Just Hanging Out at the Russell Space Center

Wow!  Last week was great for members of the MES Starbase 1.5 Club.  Our students got the chance to visit the Russell Space Center and learn all about the operations there.  We were invited to tour Mission Control and the Space Shuttle Simulator by Mr. Chris Laster, Director of the Russell Space Program.  As I have mentioned in earlier posts, Mableton Starbase has partnered up with the Russell Space Team to create an EVA (space walk) task for the astronauts to complete while on their mission this year.  My 4th graders have just finished creating the model and sending instructions over to Russell Mission Control.  It was awesome to see the students working together as aerospace engineers do to create the model and test it out before sending it over to the astronauts.

Okay....back to the field trip!  We met up at Russell Elementary after school last week to start our tour.  It was pretty cramped in Mission Control because we had about 30 MES Starbase students and parents show up for the tour.  First, Mr. Laster talked us through the history of the Russell Space Program which started back in 1997.  He also pointed out the amazing mission patches that they have posted on the wall to commemorate each mission.  Mission STS-7 holds a special place in my heart because this mission was dedicated to my mother, Kathy Stafford, who worked as a publicist for the Russell Space Program for more than 9 years.  Mr. Laster and my mother remain very close and this is how we started our partnership.  Then, students and parents got the chance to see a Mission Control team in action as they practiced for the upcoming May mission.  Mr. Laster did a great job explaining what each console in Mission Control was responsible for.

Next, students and parents headed outside to tour the space shuttle simulator which the Russell Astronauts climb aboard for their mission.  We had to take the tour in shifts because we couldn't all fit!  Many of the parents and students were amazed at the detail and design aspects of the shuttle.  I mean, what kid wouldn't want to sit in an F-16 mock cockpit with switches, controls, and lights that flash with alarms?  Mr. Laster literally built the inside of the shuttle with his own hands.  The best part of the tour was seeing a Russell Astronaut get suited up in her Russian MiG Fighter Jet skull cap complete with communications headset and crawl through the air lock which will serve to depressurize the air so that the astronauts can complete their EVA.  Parents and students took turns asking questions and learning all about the wonderful Russell Space Program and how our Starbase students fit into the mix this year.  I really hope to continue our partnership for many years to come!

The Mableton Starbase 1.5 Club Students and Parents 

Looking at the Flight Deck in the Shuttle Simulator

Mr. Laster, Director of the Russell Space Program
Mission Control Team Members practicing for their mission

Mableton Starbase students and parents engaged in learning!

Check out the Mission Patches in the background in the frames

Russell Astronaut getting suited up outside the airlock.  Notice the door ajar from the air lock.  The astronauts have the crawl inside!

Introducing......Our Future Aerospace Engineers!

Each and every time I step foot in the Starbase Lab door, an overwhelming feeling of excitement bubbles up and comes out as a big smile as I see my 4th graders come in with such enthusiasm.  We have been working extremely hard learning all about rockets and rovers.  In addition, the students and I have taken on another challenge which will hopefully begin an annual partnership with the Russell Space Center.  A couple of weeks ago, my 4th graders tested out their first rocket and figured out how weight affects the distance a rocket can travel.  It was so neat to see them getting their rockets launch ready, and stomping on our launcher!  Each group recorded their results on their worksheets, and used their data to formulate a conclusion.  Based on our collective results, we determined that rockets with very little weight can travel much farther than rockets that carry a lot of weight.  Then, I had students think about those implications.  What does it all mean to aerospace engineers?  I could not believe how many of my students knew exactly what those implications meant for our mission objective.  In order for our rockets to reach our final destination, we had to make sure that the rover we carry, and the rocket itself, not weigh too much!  The students are going to be testing additional variables that aerospace engineers have to take into consideration in the coming weeks such as rocket materials, rocket length, and rocket width.

Now to our OTHER mission objective......our contract with the Russell Space Center.  Many people know about the awesome space program that Russell Elementary School in Smyrna, Georgia has, but few people know the specifics unless your child attends there.  Well, I just so happen to be very close friends with the creator, director, and space guru that pulls off this amazing program for the Russell 4th and 5th graders.  Chris Laster has known me for a very long time since I was a 5th grade student at Russell.  My mother also worked at Russell for over 15 years, and for many of those, assisted Mr. Laster with getting local dignitaries and community leaders involved in the space program.  Mr. Laster selects 4th and 5th graders who are interested in space and trains them for many months to perform an authentic space mission, complete with a mission control center and a mock space shuttle outside on the school grounds.  Russell Astronauts and Mission Control Members train all year for their mission which launches each year in May to much fan-fare in their school.  They even have a Teacher-in-Space who conducts lessons via close-circuit television while on the mission!  The entire Russell Space Center is state of the art and unbelievable.   

