SpaceX Astronaut Kidd Poteet to Keynote ASU Women's Health Luncheon

SAN ANGELO, TX - Angelo State University's regional office of the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health (LWBIWH) will welcome retired Lt. Col. Scott "Kidd" Poteet, a former Air Force pilot and SpaceX astronaut, as the special guest for its annual "Presents" fundraising luncheon on Tuesday, April 7, at the McNease Convention Center downtown.

With Poteet as the keynote speaker, the Presents luncheon will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Table reservations are available at varying sponsorship levels, and more details are available online at angelo.edu/lwbpresents or by calling the LWBIWH at 325-486-6811.

During his 18-year Air Force career, Poteet served in a variety of roles, including combat pilot, test and evaluation pilot, demonstration pilot in the Thunderbirds and commander of the 64th Aggressor Squadron. He logged over 3,200 flight hours in F-16, A-4, T-38, Alpha Jet and other aircraft, including over 400 combat hours in support of operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Joint Guardian, Freedom's Sentinel and Resolute Support.

Following his Air Force retirement, Poteet fulfilled his childhood dream as an astronaut aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. He served as mission director for Polaris Dawn, the world's first all-civilian mission to space. During the 5-day mission, the crew completed the first-ever civilian spacewalk, reached the highest Earth orbit ever flown, conducted nearly 40 scientific research experiments, and raised over $250 million to support St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

Also an endurance athlete, Poteet has competed in 16 Ironman triathlons, including the World Championships in Hawaii.

The annual Presents luncheons provide funding for the LWBIWH's Mammogram Program and educational outreach programming. Since its foundation in 2010, the ASU office has impacted the lives of over 30,000 individuals, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support research, education and outreach in the Concho Valley, and provided free breast cancer screening services for over 6,000 clients in need.