Into Space with Mole

Ne, 2011-04-03 15:44, Milan Halousek

On board the Space Shuttle will fly a small Czech astronaut!

On board the Space Shuttle Endeavour will fly onto the orbit around the Earth a little Czech "Astronaut".
Together with the U.S. astronaut Andrew Feustel will fly also one of the most popular Czech children's comics characters – the Mole „Krteček“. This nineteen-centimeter cuddly „Astronaut“ connects the world of space with the world of children and helps raise within the young generation of the Czech Republic a greater interest in aerospace, technology and science.

CSO) Andrew Feustel and his wife Indira with the Mole in Houston (Credits: CSO)
CSO) Andrew Feustel with the Mole in Houston (Credits: CSO)

The U.S. Astronaut Andrew J. Feustel, whose wife has Czech origin, takes this time into space a second Czech artifact. During his first mission in 2009 to the Hubble Space Telescope he was bringing with him a collection of poems named "Space Songs" from the leading Czech poet of the 19th-century Jan Neruda.

CSO) Press conference at the start of the project „Into Space with Mole" with the participation of U.S. Ambassador in the Czech Republic Norman L. Eisen (Credits: CSO)

Once on orbit, the Mole will be always close to Andrew Feustel, who already accommodated it in his Space Shuttle Endeavour crew personal luggage. The second Mole-astronaut is now travelling with the organizers of „Into Space with Mole" from the Education Department of the Czech Space Office and the American Educational Center of the U.S. Embassy between schools, libraries and educational centers in the Czech Republic and shows the children many encouraging possibilities for their future life connected with modern science, technology and astronautics.

CSO) Meeting with Mole in Karlovy Vary (Credits: CSO)

CSO) Meeting with Mole in Brno (Credits: CSO)

CSO) Meeting with Mole in Dolni Redice (Credits: CSO)

After returning from its space mission, STS-134 Endeavour, our small Czech astronaut will return to the Czech Republic and will continue to assist at events organized by the Education department of the Czech Space Office in motivating the young population to pursue career in modern science and technology.

CSO) Meeting with Mole in Pardubice (Credits: CSO)