The Advocate and Democrat

Tellico Plains Jr. High students and several parents spent three days and two nights in Huntsville, Ala., at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. While at the center, everyone stayed in the Habitat, a simulation of the size and space the astronauts have aboard the space shuttle. Seven people were in bunk bed style rooms since there are seven astronauts in each shuttle mission. Each person was given a log booklet to fill out as they went from activity to activity. The group was assigned a counselor that guided the tour and activities. The first day, after arrival, was spent in the simulator rides on campus, learning the history of flight, learning the history of space exploration (particularly the moon and early astronauts), and playing games before the IMAX movie on Mars exploration. After dinner, the crew spent the evening learning how astronauts train and tried their hands at “space walking” and a “yawl maneuver” on the multi-axis trainer. In the space walk, trainees were asked to experience zero gravity as they were floated to a wall, grab the wall, go left and right, hit a light, push off, and experience their way back to gravity in the shuttle. This simulated working outside the shuttle. Their second simulation involved the experience of flying the shuttle back from space in the multi-axis trainer. The second day allowed the students to scavenger hunt for items in the museum after learning the history of Apollo, Mercury and shuttle missions, make and fly rockets, make and fly parachutes, simulate trying to land the shuttle in a visual simulator, experience zero gravity on the Space Shot, experience centripetal force in the simulator, history of shuttle flight, Red Stone Arsonal, and the history of rockets and identification of planes. The last day included a tour of the new exhibit that opened about two months earlier that houses the last Saturn V rocket. Students walked the length of the rocket and observed exhibits along the way. At the end, they learned the history of the Saturn rockets and the scientist behind the scene. Before heading back to Tennessee, the group experienced the Mars simulator (simulates a rover on the surface of Mars) and the climbing wall, before another IMAX movie on flight. It was announced later that day on the loud speaker that Tellico Plains Jr. High was about to set a new record of 44 successful lift-offs into space as they were lifted at 3 Gs! The camp congratulated the group and sent them up on their record lift with congratulations and making it an official record for Astrotrek trainees. Those that completed the program were given a certificate of completion at the school’s awards assembly to show they had successfully completed the Astrotrek program.

Tellico Plains Jr. High students and several parents spent three days and two nights in Huntsville, Ala., at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

While at the center, everyone stayed in the Habitat, a simulation of the size and space the astronauts have aboard the space shuttle. Seven people were in bunk bed style rooms since there are seven astronauts in each shuttle mission. Each person was given a log booklet to fill out as they went from activity to activity. The group was assigned a counselor that guided the tour and activities.

The first day, after arrival, was spent in the simulator rides on campus, learning the history of flight, learning the history of space exploration (particularly the moon and early astronauts), and playing games before the IMAX movie on Mars exploration. After dinner, the crew spent the evening learning how astronauts train and tried their hands at “space walking” and a “yawl maneuver” on the multi-axis trainer.

In the space walk, trainees were asked to experience zero gravity as they were floated to a wall, grab the wall, go left and right, hit a light, push off, and experience their way back to gravity in the shuttle. This simulated working outside the shuttle. Their second simulation involved the experience of flying the shuttle back from space in the multi-axis trainer.

The second day allowed the students to scavenger hunt for items in the museum after learning the history of Apollo, Mercury and shuttle missions, make and fly rockets, make and fly parachutes, simulate trying to land the shuttle in a visual simulator, experience zero gravity on the Space Shot, experience centripetal force in the simulator, history of shuttle flight, Red Stone Arsonal, and the history of rockets and identification of planes.

The last day included a tour of the new exhibit that opened about two months earlier that houses the last Saturn V rocket. Students walked the length of the rocket and observed exhibits along the way. At the end, they learned the history of the Saturn rockets and the scientist behind the scene. Before heading back to Tennessee, the group experienced the Mars simulator (simulates a rover on the surface of Mars) and the climbing wall, before another IMAX movie on flight.

It was announced later that day on the loud speaker that Tellico Plains Jr. High was about to set a new record of 44 successful lift-offs into space as they were lifted at 3 Gs! The camp congratulated the group and sent them up on their record lift with congratulations and making it an official record for Astrotrek trainees. Those that completed the program were given a certificate of completion at the school’s awards assembly to show they had successfully completed the Astrotrek program.