NASA astronaut to visit Bonne Terre tomorrow
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This photo shows STS-98 Mission Specialist Tom Jones getting help with his launch and entry suit before entering Atlantis for a simulated launch countdown. NASA photo
Dr. Tom Jones is one of several special guests who are part of The Space Museum and Grissom Center’s “Show Me Sci-Fi Space” event on June 28 in Bonne Terre.
Saturday’s event is the ultimate celebration of iconic sci-fi universes that have captured people’s imaginations for generations. Special guests include Jones; Dan Monroe, YouTube celebrity from “Movies, Music & Monsters”; Lou Dalmaso, professional model builder and content creator of “Aztek Dummy Productions”; Lance S. Winkel, assistant professor of digital animation for Missouri Western State University; Craig Skaggs, Disney fine artist and lead medical illustrator for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; and Star Wars Imperial costuming group 70th Explorers Garrison.
Jones grew up during the space race in the 1960s. He decided at the young age of 10 that he wanted to go to the rocket factory to see some of the rockets being manufactured.
“It has been a real privilege for me to get to represent the United States four times in space,” he said.
Jones described being in space as a “tremendous sense of fulfillment and a true dream come true.”
“You actually get to see the Earth from space,” he said. “The view is always changing, with changing patterns of weather, the night sky with thousands of stars, Hurricanes, and volcanoes. The tremendous vista. It’s everything you’ve ever read in textbooks. Everything comes to life.”
Jones spent more than a decade with NASA and flew on four space shuttle missions to Earth orbit. This included the STS-98, STS-80, STS-59 and STS-68. On his last flight, Jones led three spacewalks to install the centerpiece of the International Space Station, the American Destiny laboratory. He spent 53 days working and living in space.
His last space flight was in 2001. The crew delivered the Destiny science lab to the U.S. side of the International Space Station. The lab became a new room for the crew already living on the ISS.
“That gave them a new room which kicked off the era of space scientific research,” said Jones. “That lab is still the centerpiece, the brains, the nerve center, of ISS. It’s gratifying to me that my crew and I placed that there two decades ago.”
In addition to his work for NASA, Jones is a distinguished Air Force Academy graduate and has piloted B-52D strategic bombers. He earned his doctoral degree in planetary sciences from the University of Arizona. He has also engineered intelligence-gathering systems for the CIA. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2018.
Over the years, Jones has served on the NASA Advisory Council and the boards of the Association of Space Explorers and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation.
Jones is excited about his visit to the Parkland and the museum. He’s been told the museum is “quite a little gem from what I’ve heard.”
“This is a great opportunity for me to share some of the stories from my space shuttle books and my colleagues,” he said. “The sci-fi connection is really fun for me since I grew up in the 60s. I’m excited for this event.”
“Show Me Sci-Fi Space” takes place at the museum in Bonne Terre from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission to “Show Me Sci-Fi Space” includes the opportunity to see Lost in Space’s B-9, Star War’s R2-D2, Robby from Forbidden Planet other robot replicas; lunch; museum tour; and a chance at door prizes including the opportunity to appear on a segment of “Movies, Music & Monsters.” Attendees are encouraged to dress in their best costume play attire for the event contest. First, second, and third place winners will be awarded prizes.
The Gateway Chapter of the International Plastic Modelers Society will have a space sci-fi model-building contest. Participants must register online through IPMS with a QR code at space-mo.org (under the events tab).
With event admission, attendees receive a tour of the museum to see an impressive collection of artifacts spanning the history of space exploration, including many sci-fi toys; a unique space shuttle liftoff experience; virtual reality spacewalk aboard the International Space Station; hands-on interactive exhibits; and more. The museum tour may be taken anytime from June 27-29.
Call 573-358-1200 or visit space-mo.org or the museum’s Facebook page for more information.
