Is it all a dream?

Space Camp – Day#1

This has been an awesome day.  I keep pinching myself to be sure this isn’t all a dream.

I have been put on Team Unity.  There are 15 people on my team from several different states and foreign countries (India, UK, France, and Scotland).  They are an amazing group of very talented and fun loving people.  Our Team Leader is Jamie.  He is a high school history and science teacher from Huntsville, AL.

Team Unity

Laine & Whitney, two of my suite mates.

Jamie, our Team Leader

After breakfast we had a very inspirational talk from astronaut, Dr. Donald Thomas.  He is a materials specialist and has flown on four Columbia Space Shuttle missions.  He is originally from Cleveland, OH.  He studied the flammability of (International Space Station) ISS materials in zero gravity.  (Sound familiar, Ben?)

This is how something burns in space!

Team Unity with Dr. Thomas

 

Next, we received our assignments for the mock shuttle mission. People were assigned positions on the Orbiter, the ISS, and at Mission Control.  There will be six of us riding on the Orbiter: a commander, a pilot, two mission specialists, and two payload specialists.  I have been assigned the position of one of the payload specialists.  Our responsibilities include conducting experiments in the mid-deck of the orbiter, doing health checks on the mission specialists before and after their EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity).  I also assist in activating the engine functions during launch and landing.  We all know it is a mock flight – but it still is very exciting!

Pilot Marianne, checking her controls.

As a Payload Specialist, I sit in the mid-deck at take off.  This is our remote view of the flight deck.  Commander Jonathan is from France.  Mission Specialists, Tom and Joan, are seen in the background discussing their upcoming EVA.

Mission Control

After lunch, we participated in some difficult, yet exhilarating, team building exercises at a Low Ropes course named, “Area 51”.  (Look up Area 51 – it was an interesting place!)

In the afternoon, we also learned some great STEM activities to do with our students.  Learning how to build and use a Starlab was also part of the afternoon activities.

Using ratios to determine the distance from the Earth to the Moon.

The highlight of the evening was a tour of the US Space & Rocket Center.  We just got the overall/surface tour this evening - but will visit the components in more detail later this week.

This is the "Habitat" where students stay when they are here at Space Camp.

Look!  They even have a Boeing room!

Through these doors enter

America's future Astronauts,

Scientists ane Engineers.

Saturn V Rocket

It was a full day!  Started at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 9:00 p.m.  Believe me when I say that we were busy the entire time, y’all!  This space cadet is going to bed!