"To Infinity - and Beyond!" Buzz Lightyear Goes Into Space

"Buzz Lightyear Becomes Real Space Ranger"
Space.com (May 29, 2008)

"If you listen closely on Saturday, when NASA launches the space shuttle Discovery on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station, you may just hear the voice of the STS-124 crew's special guest eighth astronaut.

"He'll be the one exclaiming, 'To infinity... and beyond!'

"Standing 12-inches tall, Buzz Lightyear, the action figure who thought he was a real space ranger in the 1995 film 'Toy Story', will achieve his dream of flying in space as part of a new educational partnership between NASA and the Walt Disney Company."

I'm a bit of a Buzz Lightyear fan, so this is good news for me. It's also part of a NASA "Toys in Space" educational program. Buzz Lightyear is scheduled to be in orbit for six months.

The Lightyear mission is part of a cooperative effort with Disney Studios. " 'The Space Ranger Education Series will give teachers an opportunity to incorporate a fun and engaging moment into the classroom with a character that children really love,' said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Disney's Parks and Resorts."

On another website, there's a video preview about the Space Ranger Education Series games.