NASA mission to Obama Presidential Inaugural Parade

William Atkins
Saturday, 17 January 2009 02:27

Science - Space

The 56th U.S. Inauguration on January 20, 2009, featuring the swearing-in ceremonies for President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden, will also include a parade highlighting the NASA astronauts who recently returned from the International Space Station and a next-generation lunar rover for exploration of the Moon.


Activities of the January 20, 2009 Presidential Inauguration in the United States appear at the About.com websote. The parade begins at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Additional information about the U.S. inauguration events also appears on the U.S. Senate website.

The January 16, 2009 media release “56th Inauguration Features NASA Astronauts, Lunar Rover, Panoramic Photos and Live Twitter,” states that "The [inauguration] parade will travel down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington on Jan. 20 following swearing-in ceremonies for President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden.”

It continues, “Many of the participating astronauts -- Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe, mission specialists Donald Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff -- flew on space shuttle Endeavour in November 2008 on the STS-126 mission.”

In addition, U.S. astronaut Mike Gernhardt, who last flew in space on mission STS-104 on July 12-24, 2001, will drive a concept lunar rover in the parade.

In the passenger seat will be U.S. astronaut Rex Walheim, who last flew for NASA on the STS-122 mission on February 7-20, 2008. Walheim will be wearing a NASA spacesuit while sitting next to Gernhardt.

The next-generation lunar rover is called the Lunar Electric Rover, which is described by NASA as “about the size of a pickup truck” that is being evaluated “for use when humans return to the moon.”

Page two continues with additional information on the LER.