posted 07-26-2005 02:48 AM               

As NASA's STS-114 crew prepares to launch today to the International Space Station, astronauts from the space program's historic Return To Flight missions are donating their memorabilia and time to an auction benefiting the next generation of space explorers.

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), in collaboration with collectSPACE.com, announced today their third annual silent auction of astronaut-donated memorabilia and experiences. Over 20 Hall of Fame astronauts have donated to the ASF artifacts from their collections, as well as for some, the chance to join them for space center tours, dinners and sporting events.

"This auction is a great way we can give of ourselves to raise scholarship funds for science and engineering college students," said Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden, who serves as the Foundation's Chairman. "I look forward to attending a Baltimore Ravens game with the winner of one of my lots."

In addition to the football game, Worden also donated a signed and inscribed canvas of his Apollo photograph-inspired artwork.

Other astronauts taking part in the auction include Apollo 14 moonwalker Ed Mitchell, Apollo 13 Pilot Fred Haise and Apollo 12 Command Module Pilot Richard Gordon, who donated an American flag and mission patch that landed on the surface of the Moon.

James Lovell, Commander of Apollo 13, will share a suite at a Chicago Cubs baseball game with the winner of his lot. Bob Crippen, who piloted the first launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia, will lead a winning bidder and his/her friends on a tour of Kennedy Space Center.

In celebration of NASA's first shuttle launch in two and a half years, crew members from the two prior Return To Flight missions will sign a special print for the auction. They are Apollo 7 Commander Wally Schirra and Pilot Walt Cunningham who flew after a tragic pad fire claimed the life of the three Apollo 1 astronauts in 1967; and Commander Rick Hauck, with pilot Dick Covey, who led the first launch of Discovery after the loss of Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986.

Other notable items and experiences include a chance to dive to an undersea laboratory with Mercury astronaut/aquanaut Scott Carpenter; a 16x20 inch print of "Earthrise" signed by the entire crew of Apollo 8; and a custom voice mail recording by comedian Bill "Jose Jimenez" Dana.

Twenty-third century "astronaut" Levar Burton, who portrayed "Geordi LaForge" on TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation will also participate in the auction. Burton, who hosts the Emmy award-winning "Reading Rainbow", will visit the classroom or home of a winning bidder's child to share space stories.

Online bidding in the silent auction will begin Monday, August 1, on the collectSPACE website < http://www.collectspace.com/auction > and continues through Saturday, August 13. The auction will end that evening during an astronaut-attended dinner at the UACC Annual Convention and Autograph Show in New Jersey, preceded by an astronaut signing session that day.

The public may pre-register for the auction beginning today and can preview lots on Friday, July 29.

About the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation: The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is a 501 (c)(3), non-profit organization established in 1984 by the six surviving members of America’s original Mercury astronauts. Its goal is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships to exceptional college students pursuing these degrees. ASF funds eighteen $10,000 scholarships annually and has awarded more than $2 million to 196 students nationwide. For more information log on to: www.AstronautScholarship.org

About collectSPACE: collectSPACE.com debuted online on July 20, 1999, the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Conceived as a hobby site, collectSPACE has since grown to become the leading resource and community website for space history enthusiasts and space artifact collectors through the provision of original news reporting, collecting guides, and as a virtual meeting place for a truly global audience.

About the UACC Convention and Autograph Show: The UACC (www.uacc.org) is a non-profit organization, well known and respected internationally for its dedication to promoting the hobby of autograph collecting. This year’s show and convention, featuring 17 pioneer astronauts and a host of other celebrities, takes place on August 13th – 14th at the Meadowlands Crowne Plaza Hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey. Visitors can meet the celebrity guests, take photographs, browse the exhibits and buy from (or sell to) the dealers represented for a daily admission fee of $10.00. For more information, see http://www.autographshows.net/