NASA to Announce Winner of Space Station Student Naming Contest

From PR News-wire:

NASA's newest module for the International Space Station is about to be given a new name. NASA's Kennedy Space Center hosts a media event on Thursday, March 15, at noon EDT to unveil the Node 2 module's new name.


The name was chosen from an academic competition involving thousands of students in kindergarten through high school. The Node 2 Challenge required students to learn about the International Space Station, build a scale model of the module, and write an essay explaining their proposed name. This will be the first U.S. piece of the space station named by someone other than a NASA official.


Media planning to attend the event should arrive at Kennedy's Press Site by 11 a.m. for transportation to the Space Station Processing Facility. Node 2 is being prepared there for its space shuttle Atlantis flight, designated STS- 120, which is targeted for launch later this year. Media without permanent Kennedy credentials should submit their request online at:


http://www.nasa.gov/ntv


Node 2 is a pressurized module that will act as a connecting port and passageway to additional international science labs and supply spacecraft. It also will be a work platform for the station's robotic arm. For more information on the station and Node 2, visit:


http://www.nasa.gov/station


Contact: Allard Beutel, Headquarters, Washington, +1-202-358-4769, or Tracy Young, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, +1-321-867-2468, both of NASA