First Stephen Nowlin guided us on tour of the universe in Things That Float. Then Ryan Turner showed us all the visions of outer-space that can be viewed right here from home in his guide for the sidewalk astronomer, See For Yourself. And, now NASA Images is proud to welcome June Lockhart to the Guest Showcase line-up in June Lockhart: The NASA Diaries.
June has been involved with NASA for years. She has attended shuttle launches, opened the Kids Space Museum at the Johnson Space Center, and helped NASA celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo. She has been a long time supporter of all things NASA. June takes this opportunity to share some of her dearest memories of her relationship with the space agency:
“’…There’s a new sunrise in space every hour and a half – so the song would be very appropriate.’ It was astronaut Ken Reightler speaking in response to my suggestion that my fathers song ‘The World is Waiting for the Sunrise’ would be a good wake up tune for the astronauts on the upcoming shuttle flight Columbia. We played the Les Paul and Mary Ford version of the song just after 2 a.m. On October 27, 1992. I was there in the mission control viewing room and listened to the music fill the sky. My father would have loved it. My eyes filled with tears…”
“…Bill Mcarthur and I shared some phone calls during his time on the ISS in 2005. On December 16, I went to JPL for a video conference. We sent films and photos and a poster of me in my space suit from ‘Lost In Space’ which he had posted on the wall of the ISS. He said I was the first pin-up in outerspace!”
Check out June Lockhart: The NASA Diaries at nasaimages.org
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June Lockhart was born in New York in 1925 and began her career at the age of eight, appearing at the Metropolitan Opera House. At twelve she played Belinda Cratchet in the film ‘A Christmas Carol’. After significant roles in many now classic films, she moved on to TV. June starred in the ‘Lassie’ series for six years, ‘Lost In Space’ for three years and ‘Petticoat Junction’ for two years, and had an ongoing part for several years in ‘General Hospital’.
