West Lafayette, IN (PRWEB) April 09, 2014

Eight Purdue University NASA astronaut alumni will discuss their experiences in space and their thoughts on what's ahead for human space flight at a public forum Saturday (April 12).

Purdue President Mitch Daniels will moderate the forum, "A Conversation with Our Astronauts," which begins at 7 p.m. in Elliott Hall of Music. Daniels is co-chair of a National Research Council committee that is reviewing and making recommendations on the future of the U.S. human spaceflight program.

Purdue has had 23 graduates become astronauts, including the late Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, and Eugene Cernan, the most recent person to walk on the moon. Purdue graduates flew on Gemini and Apollo flights, 47 space shuttle missions and on the International Space Station.

The astronauts who are expected to be at the forum are:

On Thursday and Friday (April 10 and 11), the astronauts will be on campus and in the community, meeting with students and faculty.

Also expected for those days are:

For highlights of Purdue's space-related research and historic NASA milestones, go to http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2014/Q2/purdue-has-legacy-of-space-research,-nasa-milestones.html.

More information about the astronauts and Purdue in space is available at http://www.purdue.edu/space/.

Writer: Judith Barra Austin, 765-494-2432, jbaustin(at)purdue(dot)edu

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Purdue Astronauts to Discuss Past, Future Space Flight