Buzz Lightyear Ready for Real Space Mission

"To infinity and beyond!", famous words from a famous toy in the 1995 motion picture "Toy Story". Whose heart did not break as Buzz Lightyear attempted to fly from the stairway banister . Only to tumble down to the landing below. With his crash came the truth he had avoided for so long. He was not really a space ranger but only a toy.

Saturday May 31, 2008, Buzz Lightyear will finally get to travel into space. He , a 12 inch high action figure, will be aboard the Shuttle Discovery , STS-124, on it's mission to meet the International Space Station (ISS).

Buzz's historic flight is the result of a collaboration between NASA and Walt Disney Parks. NASA is hopping that putting Buzz in space, and the collaboration will get kids excited about science and engineering.

Working together NASA and Disney have created five online educational games; "Toys In Space" in which players can see how zero gravity effects common toys, "Connect It: Flight Path" where players attach the Kibo module to the ISS, "Mission Match Up: Create a Game" in this game players match the ISS to space facts about certain countries, "I Spy: Reflections from Space" players need to find everyday objects that were built from NASA technology, and "Load The Shuttle" in which players must fill the cargo area to a specific mass.

The games will be added to NASA Kid's Club Site. The site already has several online activities for children. Including the chance to send your name to the moon. Your name will be placed on a microchip which is part of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The LRO is part of NASA push to return to the moon. In order for your name to be placed on the moon you must register by June 27, 2008.

This is not NASA's first such collaboration with a famous toy. During the Apollo missions NASA used Snoopy as it's safety mascot. Pictures of Snoopy as a crew member were brought into space. A giant stuffed Snoopy was petted by astronauts prior to blast off. There is even a Silver Snoopy Award. The Silver Snoopy was awarded by an astronaut to a NASA employee who did an exceptional job.

STS-124 will be a fourteen day mission. It's primary job will be delivering the Japanese laboratory, Kibo. Kibo will be the largest payload ever carried by a shuttle. The mission will also drop off astronaut Greg Chamitoff and pick up flight engineer Garrett Reisman, who has been on board the ISS for three months.

Good luck Buzz!