Updated: 11/27/2024. View the official press release here.
Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD) alum and Polaris Dawn Mission Pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet was celebrated by the Oyster River community during visits to the Oyster River Middle and High schools on November 15.
A visit to both Mast Way and Moharimet schools is planned in the spring.
Scott was a graduate of the Oyster River High School class of 1992. He also attended Oyster River Middle School and Mast Way School. During his years in Oyster River, Scott was involved in athletics and contributed to the student-run publication Mouth of the River.
After graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 1996, Scott served in the United States Air Force for approximately 20 years, earning the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Following his Air Force career, he served in various roles at successful aerospace companies including Draken International, where he was Director of Business Development. He was also Vice President of Strategy at Shift4, a payment processing company founded by Jared Isaacman, leader of the Polaris Dawn mission.
The Polaris Dawn mission launched on September 10, 2024, and lasted approximately five days. The space mission marks the furthest humans have traveled into space since NASA's Apollo Program.
Scott returned to Oyster River just one month after his space expedition to share his journey with students and staff. He started the day at ORMS touring the new middle school and then gave an inspiring presentation to grades 5-8 students levels followed by a Q&A from students.
Oyster River High School students and staff were also given the opportunity to attend a presentation in the auditorium followed by a meet and greet. Scott ended the day with a visit to an Astronomy class where he talked about space and answered students' questions about his career and experience in orbit.
"Returning to Oyster River to give a presentation on my journey to space feels like coming full circle,” said Poteet. “It’s a chance to inspire the next generation, just as I was once inspired in these very halls. I would have never achieved my goal of becoming an astronaut without the education I received here."
The ORCSD is grateful for Scott's and his wife Kristin's generosity. Their visit to the district will have a lasting impact on all of us.
"We are grateful for Mr. Poteet’s generosity and his commitment to visit all four Oyster River schools. We take great pride in knowing that ORCSD played a part in nurturing Scott’s extraordinary journey," said Superintendent Shaps. "His success reminds us that with determination, vision, and ambition our wildest dreams can take flight."
After his ORMS visit, Scott went to ORHS and presented to students and staff of grades 9-12.
.png?mask=1)
Scott gave a interview to Mouth of the River student journalist Ulysses Smith.
Scott visited an Astronomy class where he talked about his career and journey to space.
.png?mask=1)
Astronomy students were given an additional opportunity to meet Scott and ask questions after class.
About the Polaris Program
In 2022, Scott Poteet was selected to be the spacecraft pilot of the Polaris Dawn mission, the first of three missions carried out by SpaceX aiming to test new technologies that advance progress in making other planets habitable and workable for humans.
During the mission, Scott and three other crew members conducted roughly 40 science experiments focused on the mission's four main objectives: high altitude, in-space communications, health impact research, and completing the first-ever commercial spacewalk using SpaceX's Extravehicular Activity suits.
This mission took place five months after Inspiration4, the world's first all-civilian mission to space, for which Scott served as Mission Director. The mission helped raise more than $240 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in an effort to help treat and eradicate childhood cancer. Scott was also featured in a docuseries produced by Netflix about the mission, "Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space."