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Ted Huetter of Dryden's PACE office assisted life support personnel with a demonstration of the high-altitude pressure suit used in flying aircraft such as the ER-2.
Photo Courtesy of Tami Simmons |
Space Day fuels the flames of imagination
Maribel Gutierrez
Special to the X-Press
Antelope Valley grade schoolers joined thousands of students across the U.S. and around the globe May 1 for Space Day 2003. This year's event theme was "Celebrating The Future of Flight."
Space Day is an annual aerospace industry initiative designed to encourage new generations of scientists and engineers. Its goal is to heighten students' interest in math and science through hands-on demonstrations and interaction with science professionals, giving them real-world exposure to math and science career applications.
Through Space Day activities, organizers aim to develop student awareness of career potential, encouraging them to realize that they could become the next inventor, innovator, pilot or engineer.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company hosted this year's event at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds for 500 third, fourth, fifth and sixth graders from Piute Middle School, Manzanita Elementary School, Linda Verde Elementary School and West Wind Elementary School.
"This was an inspiration to the students. They're not exposed to events like this very often," said Piute Middle School teacher Carla Recher. "For them to see math and science used during the event in a different way other than the classroom really opened their eyes.
"I was so impressed by my students' reaction over the event," she said. "They were asking so many questions. The kids were fascinated by everything during the event. They could see how math and science is important and as a teacher, I really appreciated the way it was presented."
Students participated in such hands-on activities as building and launching construction paper rockets. Through telescopes provided by the Antelope Valley Astronomy Club, they viewed sunspots and discussed the distance between Earth and different astronomical objects. They saw lunar rocks brought back to Earth on NASA's six Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972, examining them through a binocular microscope to find similarities between lunar geology and Earth's geology.
"Our goal is to promote science education and interest in the night sky to the youth of the Antelope Valley," said Thomas Koonce, Lockheed Martin project manager and vice president of the Astronomy Club.
"The universe has so much yet to be discovered! Mankind has just scratched the surface of knowledge," said Koonce, who advised students that they "can be the first person to discover life on another world, figure out why people get older, build a new type of engine that will allow travel to the stars, or be the astronaut piloting the ship."
"But all of these things start with you being committed to learning, to doing your personal best each and every day, and to getting back up when you fall down - and then trying harder to succeed the next time," he said.
Koonce encouraged students to "study harder, turn off the TV, talk more with your parents and teachers about what classes you should take to be ready for high school, and find out if there is a science club at your school." Noting that "what you do now in grade school will get you ready for high school, which will get you ready for college, and then into the field of your dreams," he reminded students that "you can be whatever you want to be, but you have to really want it and then do the hard work to make it happen."
Jim Sokolik, Dryden life support specialist, conducted a stage presentation entitled "Staying Alive at the Edge of Space." He showed students "tube" food, and explained how a pressure suit helps pilots function in the harsh environment of extreme high altitudes.
"I started by asking if anybody had seen hot water boil," Sokolik said. "And of course 200 hands went up in the air. I then asked how many had seen cold water boil, and there was silence."
Next, students watched a video of a beaker of cold water boiling in an altitude chamber at a simulated altitude of 65,000 feet. Sokolik used the display to show students ways in which principles of math and science are incorporated into the work done by pilots and technicians.
"This is a great way to introduce math and science to kids. When we saw their smiling faces, we knew we had their attention," he said.
As the day progressed, students viewed other displays and had the opportunity to ask such questions as "How do astronauts go to the bathroom?" or "How do they live when they're up in space?" They saw and felt space food. And although reactions were mixed on the tastiness of space food, the goal was to focus young minds on a wide array of career options.
"I think Space Day is a great way to expose students to math and science," said Troy Scully, communications representative from Lockheed Martin. "I didn't know what an engineer was when I was growing up. I never saw how math and science could be used.
"I think if I would have been aware of it, I may have taken a different path. It's exciting to see how kids are being exposed to math and science. Space Day is one excellent opportunity to do exactly that," he said.
Space Day is presented annually by the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. and The Boeing Company. Event support was provided by Dryden, the Antelope Valley Astronomy Club, Antelope Valley College, Los Angeles County Library, Lancaster High School Robotics Club, the Antelope Valley Fair and the Lancaster Museum of Art.
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