July 23, 2010 Joshua Buck Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100 jbuck@xxxxxxxx Kelly Humphries Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111 kelly.o.humphries@xxxxxxxx RELEASE: 10-178 NASA ASTRONAUT SENDS FIRST SIGNED MESSAGE FROM ORBIT WASHINGTON -- The number of languages used on the International Space Station has recently increased. In addition to those spoken in the 15 countries that have had representatives aboard the space station, American Sign Language, or ASL, is now included. NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson has sent a message in ASL from the station to the deaf community. In the video, Caldwell Dyson answered several questions about living and working aboard the station and how she became interested in sign language. "I am truly grateful for this opportunity on behalf of the deaf community and the multitudes of students who will benefit from seeing their language spoken in space," Caldwell Dyson said. "It is my hope that this video will help inspire our next generation of scientists and explorers." As NASA's missions advance beyond Earth's orbit, the agency will continue its efforts to highlight its diverse workforce. NASA strives to assist the next generation of researchers to gain access to science-related fields. Caldwell Dyson will work on several other videos targeted to users of ASL. When the videos are completed, they will be posted on the agency's website at: http://www.nasa.gov To view Caldwell Dyson's message and learn more about the space station, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/station To view Caldwell Dyson's bio, visit: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/caldwell.html -end- To subscribe to the list, send a message to: hqnews-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To remove your address from the list, send a message to: hqnews-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
