Disney Parks and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) today celebrated 3D animation character Buzz Lightyear of Toy Story fame with his cosmic achievement as the longest tenured crew member in space with a ticker-tape parade down Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort. Some of Buzz’s new friends, including astronaut Buzz Aldrin and International Space Station Expedition 18 astronaut Michael Fincke, attended.
After living his dream of space travel, Buzz Lightyear returned to Earth aboard Space Shuttle Discovery STS-128 on Sept. 11, following more than 15 months of dedicated service onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The 12-inch-tall action star flew to space as part of an education initiative between Disney Parks and NASA to encourage students to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Buzz’s historic space flight is a great example of spreading the excitement of space exploration to students around the world,” said NASA’s Assistant Administrator for Education, Dr. Joyce Winterton. “We hope that our space station crews and Buzz will spark student interest in the International Space Station and its scientific potential.”
“We can’t thank our partners at NASA enough for bringing Buzz Lightyear home from space to his family, friends and fans here at Disney Parks – after all, this was his dream come true,” said Duncan Wardle, vice president, Disney Parks. “He was certainly missed and deserves a hero’s welcome!”
Coinciding with the celebratory parade, NASA announced two new student contests and conducted special educational experiences in the park, including fun and informative discussions with NASA astronauts.
Source: Walt Disney World Resort
March 8th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
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