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In February of 2011, NASA astronaut Al Drew was
floating in space, having just finished his first spacewalk.
>> DREW: It was awesome. Oh, man, that was great. The views were outstanding.
>> Flash forward a year; Drew was back on the ground at the Virginia Air
and Space Center in Hampton, Virginia, helping NASA's Langley Research
Center and the community celebrate Black History Month.
>> DREW: And what's your name, young lady? >>Drew flew on space shuttle Discovery's last mission.
But just because NASA is moving forward from the shuttle program doesn't
mean astronauts' jobs are over. >> DREW: Astronauts are busier than ever right now.
Although the shuttle program wound down last July, we are continuing,
as we have been for years, flying to the International Space Station,
although on the Russian Soyuz rockets. We're engaged heavily with the commercial space
operators right now, all these prospective folks who want to be taxis and rental cars for us,
to help them to design their cockpits, design their operations plans.
>> The Hampton event highlighted cockpits and other parts of two kinds of
vehicles -- rockets to racecars -- and NASA's
contributions to both. Visitors participated in hands-on activities
that explored some of the similarities, like aerodynamics
and propulsion. >> CHILD: Yay! [ CLAPS ]
Kids and adults also had the chance to chat with an original member of the country's first
all-black aerial combat unit, the Tuskegee Airmen.
>> WILLIAMS: It was sort of a test. They thought that
-- and intended -- for it to fail.
But with the leadership that we had,
and I'm talking about our commander,
Colonel Davis, Jr.; he insisted
that we do the job, learn the job and
do it well. >> That was one message the astronaut and aviators
passed on to youngsters -- get the education to do the job
well and they may some day rocket into history.
>> CHILD: Wow! Aw. >> EDUCATOR: Is that cool or what?