BELLBROOK — Bellbrook Middle School’s eighth grade Kids ‘n Science Club members recently attended the National Museum of the United States Air Force, AFRL, and the WPAFB Educational Outreach Office’s free daytime screening of “Hidden Figures.”
Students were inspired with the choices, influences and contributions these determined young women made to the early space program.
Following this living history film, students saw the presentation of the guest speaker, former NASA administrator and astronaut Col. Frederick Gregory. He shared his early beginnings and the career changes throughout his life and his friendship with Katherine Johnson, who is featured in the film.
Gregory’s career involved logging more than 6,976 of flight time in more thab 50 types of aircraft including 550 combat missions in Vietnam. He was an operational test pilot flying fighters and helicopters. Gregory was selected as an astronaut in 1978 and has logged more 455 hours in space piloting STS-51B and as spacecraft commander on STS-33 and STS-44. He served NASA headquarters as associate administrator for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, Associate Administrator for the Office of Space Flight, and NASA deputy administrator.
