Baton Rouge, LA – Students at Buchanan Elementary School gathered in classrooms on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 to watch the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, hoping to get a glimpse of some of their classmates who were there in person to view the lift-off. After a fifteen hour trip from Baton Rouge, twenty-three students from Buchanan Elementary School arrived at Cape Canaveral, Florida around 11 pm EST, Sunday, October 21. The group was invited by NASA to view the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on Tuesday, October 23.

Describing this as an experience of a life-time, Frances Brady, 3rd grade gifted teacher and lead teacher for the trip expressed her excitement about this historic event. "This trip has been an unbelievable experience not only for the children, but teachers and parents as well. We have been blessed to have taken part in such a remarkable event."

While in Florida, the students will tour the NASA facilities and participate in other educational learning opportunities. One student will also participate in a national press conference which is scheduled for the afternoon of the launch. The students will return to Baton Rouge on the evening of Friday, October 26, 2007.

The students made history when they won a NASA competition to name a piece of the International Space Station. They competed against 2,200 students in Kindergarten through 12th grade from 32 states. Buchanan Elementary was among six schools to choose the name “Harmony” for the Node 2 module. Their winning entry made the students among the first people outside of NASA to name a U.S. piece of the space station.

More information regarding the shuttle mission may be found by following the provided link: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/harmony.html