Alan Bean – former Apollo astronaut – has paintings on exhibit in the National Air & Space Museum

Former Apollo astronaut Alan Bean (Apollo 12) has some of his paintings on exhibit currently in the National Air & Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, D.C.

I did a multi-part phone interview with Alan Bean previously. You can listen to him answer my questions.  Part one starts here.

The NASM exhibit is titled:  Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World.

Alan Bean in front of his painting easel at his art studio in Houston, October 14, 2008.

Image Number: WEB11163-2009
Credit: Photo by Carolyn Russo/NASM, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

The NASM says the following about the exhibit:

Forty years ago, the Moon received its first human visitors. On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle landed, and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the lunar surface. To celebrate this 40th anniversary, this exhibition presents a view of the Apollo journeys through the eyes of the first artist to visit another world.

Alan Bean became the fourth man to walk on the Moon during Apollo 12 in 1969. After 18 years as an astronaut, he resigned from NASA in 1981 to dedicate his life to the art of painting his memories of Apollo.

Employing an impressionistic style, Bean captures the spirit of Apollo with lunar landscapes, portraits of fellow moonwalkers, and views of Earth from space. His works offer glimpses of a world on which only he and 11 others have walked.

Displaying both art and artifacts, this exhibition weaves the technology of one of humankind’s greatest achievements with an artist’s firsthand account of a new frontier.

This exhibition is on view in Gallery 211

Pam Melroy interview with Today in Space History

Today in Space History recently conducted a phone interview with shuttle astronaut (and commander) Pam Melroy. She is a veteran of three shuttle missions: STS-92 (2000) as pilot, STS-112 (2002 as pilot, and STS-120 (2007) as commander.

As of January 2008 Melroy is the only active female astronaut in the astronaut corp who is also on the list of shuttle commanders (meaning she has test pilot experience). There are roughly 25 woman on the active astronaut NASA list for assignments.

Here are some previous posts we have made related to Pam Melroy:

• Historic Handshake between two female commanders
• Young women looking for mentors?
• Melroy finds fulfillment in ISS growing
• Pre-flight (STS-120) NASA interview with Melroy
• Melroy in elite company as commander
• Pam Melroy career bio

January 29th, 2008 interview with commander Pam Melroy

Part one – Talk about why the STS-120 shuttle mission (October 2007) was a success.

Melroy – listen (wav file: 57 secs)

Part two – What did the ‘historic handshake’ between you and Peggy Whitson mean to you personally?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 1:47 secs)

Part three – ‘October’ has been a good month for you, why?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 1:37 secs)

Part four – what does your future career look like for NASA?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 38 secs)

Part five – can you talk about the next-generation vehicles and your role with them?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 46 secs)

Part six – who have been some of the key influencers in your life?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 1:21 secs)

Part seven – are astronauts typically first-borns?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 27 secs)

Part eight - you struggled with physics and still graduated from MIT?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 30 secs)

Part nine – How is important is education for young people interested in space exploration and sciences?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 1:08 secs)

All content copyright 2008, Today in Space History.

Pam Melroy interview – part nine

Today in Space History recently conducted a phone interview with shuttle astronaut (and commander) Pam Melroy. She is a veteran of three shuttle missions: STS-92 (2000) as pilot, STS-112 (2002 as pilot, and STS-120 (2007) as commander.As of January 2008 Melroy is the only active female astronaut in the astronaut corp who is also on the list of shuttle commanders (meaning she has test pilot experience). There are roughly 25 woman on the active astronaut NASA list for assignments.

Here are some previous posts we have made related to Pam Melroy:

• Historic Handshake between two female commanders
• Young women looking for mentors?
• Melroy finds fulfillment in ISS growing
• Pre-flight (STS-120) NASA interview with Melroy
• Melroy in elite company as commander
• Pam Melroy career bio

January 29th, 2008 interview with commander Pam Melroy

Part nine – How is important is education for young people interested in space exploration and sciences?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 1:08 secs)

The common mis-perception is that inorder to love sceince and space exploration one has to be some kind of mad-scientist or a geek wearing thick black glasses with pocket protectors. How does Pam Melroy see it?

