Boeing sending Florida A&M pennant to space to promote diversity in aerospace

Note: We've brought you a front-row seat to Florida rocket launches since 1966. Journalism like our space coverage takes time and resources. Please consider a subscription.

A lot of unique stuff has been sent to space but this will be the first 'rattler.'

An orange and green pennant emblazoned with the Florida A&M mascot rattlesnake will be headed to space onboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in an effort to promote diversity in aerospace.

Flags, small pennants and other items representing 14 historically black colleges and universities throughout the U.S. will be part of the hundreds of pounds of cargo onboard the uncrewed test flight set for July. 

"Closing representation gaps in our company and our industry is a priority for Boeing, and inspiring diverse students to pursue careers in aerospace is an important part of that effort," said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun. "By representing HBCUs on our Starliner mission, we are demonstrating our commitment to working with these institutions to advance equity and inclusion and help ensure a bright future for their students.”

Rocket launch schedule:Upcoming Florida launches and landings

Moon work:GM wants to build an all-electric moon buggy for future NASA moon missions

We have liftoff:Employment and investment in private U.S. space industry on the rise

For Andre Neal, the flags are more than a symbolic gesture. He's living proof that the recruitment efforts work. Neal graduated from Florida A&M in 2006 with a mechanical engineering degree and has been at Boeing ever since. 

"Just seeing it all come full circle and the commitment Boeing has made to closing that gap is eye opening," he said.

Neal helped design the panels that are underneath the astronaut seats in the Starliner spacecraft.

"When you see it there, you're like 'wow, I actually designed something on that."

The other represented universities, with which Boeing also has a recruiting relationship, are Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College, part of the Atlanta University Center Consortium; Alabama A&M University; Howard University in Washington, D.C.; Morgan State University in Maryland; North Carolina A&T; Prairie View A&M University in Texas; Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana; South Carolina State University; Tennessee State University and Tuskegee University in Alabama.

The higher education mementos will be part of the approximately 760 pounds of cargo flying onboard Starliner when it launches to the International Space Station for the second attempt of its uncrewed orbital flight test targeted for July 30. 

The test is a critical milestone for Boeing to prove its ability to fly astronauts to the space station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew program. 

Technicians have begun fueling the Starliner crew module and service module in preparation for launch. Once fueling is complete, teams from Boeing and United Launch Alliance will prepare to transport the spacecraft to the pad for mating with ULA’s Atlas V rocket.

Boeing has also concluded all the actions recommended by the joint NASA-Boeing Independent Review Team, which was formed as a result of Starliner’s first test flight in December 2019.

During that flight software issues caused Starliner to miss docking with the ISS resulting in a lengthy process of identifying and addressing software problems and running launch-to-landing simulations.

With so much riding on this test flight, Neal is eagerly anticipating the launch and like a fan at a FAMU football game, he'll be representing his team.

"Oh yeah, I'll be doing my Rattler strike." 

Contact Rachael Joy at 321-242-3577. Follow her on Twitter @Rachael_Joy.