USS Hornet Museum's September Living Ship Day to Celebrate Heroes and Patriots Week

The USS Hornet Museum (Hornet) is hosting a special Living Ship Day on Saturday September 12th, welcoming featured speaker, American Astronaut Daniel (Dan) W. Bursch (CAPTAIN, USN, RET.), as part of Heroes and Patriots Week. Bursch’s presentation will take place at 1:00 pm. Youth 17 & under FREE admission with a paying adult on this day.

The Hornet’s September Living Ship Day will run from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

As a proud provider and supporter of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education programs, the Hornet will continue its mission to inspire STEM awareness – especially among the Bay Area’s underserved youth - by offering free admission to children for the September 12th event.

“It is an honor for the USS Hornet Museum to host American Astronaut Dan Bursch as part of Heroes and Patriots Week,” said Heidi Schave, USS Hornet Education Director. “By enabling Bay Area families and their children to learn from such an accomplished astronaut and flight engineer, we not only celebrate one of today’s great heroes, but we also inspire our nation’s future heroes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”

The Hornet was recently awarded a $300,000 grant over the next three years from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to work with the U.S. Naval Academy and the Naval Historical Foundation. The grant will create a multi-purpose K-12 STEM program that can be employed at any Naval museum in the United States.

About Astronaut Dan Bursch (CAPTAIN, USN, RET.)

Bursch graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1979 and was designated a naval flight officer in April 1980 at Pensacola, Florida. He attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in January 1984. Upon graduation, he worked as a project test flight officer, flying the A-6 Intruder until August 1984, when he returned to the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School as a flight instructor. Redesignated as an Aeronautical Engineering Duty officer (AEDO), Bursch attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, until his selection to the astronaut program.

Bursch was selected by NASA in January 1990 and became an astronaut in July 1991. His technical assignments to date include: Astronaut Office Operations Development Branch, working on controls and displays for the Space Shuttle and Space Station; Chief of Astronaut Appearances; and spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) in mission control.

A veteran of four space flights, Bursch has logged over 227 days in space. He was a mission specialist on STS-51 (1993), STS-68 (1994) and STS-77 (1996), and served as flight engineer on ISS Expedition-Four (2001-2002). Bursch and fellow astronaut Carl Walz currently hold the U.S. space flight endurance record of 196 days in space.

In January 2003, Bursch reported to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, for a two-year assignment as an instructor in the Space Systems Academic Group. He left NASA in May 2005 and later retired from active duty after 26 years of service in the U.S. Navy. Bursch joined The Aerospace Corporation in July 2005 and is currently serving as the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Chair at the Naval Postgraduate School.

About Living Ship Day:

Living Ship Day demonstrations are held on the third Saturday of most months. For these events, the museum comes to life as an operating aircraft carrier, with flight simulations between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. as aircraft are lifted to the flight deck and placed into launch position. Visitors can meet former crew, sit in the cockpit of a fighter jet, and enjoy the sights and sounds of naval aviation. Normal museum hours and admission prices apply. Ample free parking is available across from the pier. The USS Hornet Museum is located at 707 W Hornet Ave, Pier 3 in Alameda. For more information, please visit www.uss-hornet.org or call (510) 521-8448.

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About the USS Hornet Museum:

The USS Hornet Museum is a popular tourist destination for families located in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to inspiring people of all ages. Through field trips and live-aboard experiences, the USS Hornet Museum offers educational programs focusing on naval history, science and space technology. A registered state and national historic landmark and home of the largest collection of Apollo space mission artifacts on the West Coast, the aircraft carrier-museum is open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is permanently berthed at 707 W. Hornet Ave., Pier 3 in Alameda, CA. Ample free parking is available across from the pier. The USS Hornet is also a unique, unforgettable venue available for corporate events; trade shows and expos; private parties and big band dances; and TV and film productions. For more information, ticket prices, and event planning, visit: www.uss-hornet.org or call (510) 521-8448.

For more information on STEM-to-Sea-and-Sky and other Hornet programs, please contact Heidi Schave at (510) 521-8448, ext. 224, orheidi.schave@uss-hornet.org.

Media contacts:

Victoria Sanchez De Alba, De Alba Communications: (650) 270-7810, victoria@dealba.net

Heidi Schave, USS Hornet Museum: (510) 521-8448, ext. 224, heidi.schave@uss-hornet.org