Space Camp Day 3 - Aircrafts & Star Wars

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After breakfast (cereal, tater tots & a banana) today, Columbus group started with training for our 2nd (and last) mission - this time in the Atlantis orbiter. I was very excited to learn that this time I got my 1st choice in jobs - Mission Specialist. This means that I will be on the orbiter AND I will get to leave and do an EVA (Extravehicular Activity) - basically a Space Walk. My partner, Chris, and I will be suiting up in white space suits and getting into microgravity chairs to try and experience the sensation of weightlessness. Then, we'll have to try to stay connected to a structure and build a 3 dimensional tower. We had some time to practice without the microgravity & suits today & it was totally easy. Something tells me tomorrow will be more challenging. After we space walk, we return to the orbiter for our decent back to Earth. Our commander landed us in the water 2 times today and our pilot forgot to put down our landing gear, so we're all a little nervous about tomorrow :-)

After mission training we learned about living & working in space, built and launched bottle rockets, created our own hot air balloons using tissue paper and glue sticks and attending a fantastic presentation with Ed Buckbee, former director of the US Space & Rocket Center and founder of Space Camp. Ed worked in public relations for NASA way, way back at the beginning of the space program & actually knew all of the original 7 astronauts (including John Glenn & Alan Shepard). Ed talked a lot about the experiences of those original astronauts and the ones that followed them with tons of insider stories. Those original Mercury 7 sounded like quite a bunch of interesting fellas. Ed said that it was fortunate for them that the media left them alone after 5P.M. He was informative, charming & SUPER interesting. I would have gladly listened to his stories for another hour. Space Camp gifted us Ed's Book, The Real Space Cowboys, about the original 7 astronauts and Ed graciously signed them to each of us. Such a fascinating guy.

After dinner we learned about how to use flight patterns to teach math & then went over to the Star Wars exhibit at the museum. The exhibit was interesting and had lots of original props and costumes from all Star Wars movies. Another day that ends at 10P.M. I'm exhausted, but full of more information & experiences. I'm really looking forward to my space walk tomorrow. Camp is more than 1/2 way finished, though I feel like I've experienced 6 days worth of activities & information in these past 3 days.

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Photos

Bottle Rockets
Posing with our bottle rocket (me, Mike, Scott - with the rocket on his finger, and Tony).

The Wizard
We name the rocket The Wizard because the blue/purple nose cone looked like a wizard cap

The Wizard flies
i was in charge of air pressure

Comments

[gramma]

WOW
This sure sounds interesting. If I was a lot younger I think I would go myself. I think that this is one of the most interesting trips you have ever made. Find more like it. Love Gram

[MsD]

pic too
I have pics for this one too. Just was too tired last night to load them. Will do it this evening.

[Beth]

Unbelievable
Yahoo...you are getting to walk in space. This is such an amazing experience....I want to go to Space Camp!