NASA, AOL and Mad Science Choose Pennant Design Challenge Winner

May 23, 2007

Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761

RELEASE: 07-120

NASA, AOL AND MAD SCIENCE CHOOSE PENNANT DESIGN CHALLENGE WINNER

WASHINGTON - On Tuesday, NASA, AOL's kids service, KOL, and Mad
Science announced that Tapasya Das of Mount Laurel, N.J., is the
winner of the NASA Space Pennant Design Challenge. The winning
pennant, titled "Education 4 Exploration," will fly on space shuttle
Endeavour's STS-118 mission, targeted to launch this August. The
grand prize also includes the opportunity for the winner to view the
launch.

The competition received thousands of entries showcasing students'
vision for space. The entries required students to research, apply
what they learned, and write an explanation of their design and how
their pennant incorporates their knowledge about the STS-118 shuttle
flight or America's long-term exploration strategy, known as the
Vision for Space Exploration. The Vision for Space Exploration is the
program that will see humans return to the moon and then travel to
Mars and beyond.

Space shuttle Endeavour's STS-118 mission will mark the first flight
for Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan, an educator who is fully
trained as an astronaut. This mission is an important step in the
ongoing assembly of the International Space Station.

Through the NASA Space Pennant Design Challenge, NASA continues its
tradition of investing in the nation's education programs. To compete
effectively for the minds, imaginations and career ambitions of
America's young people, NASA is focused on engaging and retaining
students in education efforts that encourage their pursuit of
disciplines critical to NASA's future engineering, scientific and
technical missions.

For more information on the winning pennant and essay and a list of
the finalist, visit:

http://www.KOLexpeditions.com

For more information about NASA's STS-118 mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/sts118

-end-

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