Pam Melroy interview – part eight

Today in Space History recently conducted a phone interview with shuttle astronaut (and commander) Pam Melroy. She is a veteran of three shuttle missions: STS-92 (2000) as pilot, STS-112 (2002 as pilot, and STS-120 (2007) as commander.

As of January 2008 Melroy is the only active female astronaut in the astronaut corp who is also on the list of shuttle commanders (meaning she has test pilot experience). There are roughly 25 woman on the active astronaut NASA list for assignments.

Here are some previous posts we have made related to Pam Melroy:

• Historic Handshake between two female commanders
• Young women looking for mentors?
• Melroy finds fulfillment in ISS growing
• Pre-flight (STS-120) NASA interview with Melroy
• Melroy in elite company as commander
• Pam Melroy career bio

January 29th, 2008 interview with commander Pam Melroy

Part eight - you struggled with physics and still graduated from MIT?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 30 secs)

Melroy talks about how physics was a struggle at first in school but also how she overcame it and eventually graduated from MIT. A priceless gem of advice ends in this answer from Melroy.

Pam Melroy interview – part seven

Today in Space History recently conducted a phone interview with shuttle astronaut (and commander) Pam Melroy. She is a veteran of three shuttle missions: STS-92 (2000) as pilot, STS-112 (2002 as pilot, and STS-120 (2007) as commander.

As of January 2008 Melroy is the only active female astronaut in the astronaut corp who is also on the list of shuttle commanders (meaning she has test pilot experience). There are roughly 25 woman on the active astronaut NASA list for assignments.

Here are some previous posts we have made related to Pam Melroy:

• Historic Handshake between two female commanders
• Young women looking for mentors?
• Melroy finds fulfillment in ISS growing
• Pre-flight (STS-120) NASA interview with Melroy
• Melroy in elite company as commander
• Pam Melroy career bio

January 29th, 2008 interview with commander Pam Melroy

Part seven – are astronauts typically first-borns?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 27 secs)

Are most astronauts first-borns in the family? Was Pam? Interesting exchange here.

S120-E-008853 (4 Nov. 2007) — Astronauts Peggy Whitson (left), Expedition 16 commander, and Pam Melroy, STS-120 commander, exchange handshakes in the Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA-2) of the International Space Station as the STS-120 crewmembers exit the station to board Space Shuttle Discovery for their return trip home. Hatches were closed between the station and the shuttle at 2:03 p.m. (CST) on Nov. 4.

Pam Melroy interview – part six

Today in Space History recently conducted a phone interview with shuttle astronaut (and commander) Pam Melroy. She is a veteran of three shuttle missions: STS-92 (2000) as pilot, STS-112 (2002 as pilot, and STS-120 (2007) as commander.

As of January 2008 Melroy is the only active female astronaut in the astronaut corp who is also on the list of shuttle commanders (meaning she has test pilot experience). There are roughly 25 woman on the active astronaut NASA list for assignments.

Here are some previous posts we have made related to Pam Melroy:

• Historic Handshake between two female commanders
• Young women looking for mentors?
• Melroy finds fulfillment in ISS growing
• Pre-flight (STS-120) NASA interview with Melroy
• Melroy in elite company as commander
• Pam Melroy career bio

January 29th, 2008 interview with commander Pam Melroy

Part six – who have been some of the key influencers in your life?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 1:21 secs)

Melroy talks about key people who  influenced her socially, academically and professionaly.Who told her “knowledge makes a bloody entrance”?  Listen to find out.

Brian Duffy (below) has been one of Melroy’s key mentors.

JSC2000-02585 (6 March 2000) — Astronaut Brian Duffy, mission commander.

Pam Melroy interview – part five

Today in Space History recently conducted a phone interview with shuttle astronaut (and commander) Pam Melroy. She is a veteran of three shuttle missions: STS-92 (2000) as pilot, STS-112 (2002 as pilot, and STS-120 (2007) as commander.

As of January 2008 Melroy is the only active female astronaut in the astronaut corp who is also on the list of shuttle commanders (meaning she has test pilot experience). There are roughly 25 woman on the active astronaut NASA list for assignments.

Here are some previous posts we have made related to Pam Melroy:

• Historic Handshake between two female commanders
• Young women looking for mentors?
• Melroy finds fulfillment in ISS growing
• Pre-flight (STS-120) NASA interview with Melroy
• Melroy in elite company as commander
• Pam Melroy career bio

January 29th, 2008 interview with commander Pam Melroy

Part five – can you talk about the next-generation vehicles and your role with them?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 46 secs)

Melroy is interested in working with NASA’s cockpit design of the next-generation space vehicles.

