Jun 13, 2007 10:39 pm US/Mountain
CU Grad Works Outside International Space Station
Prepared for cbs4denver.com by Matthew J. Buettner, Web Producer.
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) ―
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Swanson and fellow astronaut Patrick Forrester have to put a 115-foot solar wing away into a storage box.
CBS
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Steve Swanson is the 17th CU grad to fly in space.
NASA
A Steamboat High graduate is the 17th astronaut with a University of Colorado degree to fly in space and he has many admirers in his home state.
Mission control calls him Swanny, but his real name is Steve Swanson.
It is a dream come true for Swanson.
"I thought about this as something I could do," Swanson said to CBS4 in April. "I thought it would be a fun job and exciting. So I started applying at that point and working towards it."
Now Swanson and fellow astronaut Patrick Forrester are trying to accomplish a huge task at the International Space Station. They're have to put a 115-foot solar wing away into a storage box. The solar panel will be replaced. It helps power the space station.
Swanson's work will not only extend the future of the outpost, but it's fueling enthusiasm among future grads at CU.
"I think it shows that CU is a really good school for preparing people for big careers," one student said.
"It's a long road, it takes a lot of dedication and enthusiasm and hard work but it's something that a lot of people look up to and respect and it's a huge accomplishment," another student said.
The solar wing needs to be folded up so a new set of solar panels can follow the sun and generate electricity for the space station.
The shuttle delivered the panels to the station this week.
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