Macon East elementary students kicked off the new school year with a Space themed emphasis commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. Gary Willis, program presenter from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, visited Macon East students to talk about the anniversary of the Apollo mission that put the first man on the moon. He also shared NASA’s future plans to return and land the first woman on the moon and travel to Mars with the Space Launch System, America’s next great rocket.  Mr. Willis serves as the Manager of the Office of Stakeholder Relations in the office of Strategic Analysis and Communications at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. There he leads and coordinates communication and outreach to government, business, and community leaders to support NASA’s missions. His goal is to share the message of space exploration and excite and inspire the next generation of explorers. The students enjoyed seeing a 1:100 model of the Space Launch System and hearing about the many job and internship opportunities at NASA.