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Attending the Space Camp sponsored by NASA at Huntsville, Alabama is every kids dream. It gives them the real life experience of what it is like to be an astronaut. It enriches their life with the most meaningful and interesting experiences. Most of these one-week programs are combined with other community programs, such as 4-H. The Space Camp program in Alabama has an age limit, and the full camp is available to kids who are at least 12 years old. Of course, there are special programs at the center for younger kids that offer many activities they do not quite appreciate. However, it gives them the chance to assert that they are old enough to be away from home. The programs and activities at Space Camp are designed to awaken creativity and curiosity. The kids learn to design a lunar colony, and attend classes and seminars to know about the history of the space program. They learn about the Soviet space program as well as the United States program in these classes. They are also taken on trips to the museum to gain an education experience. But Space Camp would not be fun if sitting in classes and designing lunar colonies is all that went on. There are life size mock-ups of space shuttles to explore. The quarters themselves (complete with bunks) look like they could be on a space station or colony, not somewhere in Alabama. But the best part of Space Camp is the “astronaut training.” Space Camp attendees go through a sort of training. They get to wear space suits to find out what they feel like. They go in simulators to learn how to “fly” spacecraft (like the shuttle). They ride in a centrifuge to feel the pressure of gravity. And there are zero gravity simulations that can help them understand the feeling of weightlessness. And for added fun, there is a contraption designed to help attendees understand what walking on the moon feels like. After going through all of the “training,” the Space Camp participants get to run a simulated mission. Everyone on board the ship has a role (pilot, payload specialist, space walk, etc.) to play in completing the mission successfully. And, because sequencing and time are important in real space missions, these are elements present in the simulated mission. If you mess up, your simulator shakes you around and you know what it is like to crash and burn. If there is enough time, a group may have the opportunity to run the mission more than once, allowing people a chance to experience different roles. It is a fun experience for the Space Campers, as they get to do more, learn more about the space program. Space Camp provides the opportunity to spark an interest in space and in science. It is a hands-on learning atmosphere that seems worlds away from its location in Huntsville, Alabama.
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About the author: Robert Balwinder is the chief writer at Alabama Home, visit there today for the latest Alabama advice, and while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. If you want to read more Alabama articles go to: www.alabamah.com/articles This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.
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