MILPITAS, Calif., May 7, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SPOT LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. (Nasdaq:GSAT) and an award-winning leader in personal satellite messaging and emergency communications, today announced that five-time Space Shuttle Astronaut, Scott Parazynski will attempt to be the first person to have traveled in space and summited Mount Everest - the highest peak in the Himalayas. Scott is equipped with the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger(tm), a personal safety communication and tracking device which will allow the world to track his summit attempt in real-time. Follow Scott's Everest Expedition at SPOTadventures.com, a new online community for sharing adventures and outdoor experiences. Scott is scheduled to begin his summit attempt on May 7, 2009.
Scott Parazynski (47) made his first attempt on Everest in 2008 but had to turn back only a few thousand feet from the summit due to a back injury. Scott has returned to Everest as team physician and climber for Washington-based Team IMG(r) (International Mountain Guides.) Supported by the Challenger Center for Space Education, Scott hopes to use his climb as an educational platform drawing parallels between terrestrial and space exploration.
The hand-held SPOT Messenger provides Scott with vital satellite-based technology enabling him to share his progress while on Everest with others on Google Maps(tm). In addition to providing live tracking, the SPOT Messenger allows Scott to archive his location data for later reference and send Check-in messages with others at base camp and back at home.
"Scott is a true explorer, driven not only by his personal goals of discovery but also the desire to educate others on what he learns along the way," said Tom Colby, COO of Globalstar Inc. and President of SPOT LLC. "The SPOT Messenger is instrumental in allowing Scott to share his experiences on Everest with a larger, global community. We are honored to help support his expedition and we look forward to following his progress during this historic climb. We wish Scott and his team a successful summit attempt and safe return."
Two members of the Challenger Center's Board of Directors, television journalist Miles O'Brien and web journalist Keith Cowing are assisting Scott in his ascent providing support both at Everest Base Camp and back in the U.S. Thanks to advances in satellite, computer and Internet technology, Scott and his communication team are producing original content updated daily on SPOT Adventures, OnOrbit.com/Everest, http://milesobrien.com, Flickr(r), Twitter Facebook and YouTube. Daily SPOT tracks, video, photos, blogs and research findings are available to help document history in the making.
Scott hopes that teachers and students will follow his adventure and be inspired to learn from his experience and reports while on Everest. To help students engage in the expedition, Scott has been posting responses to student questions, photos, videos, and scientific experiment information on his blog at www.OnOrbit.com/Everest. Scott's Everest expedition is also supporting the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, Autism Speaks(tm) and The Explorers Club, an international multidisciplinary professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research and exploration which Scott is a member of.
View the Miles O'Brien's Skype interview with Scott Parazynski from Everest Base Camp on May 6, 2009.
About Scott Parazynski
Born July 28, 1961, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Considers Little Rock, Palo Alto, California, and Evergreen, Colorado, to be his hometowns. Married to the former Gail Marie Vozzella. They have two children. A commercial, multi-engine, seaplane and instrument-rated pilot, Dr. Parazynski has logged over 2500 flight hours in a variety of aircraft. As a mountaineer, he has scaled major mountains in the Alaska Range, the Cascades, the Rockies and the Andes. His summits include Cerro Aconcagua (at 22,841 feet above sea level, the tallest mountain in the world outside of Asia) and 53 of Colorado's peaks over 14,000 feet in altitude. In May of 2008, as a result of a serious back injury, he was forced to turn back at 24,500 feet on a summit bid on Mount Everest.
About SPOT Adventures
SPOT Adventures allows you to share your adventures easily right on the web at www.SPOTadventures.com. Register your SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger(tm) and enjoy the benefits of a new online community. Share tracks, stories, photos and real-time updates of your adventures with friends, family and other SPOT users.
About SPOT LLC.
The SPOT Satellite Messenger, the world's first satellite messenger, uses both the GPS satellite network to determine a customer's location and the SPOT network to transmit that information to friends, family or an emergency service center. SPOT LLC., a subsidiary of Globalstar, Inc. (Nasdaq:GSAT), provides lifesaving communications technology that allows users to communicate from remote locations around the globe. Thanks to this affordable, cutting-edge personal safety device, the company offers people peace of mind by allowing customers to notify friends and family of their location and status, and to send for emergency assistance in time of need, completely independent of cellular phone or wireless coverage. For more information on how SPOT LLC. is helping users live to tell about it(SM) - from disaster preparedness to outdoor adventure purposes - visit www.findmespot.com.
Notes to Reporters:
High-resolution photos of SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger are available at http://findmespot.com/en/pressroom/. To arrange a media interview with Scott Parazynski or Miles O'Brien, please contact the below media contact.