This year.....we have partnered up with the Russell Space Team to do something amazing!  For the first time ever, the Russell Astronauts will be doing a EVA or spacewalk while on their mission.  Our Starbase 4th graders have been given the task of creating a model for the space walkers to put together while outside in space.  So, the work has started and the students are pumped!  We picked a model and have started drafting up directions for Mission Control to use and relay to the astronauts.  This is exactly what happens on a real space mission!  The students and I are getting down to the wire, and are getting close to finishing up.  The great part about all of this is that the ENTIRE Starbase 1.5 Club has been invited to tour the Russell Space Center next week, AND my 4th graders have been invited over for the launch so they can really get credit for their hard work.   I really like their model idea which can be adaptable for use on many more space missions.  

Coming up:  Next week we visit the Russell Space Center and launch MORE rockets in testing!  Stay tuned!!!!!

 A group of students working with a picture of the model in the background.  They are trying to assemble it without any instructions just by looking at the picture!

A quick video of Nicholas and Abbey explaining what they are working on!

We have ANOTHER Blast Off and...the fun just keeps getting better!

I know that it has been a while since I have blogged, however the work has not stopped for me and the Mableton Starbase 1.5 Club.  My time with 3rd graders came to a close a couple of weeks ago but not before we had an enormous amount of fun and learned a few things about aerospace engineering at the same time!  My 3rd graders became my experimental class because we were able to see what would work and not work during our time in class together, then we were able to make changes accordingly.  One thing that we noticed is that we really needed more than 4 weeks to complete our unit called "It's A Long Way Down!"  It took us about 6 weeks instead of 4 but I don't think that the students minded at all.  In the last couple of weeks together we tested out parachutes that the students designed and created based on the different variables that affect the speed of a falling parachute that WILL BE traveling in a different atmosphere than our own.  On our last meeting together, we used all of our knowledge on how aerospace engineers develop parachutes to slow down the ascent of spacecrafts or rovers, to test out our very own!  My students were thrilled when our administration dropped our models off of the roof of the building.  Mrs. Eisgruber, Mrs. Arends, Ms. Waters, and Mrs. Jones all joined us and helped with the drops!  All of the ladies have been critical to the development of this program at Mableton and it was only fitting that they join us for this culminating activity.  Unfortunately for my 3rd graders, they did not get the chance to work with the Starbase computers which have the PT Creo 3D Design software installed on them.  I just received the keyboards and mice that we have been waiting on complete the installation in the Starbase Lab.  I might just sneak them in for one last session so that they get to learn some 3D creation steps!

 The students hard at work creating their spacecrafts to explore a different planet.

 The students waiting patiently to test out different variables that affect the drop speed of their parachutes.

 This groups tested out different suspension line lengths to see which one fell the slowest.  The longest lines WON!

 Other groups tested out different canopy materials and canopy size to see which type fell the slowest.

 Then, students went back to the drawing board to design their final parachutes that would land their spacecraft models from the drop off the side of the roof. 

 Now, it was time to create our parachute models.  Let the fun and creativity begin!

 My fabulous 3rd graders patiently waiting for their parachutes and spacecrafts to be tested out from the roof!

Enjoy this video of a few of our parachute drops! (sorry about the sidewalk view at the end...first timer okay!)

This past week was my second week with 4th graders.  To say that these students are space enthusiast would be an understatement!  Our first week together we discussed our unit called "From Rockets to Rovers," and what we would be doing during our time together.  The students worked hard on picking their call sign names, and we discussed the basics of aerospace engineering.  My 4th graders have a tremendous amount of background knowledge on space and our solar system so we quickly went through the different aspects of space travel that aerospace engineers have to think about as they design and create rockets and rovers to explore other destinations.  We also got of on tangents about our solar system and the universe.  I could definitely see the spark of excitement in their eyes as we talked about how they might just be the first person to step foot on Mars one day, or develop a rover or robot that explored Jupiter or Saturn.  Gosh, I really relate to these students, as I too dreamed about going to space one day as a kid!  They really got excited when I told them about the mission that the Russell Elementary School Space Team has given us to help them out with their EVA this year. (spacewalk for those that don't know...lol)  We are going to design and create a module made out of PVC pipe for the Russell Astronauts to assemble while on their mission this year in May.  Also, as an added bonus, our Starbase 1.5 Club members have been asked to come visit and tour the Russell Space Center this month!  Next week, Starbase 4th graders will be working hard on the design of the module and working on the 3D design program on the computers!  I am extremely exhausted working both as a general education teacher and the Starbase Instructor, but I get so much enjoyment from both that it doesn't feel like work at all!  I love being a part of this and sharing our journey with everyone!  I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do.  Until next time.......keep your eyes on the sky!