... To boldly go on a virtual field trip with astronauts

MESA students sample high-tech video conference

Friday, Feb. 27, 2009

Richard Arnold, a former teacher turned astronaut preparing to do a space walk in the coming months, was once a teacher at Hanson allowing the Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement students the opportunity to be a part of Space Suits and Space Walks, a Web-based educational program NASA put together. The other school participating in the group was a middle school in Florida where astronaut Joseph Acaba taught years ago.

Both astronauts have transformed from teachers to fully trained NASA astronauts and will make their first orbit into space on the space shuttle Discovery's mission in the coming months.

Acaba and Arnold were preparing for their mission so students got to see the two train, but asked questions of other astronauts live on the program.

Jessica Kovala, the co-sponsor of the MESA group at Hanson, said the opportunity the students got last Wednesday could be a "point of inspiration" for them. Co-sponsor Chris Kovala said the experience was "awesome" and said it was really cool for the students to interact with real scientists.

MESA is a precollege program designed to prepare students for careers in math and science fields.

Nearly 40 students sat in front of a projector screen watching a live feed of a NASA educational program. Throughout the program, the host of the show brought on NASA astronauts and scientists and allowed students to ask questions.

Jeffery Thomas, 12, didn't ask a question directly but found the whole experience to be "really cool."

Thomas said for him, talking with astronauts is one of those experiences you get "once in a lifetime."

Suzy Cahn, 12, asked a NASA astronaut what happens when someone gets sick while in space. The astronaut replied that the astronauts have first responder training and are equipped with a first aid kit that is a bit more advanced than a typical kit with antibiotics and bandages.

Suzy said the one-hour program was interesting, very informative and most importantly, "not boring."

Janeese Smith, 12, was not new to the teleconferencing program as she was part of a Hanson class to use the program on a virtual field trip. She said students talked to other Charles County students about the county history fair using teleconferencing. She said speaking to astronauts was new and better than learning from a textbook. Smith said rather than reading what people are quoted as having said, she heard it firsthand from "people with real-life experience."

The opportunity to hear from an astronaut further sold student Brittany Mueller, 12, on the idea of becoming a pilot in space.

Brittany said she first heard an astronaut speak when she was in the first grade and has wanted to be a NASA pilot ever since.

Last week, she learned a little more about what it takes to be in space.

"I learned that it takes a lot of preparation to be ready to work on whatever you're going to work on [in space]," she said.

Brittany said she liked being able to talk with an astronaut who has been in space and encountered a problem while there.

One of the astronauts spoke of encountering a problem with a jammed piece of equipment while in space. He said in order to fix it, he had to get a large hammer to pound on the equipment to loosen it up.

Robert Bradshaw, 12, said he also wants to be a part of NASA when he enters the workforce.

Robert was able to ask one of the astronauts what types of food they ate in space.

Hanson Principal Deborah Hile said she was proud her students were able to have the opportunity to hear real stories told by real astronauts and have the astronauts answer questions live.

gphillips@somdnews.com