Retired astronaut Huntsville talks to students about his experiences in space

On Wednesday, students at New Century Technology High School asked a retired astronaut captain to be part of the Space Foundation, part of a community program.

Captain Winston Scott owns a whole bunch of business, some on land, but most of it in the sky.

“I flew in two spacecraft. I flew nine days in the space shuttle Endeavor, 16 days in Columbia,” Scott said.

Scott was an aeronautical engineer on both planes, but said his main job was spacewalking.

“During those two missions I was able to do three space missions,” Scott said.

The works were carried out in the 1990s, and now his job is to travel around the country and share his experiences with students.

“Most importantly, we’re encouraging the next generation,” Scott said.

High school student David Acosta said he’s always been interested in space and heard about Scott’s life on Wednesday.

“I like my favorite things a little more,” Acosta said. “I love planes and cars, but he’s a pilot, and that’s cool too.”

Scott said students like Acosta are important to the future of space exploration. Rocket City is just a hub of opportunity.

“NASA has several centers in cities across the country, and Huntsville is one of them,” Scott said. “Some might be here in Huntsville, or Johnson in Houston, or Kennedy in Florida, and many of the centers where students work.”

Space Foundation members collaborated with students using orbital dynamics.

Scott will give a presentation at the US Space and Rocket Center on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.