Aim for the stars

Apollo 16 Lunar Module pilot, Charlie Duke is set to return to the Paris Airshow 2023 as Endeavour Scholarship Ambassador.

Held at Le Bourget from 19-25 June, the Paris Airshow is the world’s largest aerospace industry event, drawing decision-makers and influencers from around the world for a showcase of aviation, aerospace, and defence innovation. This year’s show - the first since the pandemic - is expected to surpass the 2019 edition, which hosted nearly 140,000 trade visitors, 2,500 exhibiting companies from 49 countries, and 300-plus official delegations.

A much-anticipated highlight of the 54th Paris Airshow this summer will be the return of Apollo 16 Lunar Module Pilot, Brigadier General Charlie Duke, USAF (Ret), as a goodwill ambassador of the USA Partnership Pavilion and the Astronaut Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship.

Duke will be joined by former French Astronaut-Cosmonaut Général de Brigade Jean-Loup Chretien, Armée de l'Air (Ret); former NASA astronaut, Col. Michael Bloomfield, USAF (Ret); and Endeavour programme founder, USA Partnership Pavilion organiser Tom Kallman, to announce the host country’s first scholarship recipients of a week-long, hands-on astronaut training experience at Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama later this summer.

A lifetime commitment

Kallman launched the Endeavour programme during the 53rd edition of the show in 2019 with Duke and fellow astronauts Walt Cunningham (Apollo 7) and scholarship namesake Al Worden (Apollo 15) in recognition of Worden’s lifetime commitment to promoting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Since then, with the support of global partners in government, industry, and academia, the programme has navigated the pandemic to award scholarships to 32 students and eight educators representing the United Arab Emirates, Chile, Singapore, and the UK.

The French mission crew will be announced at the show on 22^nd June during the Endeavour Scholarship Award Ceremony, and will join fellow scholarship recipients from Australia, Bahrain, and the US in July in Washington, DC, then onward to Huntsville for their Space Camp experience.

“We’re honoured to welcome Charlie Duke back to the USA Partnership Pavilion at the Paris Airshow to continue the mission we launched in 2019 to inspire future generations of explorers, engineers, and pioneers,” says Kallman. “We also remember Walt and Al, who have since passed away; poignant reminders of how privileged we are to learn first-hand from Apollo astronauts about the importance of STEM education in improving life on Earth and helping humanity reach for the stars.”

Adds Duke: “I am proud to return to Paris to help inspire the next generation of industry leaders and to recognise the achievements of our Endeavour Scholars. In my experience, no other event presents such an opportunity to demonstrate the importance of international collaboration – another one of our Endeavour programme’s tenets.”

For the 28th consecutive year, the USA Partnership Pavilion will be the largest international pavilion at the show, hosting more than 300 exhibitors across some 6,000m² in hall 3. In addition to organising and supporting the exhibition space during the trade days, Kallman Worldwide will also host ‘Spaceport USA’ a three-day STEM-focused pavilion-wide experience for students and the general public starting Friday, 23^rd June and continuing through the weekend.

www.kallman.com