| Talking to an astronaut in space (Nov 11) |
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Before he left for school Thursday morning Javier Martinez’s father told him, “Be yourself and go for it. Not everybody has a chance like this.”
Minutes after 9 a.m., the radio feed was in place, and Martinez was in his science classroom at Lompoc High School talking to astronaut Mike Fossum, commander of the International Space Station, which was flying overhead. Martinez and five other students who participated, are involved in the Lompoc High School Space Technology and Robotics Systems (STaRS) academy, a program focused on piquing student interest in engineering. The academy’s goals fall in line with federal ambitions to promote greater knowledge about science, technology, engineering and mathematics in everyday curriculum to boost a more competitive American workforce. The STaRS program was created almost a decade ago — and it has made many students comfortable working with technology and honing their focus on a careers in engineering. Larry Brim, an astrobiology teacher in the academy, pulled on friends and contacts in the Satellite Amateur Radio Club to allow the communication to happen. He dutifully worked for two years on the application. A former Peace Corps officer, Brim remembers turning to amateur radio operators in Africa to talk to his parents in the states through a short wave radio. Brim made a point to get the LHS students understanding what they can do at home. The six students at LHS could be some of the last to talk to the astronauts while they are in space. The American astronauts could be pulled from space earlier than expected, Brim said. He said he spoke to a NASA contact who told him that the supply chain that provides material to the astronauts has been disrupted. “There are a lot of hands-on things that get students interested in school,” Brim said. The six sophomores took turns asking questions before the feed broke off. Martinez asked if it was true that people age differently out in space. Fossum responded, “Given the work environment and the intensity of the work, I am not sure if our doctors would agree with that.” Cristian Bueno, 15, asked about the most challenging tasks of everyday life in orbit. “When you drop something you know to look down on the ground,” Fossum said. “It doesn’t go to the floor, but the wall, ceiling ... until it eventually gets caught in a vent.” The commander said interesting sights from the space station included the aurora borealis, the northern lights. Fossum also said he watched the Space Shuttle Atlantis re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. “It was spectacular,” Fossum said. Brim said the project was a first for the base radio club. “This is the holy grail for (amateur) operators to work with schools,” Brim said. “They’ve made contact with amateur stations in the past, but they’ve never done this with students before.” From the sidelines of the radiocast, LHS Principal Alfonso Garagarza watched the students take turns asking questions. When Commander Fossum mentioned Lompoc — he said he had visited Lompoc and the climate was wonderful — Garagarza shot up his hands with pride. The setup included a amateur radio operator watching, ready to initiate a backup radio system in case the main feed did not work. “You can be a student studying in a science class or reading a biography about the (International space station, but it’s a different experience being hooked to a mike and talking directly to an astronaut,” Garagarza said. “You can empower and bring that lesson alive.” The phone conversation was one of many interactive activities Berleue, 15, has experienced through STaRS. He worked with his peers to make a building using toothpicks and marshmallows. The academy students worked together to stack cups in a pyramid. No hands allowed, the students picked up items using rubber bands. The conversation with astronauts is the latest on a greater exploration of engineering that could lead him to study the field when he goes on to college, Berleue said. The demand for engineers will likely be there when he graduates. “How many people will be able to tell their kids that they talked to an astronaut as a 10th grader,” Berleue said. “Not many of them. It’s an opportunity you’ve got to take.” |
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