Retired U.S. naval officer and pilot of the space shuttle Challenger (Mission 41-G) - to share insights with employees and students
BUFFALO, N.Y. (April 20, 2011) – Former space shuttle pilot and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Jon McBride will celebrate Earth Day events in Buffalo this week with Delaware North associates, students at Buffalo Seminary and students at Nichols School.
As a member of the Kennedy Space Center Astronaut Encounter team, McBride will be available to speak about the importance of Earth Day (Friday, April 22), the recent announcement of the Delaware North-operated Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s acquisition of space shuttle Atlantis and the scheduled completion this year of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program.
McBride was pilot of STS 41-G, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 5, 1984, aboard the orbiter Challenger. He was scheduled to fly in March 1986, as commander of the STS 61-E crew. NASA cancelled the flight in the wake of the fatal Challenger accident in January 1986.
McBride will arrive at Delaware North Companies’ global headquarters Thursday morning. Following a presentation with Delaware North associates, McBride will visit Buffalo Seminary to share his Earth Day message. He will spend Friday morning sharing that same message with students at Nichols School.
Media are invited to attend an interview session and subsequent event at Delaware North headquarters on Thursday or the events at Nichols School on Friday. Please call to set up one-on-one interviews.
THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2011 at DELAWARE NORTH
11 A.M. Interview opportunity at Delaware North Headquarters (40 Fountain Plaza)
12:30 - 1:30 P.M. McBride’s Earth Day presentation for Delaware North associates (7th floor)
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2011 at NICHOLS SCHOOL
8 A.M. Presentation in Allan Hayes’ 5th-grade science class
8:38 A.M. Presentation in Julie Alford’s 6th-grade science class
9:13 A.M. Reading room for breakfast/informal discussion with volunteer parents and facilities crew
10:20 A.M. Lecture/presentation in the Flickinger Performing Arts Center for the middle school
11 A.M.-Noon Pre-calculus with Don Wagner
About Jon McBride
Capt. JonMcBride became an astronaut in August 1979. His NASA assignments have included lead chase pilot for the maiden voyage of Columbia; software verification in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for STS-5, STS-6, and STS-7; Flight Data File (FDF) Manager, and orbital rendezvous procedures development.
McBride was pilot of STS 41-G, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 5, 1984, aboard the orbiter Challenger. This was the first crew of seven. During their eight day mission, crew members deployed the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, conducted scientific observations of the earth with the OSTA-3 pallet and Large Format Camera, and demonstrated potential satellite refueling with an EVA and associated hydrazine transfer. Mission duration was 197 hours and concluded with a landing at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 13, 1984.
McBride was scheduled to fly next in March 1986, as commander of the STS 61-E crew. This flight was one of several deferred by NASA in the wake of the fatal Challenger accident in January 1986.
In May 1989, McBride retired from NASA and the Navy, to pursue a business career. He is currently a member of the Kennedy Space Center Astronaut Encounter team and does lectures and corporate motivational presentations. (Source jsc.nasa.gov)
About GreenPath®
Delaware North’s environmental efforts began in 1993 when the company began providing most of the visitor services in Yosemite National Park, the largest such contract with the National Park Service. In 2000, Delaware North’s philosophy of stewardship was manifested in the development and launch of its GreenPath® environmental management system, which helped the company become the first U.S. hospitality company to have its environmental management system registered to the standards put forth by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14001). Since then, GreenPath has garnered more than 50 "green" environmental awards for sustainability, recycling and other programs.
About Delaware North Companies
Delaware North Companies is one of the world’s leading hospitality and food service providers. Its family of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International, owner of TD Banknorth Garden. Delaware North Companies is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States with revenues exceeding $2 billion annually and 55,000 associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit
www.DelawareNorth.com.