Cambridge, Md. (March 3, 2009) – University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science alum Richard Arnold is about to take his environmental science education to new heights as part of NASA's STS-119 space shuttle mission, scheduled to launch March 12 from Cape Canaveral.
Arnold, a Mission Specialist on the 14-day mission, is scheduled to take several space walks to install the final set of solar array wings and a truss element for the International Space Station (ISS). The additional power supplied by the panels set the stage for additional crew members on the ISS.
Arnold studied at the UMCES Horn Point Laboratory under the guidance of Dr. Bill Dennison. Dennison, along with HPL faculty advisor Dr. Jeff Cornwell and their families, will be traveling to Florida to watch the launch. Dennison has provided Arnold an UMCES flag that will accompany him on his shuttle experience.
“Ricky was a fun, dedicated and interesting student who dove into the Chesapeake Bay both literally and intellectually,” said Dennison “I’m not surprised that he has been selected to be one of the few individuals to conduct missions to space.”
Arnold grew up in Maryland and received his degree in 1992 from the University of Maryland through the Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science Graduate Program.
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is the University System of Maryland’s premier environmental research institution. UMCES researchers are helping improve our scientific understanding of Maryland, the region and the world through its three laboratories, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons, Appalachian Laboratory in Frostburg, and Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, as well as the Maryland Sea Grant College.
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