 2008 — Washington, D.C.
• April 17-19, 2008 — Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Museum of Natural History
• April 21-22, 2008 — Norman, Okla.: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
• May 4-6, 2008 — Anchorage, Alaska: Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
• May 8-10, 2008 — Fairbanks, Alaska: University of Alaska Museum of the North
• May 24-25, 2008 — Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
• Sept. 12-13, 2008 — Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Natural History
• Sept. 19-20, 2008 — Chicago, Ill. : Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and the Adler Planetarium
• Oct. 22-24, 2008 — Richmond, Va. : Science Museum of Virginia
• Oct. 27-29, 2008 — St. Louis, Mo. : St. Louis Science Center
• Nov. 11-12, 2008 — Boise, Idaho: Discovery Center of Idaho
• Nov. 14-15, 2008 — Denver, Colo. : Denver Museum of Nature and Science

For more information about the Polar-Palooza events, visit http://passporttoknowledge.com/polar-palooza/pp04.php.