KSC Deputy Director Woodrow Whitlow Jr. looks at students projects in a classroom the next generation of explorers.

KSC Deputy Director Woodrow Whitlow Jr. looks at students’ projects in a classroom at Howard Bishop Middle School in Gainesville, Fla. Dr. Whitlow shared the new vision for space exploration with the students, the next generation of explorers. Whitlow talked about our destiny as explorers, NASA’s stepping stone approach to exploring Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond, how space impacts our lives, and how people and machines rely on each other in space. The presentation also included a downlink from the International Space Station for students to ask questions of the Expedition 8 crew, Commander Michael Foale and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri. Howard Bishop Middle School is one of 50 nationwide (four in Florida) in the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) Program. NES establishes a three-year partnership between NASA and 50 NASA Explorer Schools teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities nationwide.