When the Space Shuttle Endeavour mission STS-113 launches to exchange crew on the International Space Station, its payload will include signatures from students in schools throughout North Texas (see attached list), along with approximately 500,000 students in the United States and around the world who participated in this year's Student Signatures in Space program.

Student Signatures in Space (S3), a program of the award-winning Space Day educational initiative, provides elementary and middle school students the opportunity to send their digitized signatures into space and to feel a personal involvement with the mission. Jointly sponsored by NASA and Lockheed Martin Corp. , the S3 program is one component of the Space Day initiative co-chaired by John Glenn, a former astronaut and U.S. senator.

On Space Day 2002, students from schools throughout North Texas and more than 500 other schools in the United States, Canada and eight other countries signed S3 posters in anticipation of the shuttle mission this fall. The STS- 113 mission will bring the total to 2.5 million student signatures flown in space since the program began in 1997. Next year's poster signing will take place on May 1 as a part of Space Day 2003 ... Celebrating the Future of Flight.

"Student Signatures in Space is a lot of fun for kids as well as teachers, but more importantly, it sparks student interest in the space program, creates a connection to math and science studies, and brings it all home on a personal level," said Norman Robbins, Community Relations manager at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.

Other Space Day educational programs include the Design Challenges and the Cyber Space Day Webcast. All are designed to inspire student interest in science, math, engineering and technology through the wonders of space.

There is no cost to schools participating in Student Signatures in Space. Lockheed Martin Corp. provides the posters, NASA flight certificates and photographs of the Space Shuttle crew. Because of space constraints on each mission, participation is limited to approximately 500 schools each year. Schools are selected from every U.S. state, throughout Canada and in countries around the world.

Public and private schools, home school organizations and scouting regional councils can register to participate in next year's Student Signatures in Space, as well as the Design Challenges, at the Space Day web site: http://www.spaceday.com/

The Space Day educational initiative is a program supported by the Space Day Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to using space to motivate students to become involved in math, science, engineering and technology.

  North Texas Schools that participated in Student Signatures in Space:

   Brock Elementary School                    Weatherford
   Children's University                      Arlington
   David Crockett Elementary School           Weatherford
   Glen Park Elementary School                Fort Worth
   High Country Elementary School             Fort Worth
   Kenneth Davis Elementary School            Arlington
   North Hi Mount Elementary School           Fort Worth
   Riverside Applied Learning Center          Fort Worth
   Springdale Elementary School               Fort Worth
   W. J. Turner Elementary School             Fort Worth
   Willard Ross Stuard Elementary School      Aledo
   W. R. Hatfield Intermediate School         Justin

For more information on Lockheed Martin Corp., visit: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

For more information on Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., visit: http://www.lmaeronautics.com/

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company