The last morning at Space Camp was a sad one. We finished packing our bags and said goodbye to our teammates and friends as they left.
Sad faces from Jamie Pegg and I was we waited on the bus with our luggage
At the airport we spent some time having breakfast and chatting with one another. Final hugs and we boarded the plane.
Laura and I boarding the plane for Atlanta
I had a wonderful welcome home by my husband, Ben, who surprised me with this poster!
It was only fitting to dawn the flight suit one last time and hold my certificate in front of the poster.
His real surprise was the newly refinished dining room table that was behind the poster. It's even more beautiful than the poster.
Honeywell Educators at Space Academy was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. My eyes were opened to the vastness of the Space Program, both in the past and it's future. I'm inspired to start a STEM program at my school and have come home with resources to help do so. I would also like to take a group of students to Space Camp so they can experience what I just went through.
To my fellow STEM teachers, you have to apply for Space Camp.
Click here for the link to the application. It is due in early Fall. Don't miss out!
Special thanks to Honeywell and its employees for sponsoring such an amazing opportunity for educators!
We had breakfast as usual then headed off to the education building for a presentation from our Honeywell Ambassadors. Lakshmi Vadlapatla, the Honeywell Ambassador from India, explained how she uses manipulatives to teach math concepts at her school. She led us in an activity on Least Common Multiple using a simple chart with numbers 1-100 and different colored beads. Great activity to do with students in 4th, 5th or 6th grade. Let's say you wanted to find the common multiples of the numbers 3, 4 and 6. Choose a color to represent the number three and place that color bead on each multiple of three. Do the same for the number four and six. Spaces that have two beads represent a common multiple of two numbers, for example twelve is a multiple of three and four. Spaces that have three beads represent a common multiple of three numbers, for example 24 is a common multiple of 3, 4 and 6.
Next was a presentation by Honeywell Ambassador, Kaci Hines from Arizona. She inspired us to "Dare Mighty Things" and start small. Kaci explained how she got started incorporating STEM into her lessons, starting an after school club, networking and making connections with others that helped her with activities and lessons, etc. Kaci also told us about going to Advanced Space Academy and going on a Micro Gravity Flight! Finally, Kaci showed us video of the high altitude ballooning that she does with her students. Kaci's students have interacted with astronauts on the International Space Station via radio, built robots and even tried to send an experiment to the ISS (the first two attempts were on shuttles that exploded after lift off but they are getting a third chance!) She is doing some amazing things with her students and has definitely inspired me to start an after school STEM club at my school!
Next was a little bit of downtime. I headed over to the gift shop to pick up a few more souvenirs. Next, Sylvia and I decided to try the Apache simulator. We boarded an Apache AH-64D Longbow helicopter to defend our turf...at least we tried. I don't think we shot down any enemies but we had fun!
Sylvia flying the helicopter!
Apache Simulator at the US Space and Rocket Center
Next was lunch followed by an Educator Break Out Session given by Dan Oates, Director of the Educators Program at Space Camp. Dan spoke about his journey to Space Camp and the programs that he's developed since being there. One of the programs that Dan has helped to launch at Space Camp is SCIVIS, Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students. Since 1990 more than 3,450 visually impaired students have attended Space Camp. In preparation for SCIVIS, signs, posters, manual and even the buttons in the simulators are outfitted in braille. Monitors are moved closer to students faces and large print is accessible when needed. SCIVIS gives visually impaired students the same experience at Space Camp that anyone else would get. Dan also spoke about his work with little people at Space Camp and the adaptations that are made to accommodate them. Dan's presentation was incredibly powerful and opened my eyes to the amazing things that are happening at the US Space and Rocket Center.
Next was our last activity at Space Camp, Eggs-Prize. In this final activity we broke up into groups to learn about payloads and methods that NASA uses to safely deliver payloads to their destination. During the activity we designed and created a rover (a movable vehicle) and a lander that holds the rover and safely delivers it to its destination.
Creating the lander, cardboard box with padding and a parachute
Creating the rover, a bottle with cardboard wheels on two axles that holds our payload (another egg)
The lander with the rover inside and parachute on top
Alan dropping our lander from the second floor
Even though our rover rolled the longest distance, our payload (the egg) didn't survive the drop. Our egg was broken. We had fun though on our last activity at Space Camp.
With our final activity at Space Camp behind us we headed over to the Davidson Center to get ready for graduation. We dawned our flight suits for the last time, lined up with our team, took a team selfie and headed into the auditorium to walk across the stage!
Have to get a shot with my aviators on! Space Camp Trainees wear their name tag upside down until they officially graduate from Space Camp.
