Russian Cosmonauts Land in Boise And 'The Other Moscow' Feb 21-26
Friday, February 15 2002
February 15, 2002^MOSCOW – Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, who in 1997 risked a leaky space suit to restore power to the MIR space station, will share his hair-raising adventures and more with audiences in Boise and Moscow Feb. 21-26.^Joining him on the tour is space technologist Alexandre Martynov, one of the world’s most renowned re-entry vehicle designers. They will share information about space travel and life on a space station, and stimulate children’s interest in science, engineering and the space technologies in our lives. The presentations are rich with graphics and objects from Russian and American space programs. Time is provided for interaction with the cosmonauts. ^ In Boise, the pair presents “From MIR to Mars,” complete with video footage, 7:30-9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Boise Public Library’s William F. Hayes Memorial Auditorium, 715 S. Capitol Blvd. Organized by the Discovery Center of Idaho, the event is free and open to the public on a first-come basis. The cosmonauts also will address teachers and school children earlier Thursday at Boise’s Hillside Junior High School, 8:15-9:45 a.m., and at North Junior High from 10:15-11:45 a.m.^In Moscow, two talks are open to the public: Sunday, Feb. 24, from 3-4:30 p.m. at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Center, 508 S. Main Street; and Monday, Feb. 25, from 7-8:30 p.m., at Moscow Junior High. ^Moscow school visits are Monday from 9-9:30 a.m. at McDonald School, for teachers and students from McDonald and West Park Elementary schools; and from 10-10:30 a.m. at the same location for students and teachers from Moscow’s Lena Whitmore and Russell Elementary schools. ^Tuesday the Russians will meet with science classes of Michael Odell in the UI College of Education.^The cosmonauts are visiting only five states: Alabama, Kansas, Missouri, Idaho and Washington. This is Martynov’s second visit to Idaho. In October 2000, he and Alexandre Volkov came to Moscow following a chance meeting with UI College of Education’s Teresa Kennedy in Oklahoma. On a whim, Kennedy invited them to "the other Moscow.” Intrigued, they worked Moscow, Idaho into their schedule. Last March, Kennedy reciprocated by visiting Korolev, Russia when the Russians ceremoniously “drowned the MIR.” Kennedy organized this year’s tour.^Vinogradov spent seven months aboard the Russian space station MIR, and logged 25 hours of space-walk time. He currently works for a rocket and space corporation in Korolev and is training for future space missions. ^Martynov was head of the ballistics department at the Russian Mission Control Center for nearly 30 years and now directs foreign relations for Korolev. He designed re-entry modules and controlled their flights to provide soft landings on the Earth, Mars, Venus and other planets. He authored 120 scientific articles and six books on spacecraft motion control and planetary atmospheres. ^The cosmonauts' visit is funded by a Window on the Universe Program Challenger Center grant, the Idaho NASA Space Consortium program, the education college's Institute for Mathematics, Science and Interactive Technologies and the Center for Evaluation Research and Public Service. ^Contacts: Angie Thornhill, science education specialist, UI College of Education; (208) 885-6030, angiet@uidaho.edu; Teresa Kennedy, director of UI Center for Evaluation, Research and Public Service in the College of Education, (208) 885-7536; tkennedy@uidaho.edu; Marcia Hale, Discovery Center (in Boise), (208) 343-9895; marcia@scidaho.org; Mary Ann Reese, UI College of Education, (208) 885-2841, mreese@uidaho.edu^^Media/Photo Availabilities:^Boise -- 7:45 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 21, Hillside Junior High, 3536 Hill Road (at 36th St), or 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Boise Library, 715 S. Capitol Blvd. Moscow -- 2:15 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 24, Kenworthy Theater, 508 S. Main Street, and 9 or 10 a.m., Monday, Feb. 25, McDonald School, 2323 E. D Street-30- ^MAR-2/14/02-EDU^
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