Record-setting astronaut at MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Retired Air Force Colonel and NASA astronaut Jerry Ross, who had a 42-year career with both, considers the encouragement of young people to be among his finest moments. “Things don’t happen in life in a straight line from point A to B,” the Astronaut Hall of Fame inductee told Mississippi State University students Sept. 19 at a special presentation on behalf of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. “You’re going to have failures, setbacks and frustrations,” but don’t let them stop you. “I had a dream of being an astronaut … (and) set a goal for myself.” Ross retired from NASA, after the Air Force, in 2012 and his name is in the record books with nine space walks over 58-plus hours. He is No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 3 in the world for the number of space walks and the time spent in space. In addition to insight from his record-setting time in space, Ross’ presentation included recognition of senior civil engineering major Phong C. Ly of Brandon, MSU’s first recipient of the prestigious $10,000 Astronaut Scholarship. In 2017, MSU became the only university in Mississippi invited to partner with the Orlando, Fla.-based Astronaut Scholarship Foundation to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, along with NASA research priorities at the undergraduate level. (Source: MSU 09/20/18)