Date: Fri 06-Nov-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

space-Winkler-Glenn-space

Full Text:

Katie Winkler Was On Hand For History

(with photo)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Hawley School fifth grader Katie Winkler has been a big fan of John Glenn ever

since the day she decided to become an astronaut.

She has corresponded with the Ohio Senator on a handful of occasions over the

years and has always dreamed of meeting him.

Last week, Katie, 10, was at Cape Canaveral to watch Sen Glenn rocket back

into space. Donning her pink NASA jump suit, Katie was on hand for the

historic lift-off. Her father, Howard, had managed to get tickets for seats

just 2« miles from the launch pad.

"It was really exciting. You could feel the ground rumbling," she explained

back in Newtown this week. "There was a lot of smoke. You can see 50 miles up

in the air."

Kathy Winkler, Katie's mother, figures her daughter has read just about every

book on Mr Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth. Now 77, the space

pioneer is making his final voyage beyond the atmosphere.

Katie is serious about wanting to go into space. She recently went to space

camp in Florida. That's where she picked up her pink space suit, which was a

big hit down at the launch site.

"She was interviewed by about 15 TV stations. I saw her on the FOX 10 o'clock

news," Mrs Winkler said. "She met a lot of past astronauts, too."

Katie says she plans to write Mr Glenn when he returns to earth. She has other

plans, too.

"I want to be the first girl on the moon," she said.