Space Center Houston's Space Exploration Educators Conference celebrated it's 25th Anniversary! What a blast it was!! I am now in my third year of being a SEEC Crew Member and promoting space exploration education. Like space exploration itself, my journey has come with challenges and a lot of learning and growth. One thing that remains is my belief in collaboration. My colleagues and fellow crew members have played a key role throughout this process and I am very grateful to them. Willingness to connect, try new things and branch out have not only impacted me and fellow educators, but also the students we work with. Every year I come to SEEC it is an amazing experience. Each year is unique and awesome in its own way. This year I was able to present on an Engineering Design Challenge based on the Voyager missions. It was nice to hear from session attendees that they wanted to use this in their classrooms when they returned home after the conference. After an awesome keynote from Alan Stern, chief of New Horizons, I’m brainstorming how I could turn this into an activity for the classroom. So, stay tuned. Since his presentation, we learned that the Ultima Thule, the celestial body that New Horizons was able to capture an image of is actually more of a 3D object than the flat "snowman" they initially thought it resembled. New Horizons SongBrian May, lead singer of Queen and astrophysicist created a song titled New Horizons to celebrate the mission. Students are always shocked when I tell them that our astronauts get to the ISS by taking a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Khazikastan desert. They sometimes wonder - and I’m sure they’re not alone in that thought - of when are we going to launch from the US. Like many things it’s a work in progress. The goal is to get to Mars in the 2030s, but before we send humans there, there are many steps to complete first. The same was true with the moon landing. Before humans could set foot on the moon, astronauts had to be able to orbit, EVA, rendezvous, docking and long duration spaceflight. The Commercial Crew program is an exciting project in the works . Due to the government shutdown earlier this year, curriculum development and “launch” has been delayed. However, by the fall, there are awesome resources headed your way. Lessons (K-4 and 5 - 12) a Commercial Crew App, Virtual Reality Field Trips and much more! In the meantime, the Peanuts characters are here to help. Charlie Brown and Snoopy first came on the scene 50 years ago as call signs during the Apollo 10 mission. Now they’re back to help teach kids about returning to the moon, the Orion capsule and heading to Mars. Under PressureA great Expert/ Educator session from my fellow Quest SEEC Crew members was Under Pressure. We learned from Paul Boehm - has worked with EVAs and is now involved with the Orion Project. I'm not even going to attempt his official job description. Using this information, Jessica & Katrina created stations to simulate what an EVA (Extravehicular Activity) would be like. I’ve done activities before, but these were a step above! They really thought of the small details and it made it very fun. All of the materials were things that could be easily found in a classroom or purchased inexpensively. Rock YardTours are definitely an awesome opportunity at SEEC. This year I was able to tour the Mars yard. It is similar to how it sounds. It’s a large area with fine gravel and large black lava rocks from Hawaii. Having a simulated Martian terrain allows NASA to test vehicles and spacesuits. The vehicle has six pairs of wheels and each pair can be lowered or raised depending on need. Besides the difference in appearance of the vehicle, it’s ability are also very different than vehicles you would see on the highway. It is able to drive sideways, which is definitely an asset on this terrain. Heading to the HabAt the last minute, I was able to sign up for a HERA tour. HERA stands for Human Exploration Research Analog. Four person crews volunteer to be in the habitat for a forty-five day mission. Since there was not an active mission at the time of SEEC, we were able to see their Mission Control and go inside the hab. During this mission, they are unable to leave the habitat. Requirements of volunteers are age 30 -55, masters degree or equivalent military experience, in good health and able to be away from work and their families for about 60 days. One of the first tasks for the crew members is to work together to create a patch that represents the mission. So far there have been 17 HERA missions. While on a mission, crew members have a variety of tasks to complete all while being observed and monitored for scientific purposes. The purpose of each mission varies and the crew members are being observed to determine psychological and physiological effects of being in a confined space, away from home and family for an extended period of time. This is especially crucial in preparation for long duration spaceflight and sending humans to Mars. They are always looking for volunteers :) Go, Flight!A huge highlight for me as an Apollo enthusiast was hearing an amazing closing keynote from former Mission Control Flight Director, Gene Kranz. I wouldn't do him justice trying to describe it, so watch it yourself. Since returning from SEEC I have been able to hear Adam Steltzner, JPL Engineer, EDL for Curiosity and chief of Engineering for the Mars 2020 Rover speak. I also was able to return to my alma mater - dubbed the astronaut factory - to hear Scott Kelly speak as part of Purdue’s 150 Giant Leaps campaign. Really enjoyed the humor and knowledge of both guys So, the mission continues... Peace, love and space exploration,
CAPCOM Conrad
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AuthorApollo 13 fan. Educator. Lifelong Learner. Third generation Boilermaker. Space Exploration Enthusiast. Collaborator. Click Subscribe to stay updated!Archives
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