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!
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