Team Zarya lined up for graduation
Crew Leader, Jennifer Cheeseman, followed by Team Zarya
Kind words from Pratibha Poswal, Honeywell Representative
Inspirational speech from Bot Witwer, Honeywell Aerospace Vice President of Advanced Technology
Team Zarya during graduation
Turning our name tag right side up and receiving our diplomas!
Dan Oates turning our name tags
Official Space Camp Graduates!
After all teams graduated they played this video as a culmination of a wonderful week at Space Camp! Team Zarya is about 7:15 into the video. There is no music on this version because Space Camp doesn't have rights to the songs used. Still a great video!
After graduation was a beautiful and delicious dinner under the Saturn V rocket in the Davidson Center.
I'm in there dancing if you look very closely
Team Zarya doing some dancing
After dinner and dancing we boarded the bus and went back to the dorm to pack and spend our last night at Space Camp. Several of us on Team Zarya hung out at the dorm, ate popcorn and talked about our wonderful experience. I was sad to go to sleep knowing that it was our last night.
Day 4 started off as usual with the bus at 7:00 am taking us to breakfast.
First activity of the day was a presentation by Andrea Tribo on International & Commercial space flight. A really fascinating look at the current plans of the Space Launch System and it's setbacks. She also told us about space programs in other countries (Japan, Russia, the European Space Agency, etc.). Andrea also discussed commercial space flight and the companies that are designing and building vehicles to take tourists on a ride in space.
After the presentation we headed over to the training simulators where we experienced what it is like to weigh 1/6 of your body weight. The 1/6 gravity chair simulates what it is like to bounce on the moon. We each took a turn in the chair and performed specific "bounces" during the simulation. The first was a simple hop, followed by a side to side shuffle, next was the "Baywatch" run and the last was left up to the individual. The 1/6 gravity chair was an incredible experience.
Mrs. Rath bouncing in the 1/6 gravity chair
Check out Mrs. Rath's bunny hops, side to side and Baywatch run
After the 1/6 gravity chair we spent some time on the Multi-Axis Trainer to experience roll, pitch and yaw. The Multi-Axis Trainer was a blast! We each spent 45 seconds in the chair. Because your stomach is at the center of the rotation you are not likely to get sick as long as you keep your head back and eyes open. I was a little dizzy when it was over however, I'd love to do it again!
Mrs. Rath in the Multi-Axis Trainer
Upside down in the Multi-Axis Trainer
Check out Mrs. Rath spinning in the Multi-Axis Trainer
After catching our breath from the trainers, we had lunch and headed back to the education building for our Ablative Shielding Lab. We broke in the teams of 4-5 and created a heat shield that had to protect an egg from 5 minutes of direct heat. Each team had a limited number of credits they could use to purchase materials to build their shield. The materials included things such as wire mesh, plaster, pasta, string, sponges,etc. Also, the shield could be no wider than a pencil. We were simulating the heat shield used on the space shuttle during reentry and the egg was our astronaut that we had to keep "alive".
Our mission!
Ebru, myself, Iskender and Alan discussing the materials to use. Alan and I were very confused at this point because a majority of the discussion was in Turkish or Russian, or both.
Alan adding Spackle to our heat shield
After creating our heat shields, we went outside to put them to the test.
Our egg being protected by the heat shield
Our "astronaut" survived thanks to our heat shield!
Next we were off to Homer Hickam Launch Pad to launch our rockets!
We put the solid rocket fuel engines in our rockets, lined then up on the launch pad and got ready for the countdown. It was a beautiful site seeing all of our rockets lined up on the launch pad. Each person got to press the button to launch their rocket!
There's my LSU rocket in first position on the launch pad!
I was very thankful that my rocket had a beautiful flight! It touched down across the street but I was able to recover it and bring it home. Some rockets landed in the surrounding trees and became part of the rocket graveyard.
Next up was our second mission, Orion. Set in 2025, Orion is a futuristic mission where a group of astronauts are traveling to the moon to make some repairs to a base camp and do a crew exchange. As CapCom my job was to relay messages from mission control to the orbiter and vice versa. A great time was had by all! Lots of cutting up, "ordering pizza", random songs being played by a mission specialist (Steve), talking to empty rooms and of course singing (Sylvia)!
Mission Control
Orbiter Crew looking for the right button
Ebru as the Prop and myself as CapCom
Mission Specialists on an EVA
Orion and Altair Crews
After the Orion mission we headed to dinner then back to the dorm.