JSC2007-E-20979 (May 2007) — NASA’s Constellation Program continues work on the development of the Orion spacecraft that will return humans to the moon and prepare for future voyages to Mars and other destinations in our solar system. This artist’s rendering represents the crew module of the Orion crew exploration vehicle with the outer skin removed revealing the pressure shell and equipment bays. Image credit: NASA

Pam Melroy interview – part four

Today in Space History recently conducted a phone interview with shuttle astronaut (and commander) Pam Melroy. She is a veteran of three shuttle missions: STS-92 (2000) as pilot, STS-112 (2002 as pilot, and STS-120 (2007) as commander.As of January 2008 Melroy is the only active female astronaut in the astronaut corp who is also on the list of shuttle commanders (meaning she has test pilot experience). There are roughly 25 woman on the active astronaut NASA list for assignments.

Here are some previous posts we have made related to Pam Melroy:

• Historic Handshake between two female commanders
• Young women looking for mentors?
• Melroy finds fulfillment in ISS growing
• Pre-flight (STS-120) NASA interview with Melroy
• Melroy in elite company as commander
• Pam Melroy career bio

January 29th, 2008 interview with commander Pam Melroy

Part four – what does your future career look like for NASA?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 38 secs)

We asked Pam about her career goals and future with NASA and what interests here.

S120-E-006051 (24 Oct. 2007) — Astronaut Pam Melroy, STS-120 commander, photographed on the middeck of Space Shuttle Discovery during flight day two activities

Pam Melroy interview – part three

Today in Space History recently conducted a phone interview with shuttle astronaut (and commander) Pam Melroy. She is a veteran of three shuttle missions: STS-92 (2000) as pilot, STS-112 (2002 as pilot, and STS-120 (2007) as commander.As of January 2008 Melroy is the only active female astronaut in the astronaut corp who is also on the list of shuttle commanders (meaning she has test pilot experience). There are roughly 25 woman on the active astronaut NASA list for assignments.

Here are some previous posts we have made related to Pam Melroy:

• Historic Handshake between two female commanders
• Young women looking for mentors?
• Melroy finds fulfillment in ISS growing
• Pre-flight (STS-120) NASA interview with Melroy
• Melroy in elite company as commander
• Pam Melroy career bio

January 29th, 2008 interview with commander Pam Melroy

Part three – ‘October’ has been a good month for you, why?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 1:37 secs)

All of Pam’s previous shuttle missions (STS-92, STS-112 and STS-120) have been in the month of October.  She interacted with us about her career a little in this part of the interview.

ISS016-E-008106 (31 Oct. 2007) — Astronauts Pam Melroy, STS-120 commander, and European Space Agency’s (ESA) Paolo Nespoli, mission specialist, are pictured in the Harmony node of the International Space Station during a congratulatory phone call from the president of Italy. A module of Harmony floats freely in the foreground.

Pam Melroy interview – part two

Today in Space History recently conducted a phone interview with shuttle astronaut (and commander) Pam Melroy. She is a veteran of three shuttle missions: STS-92 (2000) as pilot, STS-112 (2002 as pilot, and STS-120 (2007) as commander.As of January 2008 Melroy is the only active female astronaut in the astronaut corp who is also on the list of shuttle commanders (meaning she has test pilot experience). There are roughly 25 woman on the active astronaut NASA list for assignments.

Here are some previous posts we have made related to Pam Melroy:

• Historic Handshake between two female commanders
• Young women looking for mentors?
• Melroy finds fulfillment in ISS growing
• Pre-flight (STS-120) NASA interview with Melroy
• Melroy in elite company as commander
• Pam Melroy career bio

January 29th, 2008 interview with commander Pam Melroy

Part two – What did the ‘historic handshake’ between you and Peggy Whitson mean to you personally?

Melroy – listen (wav file: 1:47 secs)

 

Pam Melroy (STS-120) and Peggy Whitson (ISS) were the first female commanders to meet in space when they did so on October 25, 2007. Melroy talks about what that meeting meant to her and how it came about.