Astronaut to discuss Antarctic meteorite search at Rice’s Baker Institute

CONTACT: Franz Brotzen
PHONE: 713-348-6775
E-MAIL: franz.brotzen@rice.edu
 

Donald Pettit, a NASA astronaut, will talk about the “Antarctic Search for Meteorites: Some Observations Relevant to Long-Duration Space Flights” at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Oct. 26. The Friday evening lecture begins at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a reception.
 
Pettit joined the Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) last year, spending six weeks in the Antarctic summer collecting meteorite samples. Antarctica is a unique collecting ground for the recovery of large numbers of meteorites. Scientists have determined that meteorites striking the vast ice sheet are better preserved there than anywhere else in the world.
 
Pettit served as science officer aboard the International Space Station on Expedition 6, which lasted almost six months in 2002. Pettit spent 161 days in space and took part in more than 13 space walks as the mission’s science officer. He went to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Shuttle Endeavour and returned to Earth on the Soyuz TMA-1.
 
Pettit used his free time, usually Saturday mornings, while living aboard the ISS to shed light on a variety of subjects for Earth-bound students of all ages. These demonstrations were dubbed “Saturday Morning Science.”
 
Pettit graduated from Oregon State University in 1978 and received a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona in 1983. He served as a staff scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1984 to 1996, when he was selected by NASA to be an astronaut.
 
Tomorrow’s event will be held in James A. Baker III Hall’s Kelly International Conference Facility on the Rice University campus. For directions, go to http://www.rice.edu/maps/maps.html.
 
Members of the news media who want to attend should R.S.V.P. to Franz Brotzen at franz.brotzen@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.