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A much-anticipated highlight of the 54th Paris Air Show this summer will be the return of USAF Brigadier General Charlie Duke (ret), Apollo 16’s lunar module pilot, as a goodwill ambassador of the USA Partnership Pavilion and the Astronaut Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship.

Duke will be joined by former French Air Force astronaut Général de Brigade Jean-Loup Chretien (ret); former NASA astronaut USAF Colonel Michael J Bloomfield (ret); and the Endeavour programme’s founder, USA Partnership Pavilion organiser Tom Kallman, to announce the host country’s first scholarship recipients of a week-long, hands-on astronaut training experience at Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, later this summer.

Kallman launched the Endeavour programme during the 53rd Paris Air show in 2019 with Duke and fellow astronauts Walt Cunningham (Apollo 7) and scholarship namesake Al Worden (Apollo 15) in recognition of Worden’s lifetime commitment to promoting science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) education. Since then, with the support of global partners in government, industry, and academia, the programme has navigated the Covid-19 pandemic to award scholarships to 32 students and eight educators representing the United Arab Emirates, Chile, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

The French mission crew will be announced at the show on 22 June during the Endeavour Scholarship Award Ceremony and will join fellow scholarship recipients from Australia, Bahrain, and the United States in July in Washington, DC, then onward to Huntsville for their Space Camp experience.

“We’re honoured to welcome Charlie Duke back to the USA Partnership Pavilion at the Paris Air Show to continue the mission we launched in 2019 to inspire future generations of explorers, engineers, and pioneers,” said Kallman. “We also remember Walt and Al, who have since passed away; poignant reminders of how privileged we are to learn first-hand from Apollo astronauts about the importance of STEM education in improving life on Earth and helping humanity reach for the stars.”

Apollo 16 lunar module pilot Charlie Duke is returning to the Paris Air Show this year in his capacity as an Endeavour Scholarship Ambassador. (Photo: Kallman)

“I’m proud to return to Paris to help inspire the next generation of industry leaders and to recognise the achievements of our Endeavour Scholars,” said Duke. “In my experience, no other event presents such an opportunity to demonstrate the importance of international collaboration – another one of our Endeavour programme’s tenets.”

For the 28th consecutive year the USA Partnership Pavilion will be the largest international pavilion at the show, hosting more than 300 exhibitors across some 6,000 m3 in Hall 3. In addition to organising and supporting the exhibition space during the trade days, Kallman Worldwide will also host ‘Spaceport USA’: a three-day STEM-focused, pavilion-wide experience for students and the general public starting on Friday 23 June and continuing through the weekend.

The Paris Air Show is the world’s largest aerospace industry event, drawing decision-makers and influencers from around the world for a four-day showcase of aviation, aerospace, and defence innovation. This year’s show, the first since the pandemic, is expected to surpass the 2019 event, which hosted nearly 140,000 trade visitors, 2,500 exhibiting companies from 49 countries, and 300-plus official delegations.