Rocketman to Speak in Leadville Thursday

Astronaut Fundraises for Local Fire House

There are a couple of things that you should know about retired Astronaut and Twin Lakes resident Jeffrey Ashby right off the bat.

• His nickname on space missions was “Bones.”
• The local road crews had to assist the former aviator, and test pilot out of a snow bank this past (epic) winter in Lake County.

Now, Leadville Today only reports these two news bits to reiterate that this relatively new resident is both an out-of-this-world spaceman and a down-to-earth human. So, welcome to the neighborhood, Captain!

Childhood Memories of the Apollo 11 Landing

The other news you should know about this former NASA Astronaut and current Chief of Mission Assurance for Blue Origin, is that he will be giving a presentation tomorrow – June 27 – Thursday evening. It appears to be another one-of-a-kind show for Leadville audiences. And a fundraiser for the Lake County Fire Station 2 to boot!

Starting at 7 p.m. in the Lake County High School Auditorium Ashby will present “High Perspective – Photos and stories of our beautiful planet as seen from space.” Ashby will share his experiences, observations and photos that he and fellow astronauts took from space, many looking back at our planet earth.  His reflections from space will encourage and inspire attendees to reflect on how each person contributes to society.

Astronaut and Twin Lakes resident Jeffrey Ashby. Photo: NASA.

As part of his commitment, Ashby has waived all speaking fees for the event with all the ticket sale proceeds benefitting the new Fire Station 2 in Lake County!  The cost of admission is $20 per person. Attendees will receive a ticket at the door for tax purposes.

Jeffrey Shears “Bones” Ashby was born in Texas, but grew up in Evergreen, Colo.  He is a mechanical engineer, a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions, and a retired (2008) Captain in the U.S. Navy.

He currently works as the chief of mission assurance for Blue Origin, a company that aspires to safe and affordable space launch so that millions of people may one day live and work in space. It’s also worth noting that the company is a private aerospace manufacturer owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Here’s a video that describes their concept. Check it out and then hear Ashby’s presentation in person on Thursday and help raise some money for the Lake County Fire House 2.

Blue Origin Astronaut Experience