RSS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2003
Contact: Linn LeBlanc
321-455-7011
LinnLeBlanc@astronautscholarship.org
Astronauts Raise Funds For College Scholarships Through Autograph Club
Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Debuts Autograph Subscription Service with 13 Hall of Fame Astronauts
Kennedy Space Center, FL — Soon after the United States selected their first seven Mercury astronauts in 1959, NASA reported being flooded with so many autograph requests from children, collectors, and enthusiasts that the space agency had to employ a mechanical signature machine to keep up with the demand. Thousands of these "signed" astronaut portraits were framed and hung on the walls of bedrooms, school classrooms, and offices as a reminder that with determination, even the sky is not the limit.
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), the non-profit organization founded by those same Mercury astronauts, announced an exclusive opportunity for the next generation of students, as well as collectors and enthusiasts, to receive mail from some of their favorite astronauts - this time with a guaranteed authentic autograph.
The Astronaut Autograph Club (AAC), presented by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation will deliver each month a full-color, 8 by 10 inch autographed photograph from an Astronaut Hall of Fame inductee. Accompanying each photograph will be a personalized letter from the astronaut describing the scene depicted in the photograph and other aspects of his historic mission(s).
Among those lending their signatures and stories are Mercury astronauts John Glenn and Walter "Wally" Schirra; two of the 12 men to walk on the Moon, Edgar Mitchell and Charles Duke; first Space Shuttle pilot Robert Crippen; and Skylab Space Station astronauts Owen Garriott and Paul Weitz.
Limited to the first 350 to subscribe, AAC members will also receive a handsome photo box to store their autographs and two "Maximum Access" badges to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, including admission to the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
As an incentive to join early, those who subscribe before January 31, 2004 will receive a bonus rare autograph and letter set from Apollo 13 Commander James Lovell.
The Astronaut Autograph Club can be ordered for a recurring charge of $49.95 per month or save $100 when making a one-time payment of $499. Orders can be placed on-line at www.AstronautScholarship.org or by calling 321-455-7014.
All money raised by the AAC will go to fund scholarships for exceptional college students pursuing advanced degrees in science or engineering. Through the years, the Foundation has awarded nearly $2 million in scholarships to 170 college science and engineering students. ASF currently awards $170,000 annually to 17 students.
About the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1984 by the six surviving members of America's original Mercury astronauts. Its goal is to facilitate the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships to upper level college students and those pursuing masters or doctorates in these fields. The ASF's headquarters is located at the Astronaut Hall of Fame, at Kennedy Space Center, FL.