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Mountain Home Public Schools will host a live virtual event with NASA astronaut Capt. Jack Hathaway on April 30 at 2:30 p.m. in Dunbar Auditorium.
Hathaway will join students live from the International Space Station. The event will be available to other schools across the district via livestream and to the public on the district’s YouTube channel.
Students will have the opportunity to hear from Hathaway about his experiences with NASA, including training, missions and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The program is designed to support student engagement and awareness of STEM-related pathways, according to a district news release. The event is part of the district’s ongoing efforts to provide students with access to real-world experiences and career exploration opportunities.
Who is Jack Hathaway
Hathaway is a U.S. Navy captain and a member of NASA’s 2021 Astronaut Candidate Class. He launched to the International Space Station on Feb. 13 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as the pilot of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission.
He is serving on Expeditions 74 and 75 alongside NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
A Connecticut native, Hathaway earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and history from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2004. He earned a master’s of science in flight dynamics from Cranfield University in England in 2014 and a master’s in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College.
He was designated a naval aviator in 2006 and a developmental test pilot in 2010 after graduating from Empire Test Pilots’ School. He has more than 2,500 flight hours in 30 types of aircraft, more than 500 carrier arrested landings and 39 combat missions.
Hathaway deployed aboard the USS Nimitz with Strike Fighter Squadron 14 and aboard the USS Truman with Strike Fighter Squadron 136. His prior assignments include the J-6 department of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and prospective executive officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 81.
His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Strike Flight Air Medal, two Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medals and the 2013 VX-23 Test Pilot of the Year award. He is an Eagle Scout from Troop 186 in South Windsor, Connecticut.
