Ohio Astronauts Celebrate NASA’s 50th Anniversary at Gala

A historic gathering of 19 of the astronauts who call Ohio home will take place on Friday, Aug. 29, at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center to celebrate NASA’s 50 years of innovation, inspiration and discovery. The celebration gala is hosted by the Ohio aerospace community.

John H. Glenn, Jr., the first American to orbit Earth and former Ohio Senator, serves as the honorary chairman of the event. Other Ohio astronauts who are scheduled to attend are listed on the gala Web site at http://www.nasa50thohiogala.org/. During the program there will be a special tribute to those Ohio astronauts who are no longer with us and recognition of those who were unable to attend.

Veteran NBC News Space Correspondent Jay Barbree, the only journalist to cover every manned space launch in the United States, will be the keynote speaker. The evening’s program will culminate with all the astronauts taking part in a conversation to celebrate and reminisce about their contributions to the space program.

For additional information about the NASA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Gala, visit: http://www.nasa50thohiogala.org/