Day 3 started as usual with buses and breakfast at 7:00 am. Today was a FULL day at Space Camp! It started off with Aviation Challenge. Our first activity was a parachute rescue. We put on helmets and harnesses and got ready to jump off of a tower. This simulation shows us what it would be like to parachute out of a helicopter into a body of water.
Aviation Challenge lake
Team Zarya is excited to be rescued!
Suited up and ready to go!
Final check of the harness
After parachuting, we did a capsule sinking simulation. We had to pretend that we were in an aircraft of some sort that was going down. After the capsule sank into the water, we had to exit through an open door feet first, swim to a near by pole and count off to make sure everyone made it out safely. After everyone was accounted for, we swam to a helicopter that rescued us by lowering a basket and raising us out of the water.
Alan as the commander and myself as the pilot
Waiting for the helicopter to rescue us
In the rescue basket
After finishing our simulations at Aviation Challenge, we changed clothes, headed over to the simulators and started our Atlantis Mission. I was a bit nervous but there's something about being in that flight suit that makes you think you can really fly a space shuttle (even if you fly it backwards). Greg, Kat, Kaci and I got in the Orbiter and started our pre-flight checklists.
Crew leader, Jen, taking a selfie of Team Zarya before the Atlantis mission
Orbiter crew before Atlantis Mission
Commander and Pilot
Going through the manual
View from Mission Control
Pilot making sure he knows his switches
Mission Specialists performing an EVA
View from Mission Control, looking for a switch on panel O8
Occasionally the pilot and I would have some downtime during the mission. We had to find ways to keep ourselves entertained. Since we did have a very international team, pilot, Greg, thought he would sing the Polish National anthem.
In case you were wondering, yes, there is a potty in the Atlantis orbiter, however, it is not operable.
Team Zarya, Orbiter Crew....Mission Complete!
After our Atlantis Mission and Aviation Challenge, we were all pretty worn out and hungry. Even though we could feel the exhaustion from the first three days, our excitement for what was next keep us going. Thankfully, lunch was next. After some food and a short rest we went to our Rocketry Workshop.
Wes Kennedy, Team Unity's Crew Leader, lead our workshop on Rocketry. We had a great time assembling our rockets, helping one another, and decorating!
Alan (Maryland), Greg (Poland) and Iskender (Russia)
Assembling the engine
Gluing the shock cord
Threading the shock cord through the body
Securing the parachute
Almost ready!
There she is! Ready for a paint job.
Only teacher from Louisiana...had to paint it purple and gold!
Teachers painting their rockets
Mrs. Rath with her LSU rocket
Team Zarya's rockets
Our rockets needed to dry and set up overnight. We launched them the next day.
Next up was an IMAX movie called "Journey to Space". We had a few minutes before the movie to get popcorn and drinks. I was a little worried about falling asleep during the movie, as I usually do, however, the show was so captivating that I had to stay awake! "Journey to Space" is about NASA's history in space flight and the future trip to Mars using the Space Launch System (SLS). The show was fantastic and I would love to see it again! Here's the trailer...
We had some free time after the movie to explore the museum and/or rocket park. A few of us decided to check out the Robot Zoo that is currently featured in the museum. Robotics are use to demonstrate how parts of animals and insects function in nature. Click here for more information on the Robot Zoo.
They had a rock wall in the museum that was free to climb. I was a bit overconfident on my first climb. I decided to move down to an easier route and was able to reach the top.
Next was dinner. I wasn't very hungry, due to the large popcorn that I ate during the movie.
After dinner, we took a group picture on the "lunar surface" in front of the lunar module in Rocket Park.
After our photo op on the lunar surface, we headed over to the Davidson Center to do a little filming and meet with our team leader, Jen, about our second mission. Sylvia, Jen D., Kaci and I dawned our flight suits and pretended to be astronauts walking the walkway to board the space shuttle.
After being silly and filming our short video we met with our team leader to get our assignments for the Orion mission. My position is CapCom in Mission Control! As CapCom my job is to relay information from Mission Control to the Orion capsule and vice versa.
Next was our training for Orion. We spent about 45 minutes practicing our positions, making sure everyone knew what to do and how the mission would run.
View from Mission Control. CapCom on the left and the Prop next to me. Notice the screens above us that give us views of each part of the mission.
After our practice we pointed out our hometowns to one another.
Iskender showing us where he lives in Russia
Mrs. Rath pointing out Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Day 3 was quite a busy day. We were all pretty tired and ready for bed. We boarded the bus, went back to the dorm and rested up for day 4.
Team Zarya in the elevator of the dorm at the end of day 3!
