Hello,

 

            I am glad that Flat Shelby has had the opportunity to visit me.  I live in League City, TX, which is near Houston.  I work at the Johnson Space Center.  This is where nearly all of the astronauts live, train and work, at least when they are not in space!  Although the space shuttle is launched in Florida, after it is in space, it is controlled here at the Johnson Space Center.  This is also the location where we control the International Space Station.

 

            As you can see in the photos, Flat Shelby visited the Mission Control Center while she was here at the Johnson Space Center.  She also had the opportunity to work with the Flight Director in the FCR.   The FCR (Flight Control Room) is the actual room where we control Space Shuttle missions.  This is also the exact same room where all of moon missions were controlled in the 1960’s and the 1970’s.

 

            All of the astronauts that had the pleasure of working with Flat Shelby were very glad to do so!  They were so happy to see her that they decided to autograph a couple of crew photos (one for Shelby to keep and one for her entire class).  I’ve also included a picture of Space Shuttle Atlantis as it is blasted into space.

 

            Mr. Ken Cockrell, Commander of STS-98, told me to make sure that I thank Flat Shelby for all of the very important work that she did.  He said that because Shelby was so flat, she was able to squeeze into very tight places.  She was able to make repairs to the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station that none of the other astronauts could reach.

 

            All of the astronauts asked me to make sure to tell all of Flat Shelby’s flat classmates to continue to do their part to make the world (and even outer space) a better place to live!

 

Jim Fox

 

P.S.  I just heard that Flat Shelby has recently made plans to visit some Marines in Iraq.  I wonder what all she will see and do over there?