The man who has dreamed of flying into space from the time he was a toddler watching Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong walk on the moon is finally getting his wish, and he will be making a major shout-out to his Columbia alma mater while there.

Air Force Col. Terry Virts, a graduate of Oakland Mills High School, will take off on the space shuttle Endeavor when it lifts off Feb. 7 to go the International Space Station. One of the items Virts will be taking with him will be an Oakland Mills High School banner.

His mother, Evelyn Coulson, now a resident of the Eastern Shore, said her son is taking the banner "out of respect and honor" for the school that shaped his life and career.

In a preflight interview with NASA officials, Virts, 42, sounded the same theme.

"I found out when I went to the Air Force Academy right after high school just what a good education that I had had because some other folks struggled, coming from different parts of the country," Virts said in the Jan. 27 interview.

Virts was unavailable this week for an interview because of the proximity to the launch date.

His mother recalled her son's early interest in space and astronomy, starting when he watched the first lunar landing in 1969.

"He was on my sister's living room floor ... talking his baby talk and just rolled over ... and looked at me and said 'Ma, I gonna do that,' " Coulson said.

Virts graduated from Oakland Mills in 1985 and began attending the U.S. Air Force Academy. He spent about 10 years in the Air Force flying F-16 jets and went on to receive a master's degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He became a test pilot and in 2000 joined NASA.

This will be Virts' first trip to space, and he will be piloting the mission.

The mission of this trip, dubbed STS-130, includes the delivery of two pieces of equipment to be attached to the International Space Station. One is Tranquility, a structure that will house life-support systems such as air and water revitalizers; and the other is Cupola, a seven-windowed, dome-like structure that will be used as an observatory, according to the NASA preflight interview.

In that same interview, Virts said he is excited about the prospect of getting inside the Cupola, which he describes as a "giant bay window."

"I'm really looking forward to getting in that module once we have it attached and opening up all the windows and looking out to Earth," Virts said. "That's going to be a lot of fun."

Meanwhile, a safe and successful mission is what Virts' mother is hoping for. This week, she traveled to Florida to join her daughter-in-law, Stacy, and grandchildren, ages 11 and 8, for the mission launch at the Kennedy Space Center.

"They have all worked so well together," Coulson said. "I just (wish) the entire crew the best of everything."

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user comments (3)

user milton says...

This mission sounds like a great use of tax dollars during the worst recession since the depression! Not.

Posted 12:39 PM, 02.04.10 | Permalink

user blueprint13 says...

Milton I hope you’re consistent with everything such as Dwight Eisernhower's warning on Military spending as well. I believe in being fiscal conservative but most people complain about things want tax cuts and spend for bombs you got to pay for everything so hope you’re consistent. It sounds like your pretty bitter sir and obviously didn't go to Oakland Mills or a school of its caliber. Way to turn a story about a communities pride about yourself I don’t feel sorry for you one bit so stop mopping and complaining. As a proud Oakland Mills Graduate this means a lot we don't get as much press as other schools and come from a more modest end of Columbia but we produce results. If you look at the Alums we produce out of Howard County our top is as good scrap that better than any other schools. Mainly because we constantly have to prove ourselves from people such as Milton who hate, pardon my use of slang, on our school or probably any academic achievements. I applaud Col. Virts for representing the school. Well. Sorry Milton for coming at you like this but this is the Oakland Mills way we like action instead of complaining and talking!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted 10:13 AM, 02.05.10 | Permalink

user milton says...

Blueprint- are you on crack? I did not say one thing about Oakland Mills, nor do I have a negative opinion of OMHS. I think going into space with tax dollars is really stupid. And yes, I am consistent. Paying for two wars has not made us safer from terrorists, but it has certainly harmed us economically. Jump to conclusions much?

Posted 3:02 PM, 02.05.10 | Permalink