Bonnie Dunbar

Megan Sukys/Dave Beck
03/09/2006

Dr. Bonnie Dunbar was recently appointed director of the Museum of Flight in Seattle. She has logged 1,208 hours — more than 50 days — in orbit aboard the shuttles Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia and Endeavour. Her most recent spaceflight was the STS-89 mission aboard Endeavour, January 22–31, 1998. Today, Dr. Dunbar tells Dave Beck about her adventures and about The Museum of Flights upcoming exhibit on Russian women aviators. Also in this hour of The Beat, music from Kelley Stoltz, novelist Suzanne Matson and Amanda Wilde with Sounds Familiar.

Today's Featured Music Selection: Kelley Stoltz

05:00 - Bonnie Dunbar
Dr. Bonnie Dunbar was recently appointed director of the Museum of Flight in Seattle. She has logged 1,208 hours — more than 50 days — in orbit aboard the shuttles Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia and Endeavour. Her most recent spaceflight was the STS-89 mission aboard Endeavour, January 22–31, 1998. As payload commander on this mission, Dunbar was responsible for more than four tons of scientific equipment, supplies and water for delivery to the Russian space station Mir, as well as twenty-three scientific experiments aboard the shuttle. Today, Dr. Dunbar tells Dave Beck about her adventures and about The Museum of Flights upcoming exhibit on Russian women aviators.

33:00 - 'The Tree Sitter'
Julie Prince is a college student at the top of her class and seems destined for conventional success. But then she falls in love with Neil, a radical graduate student. At his urging she abandons her privileged East Coast life to tree-sit in the forests of Oregon. Julie at first regards the journey as a romantic field trip; soon, though, she finds herself increasingly moved by the lush magnificence of the endangered forest, and, like Neil, invested in its protection. As Neil veers toward militant acts of sabotage, Julie is forced to reassess her loyalties and beliefs: How much damage is done by doing nothing? When is it wrong to do good too zealously? Poet and novelist Suzanne Matson speaks today with John Moe about her latest book, The Tree-Sitter.

47:00 - Sounds Familiar: 'Should I'
Amanda Wilde, host of The Swing Years and Beyond, brings us a tune that you probably don't realize you know so well. She shares the history of familiar songs every month.