The list of accomplishments for Rick Mastracchio is lengthy.
Four space missions totaling 228 days in space. Three Space Shuttle flights. Nine spacewalks.
Now, the 65-year-old veteran NASA astronaut has received an appointment to a board that will help students pursue similar dreams and passions that he once had.
Mastracchio represents one of two named to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s board of trustees on Tuesday.
“As an ASF supporter for the past eight years, I’ve seen many astronaut scholars turn ambitions into achievements,” he said. “I know the power of hard work fueled by opportunity. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation gives students that launchpad, and I’m proud to continue helping them toward their future STEM careers.”
Trent Kingery, a 1998 astronaut scholar, will also join the board.
Kingery is an accomplished aerospace leader, aviator and engineer who received the Neil Armstrong Award of Excellence in 2022.
The Neil Armstrong award honors those with strong character and professional achievements.
A justified honor
They “bring decades of hands-on experience from engineering and flight operations to space exploration,” said Lisa Schott, ASF’s trustees chair. “Their STEM careers and personal journeys, combined with their deep involvement in ASF, will provide invaluable insight as we continue to empower tomorrow’s innovators in the U.S.”
The ASF was created in 1984 to ensure the United States maintained its leadership in science and technology. Over the past 41 years, the foundation has awarded more than $10 million to more than 900 college students.
“The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation believed in me when I was an undergraduate student with big dreams and limited resources,” Kingery said, noting the scholarship opened doors into the aerospace industry. “I’m honored to give back to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and join its board of trustees to help ensure that future Astronaut Scholars continue to have the same opportunities to excel in their desired STEM fields.”
