UPDATED: Fort Worth elementary students’ signatures launch into outer space aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis

by Chad Jones

Four years ago, students at Fort Worth ISD’s Westcreek Elementary School signed a poster they hoped would accompany astronauts into space during the 2002-2003 school year.

However, complications—including the February, 2003 Columbia disaster and other technical difficulties with other shuttle missions in the following years—put a delay on the completed project.

But just this week, former Westcreek teacher Ellen Verreault received word that the postponed signatures are, in fact, aboard the recently-deployed Space Shuttle Atlantis, which launched on June 8th.

The Westcreek kids aren’t in elementary school anymore, but their signature “time capsule” has finally made it into space. The June 8 Shuttle Atlantis launch included the poster signed by Westcreek students more than four years ago for the “Student Signatures in Space” program.

“It has taken a good bit of time, but we’re glad to see the kids’ autographs made it onto the shuttle,” says Ms. Verreault. “The Westcreek students and the ones at J.T. Stephens have had fun and learned a great deal through the Signatures in Space program.”

J.T. Stephens Elementary School students signed a shuttle-bound poster in May, which is scheduled for a launch in fall.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis is set to return from its 11-day mission this week.

Bonus: one of the astronauts aboard Atlantis is James Reilly from Mesquite.

UPDATE: Space Shuttle Atlantis has returned to earth.

Some info from FWISD