EXPLORERS FROM THE GUESTBOOK | |||
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 Beryl Markham is my hero because I think that she is an amazing woman. She was the first PERSON to fly alone from
Europe to North America. She was a pioneer aviator and led a facinating life in Africa where her father raised her. She learned various skills such as jumping
as high as her head which all of the other children in east Africa had to be able to do. I think that Beryl Markham is truly amazing.
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Michelle Parkin from Toronto, CanadaMy hero is Samuel de Champlain. He's my hero because he was a famous French explorer. | |||
Bradly deavau from Mount Uniacke, CanadaFerdinand Magellan is my hero because he was the first person to sail around the world. When he got in a very large battle with the Portuguese he was speared in the fight and died several hours later. The remaining of Magellan's crew made it around the world and told many stories about their wonderful neverending story. And that is why Ferdinand Magellan is my hero. | |||
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Holly from Versailles, Kentucky USAFerdinand Magellan is my hero because he was the first person to sail around the world in in the late 1500s. I want to sail around the world and discover new places. | |||
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Jon from Kalispell, Montana USAJohn Glenn is my hero because he was a brave pioneer who risked the dangers of space to expand the frontiers of human experience. And, more recently, he rocketed into space again, reminding Americans of the importance and excitement of space exploration. | |||
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 My hero is Eileen Collins. As a pilot, Eileen Collins has logged over five thousand hours in 30 different type of aircraft. She definitely had the
qualifications of piloting the space shuttle it was just a matter of time. In the years between her acceptance into the astronaut program and her actual first
mission, she was busy doing a lot of other crucial tasks for NASA. Initially assigned to orbiter engineering support, she also served on the astronaut support
team responsible for orbiter pre-launch checkout, final launch configuration and landing and recovery systems. She also worked in Mission Control as a
spacecraft communicator and served as the Astronaut Office Spacecraft Systems Branch Chief.
February 2nd, 1995 Lt. Colonel Eileen Collins became the first woman pilot of the space shuttle. On this mission the crew rendezvoused with the Russian space station Mir and deployed and retrieved an astronomy satellite. Her second mission to space on May 15th 1997, Eileen again served as the pilot. On this mission the crew again docked with the Russian space station Mir, and this time delivering over eight thousand pounds of supplies and experiment equipment. However, not until July 22nd 1999 did Eileen Collins became the first woman commander of a shuttle mission. On this mission to the stars on July 22nd 1999, Lt. Colonel Eileen Collins was entrusted with not only the lives of her crew but a 1.5 billion-dollar payload. The AXAF, Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility Imaging System, the heaviest cargo yet weighing in at over five tons, rivals the Hubble Space Telescope in size and significance. Also known as the Chandra X-ray Observatory, this scientific tool will enable us to see further in to the universe, thus making it possible to study such anomalies as the rare supernovae, quasars and the ever-puzzling black holes. This long road to success is not without its share of potholes and roadblocks; many women before her were persecuted and fought hard for equality in the skies. These deeds overlooked by many are the base of the pyramid on top of which Eileen Collins stands. Some of these women were present to witness this historic event. Eleven of the surviving ÔflatsÕ were there, but only because Eileen invited them, not NASA. The ÔflatsÕ were women who had been selected as candidates for the Mercury program in the early 1960Õs. These women were subject to the same rigorous physical, medical and psychological tests the men were and prevailed. Proving that they too had the right stuff for space travel. However, soon after the Russians sent Valentina Tereshkova into space, the womenÕs American program was canceled. Also present were several pilots from the Women Air Force Service Pilots, WASP who served our country proudly during world war two, courageously flying new aircraft right from the assembly line, without testing, to their appropriate bases. Along with these women Hillary Clinton, her daughter Chelsea, and the U.S. women soccer team were also present. The spirit of Amelia Earhart was also onboard that day as Eileen toted with her a scarf that once belonged to the legendary aviator. This magnanimous gesture seemed to thank all those who had lifted Collins up to where she is, past and present. Eileen Collins has wanted to be an astronaut since the age of ten. She accomplished her dream and in doing so accomplished the dreams of many other women and inspired young girls to dream the impossible. And now as she passes the torch to other women, she becomes the pedestal on which they will stand on in the future. Lt. Colonel Eileen Collins is not only a hero for women but an American hero as well, and she will surely be recognized as one as she goes down in 'her'story. | |||
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Harold Wood from Visalia, California, USAKnown as the "Father of Our National Parks," John Muir was not only responsible for starting the National Park System which we all enjoy today, but as an explorer, scientist, and author, lived a live as full of adventure and caring as could be possible. He has inspired me to "climb the mountains and get their good tidings" and to work to preserve the earth's wilderness. As founder of the Sierra Club, his work continues on today. Every one of his books are still in print, and make for exciting reading! I can't understand why Hollywood hasn't made a film biography of him (along the lines of "Gandhi") because Muir is so inspirational in promoting environmental protection, and is remembered today probably more fondly than any other environmental leader in history. For more about John Muir, visit the John Muir Exhibit on the World Wide Web: http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/ | |||
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