Hi everyone! Katie here with a very exciting vlog for you- I spent a weekend at Space Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center! I knew growing up that you could go to Space Camp as a kid, but I didn’t realize there are several age groups available, right up to adult! The adult program is super convenient - starting on Friday afternoons and running through Sunday mornings.
Day One:
On Friday, our nine-person team (Team Columbia) got to know each other and then jumped right into training for our first mission! During our Alpha Mission, we had half the team in Mission Control and the other half on the Space Shuttle Enterprise. My first role was that of the EECOM, or Electrical, Environmental, and Consumables Manager. After a brief dinner break in the cafeteria, we started our mission. I won’t lie- it was hard! We then built our model rockets and came up with a team patch, which you can see at the end of the video. At the end of the day, we retired to Habitat One, which looks a lot like a space station to me.
Day Two:
Saturday was jam-packed with fun activities! After breakfast, we started training for our Bravo Mission. The objective was the same as our Alpha Mission, but the roles had been changed. This time, I was the pilot and got to sit in the Enterprise. I have never seen so many buttons and switches in my life! After our mission, we got to take a tour of the Davidson center, where one of our tour guides was a scientist who helped design the Saturn V moon rocket. We also saw Journey to Space in the IMAX theater, looked around the Science Fiction Science Future traveling exhibit and the rides outside, and completed a team-building ropes course. Our last mission of camp, the Charlie Mission, involved the Orion capsule and the International Space Station. This time around, I got to put on a space suit and do an EVA, or extravehicular activity! At the end of the night, we got to take a spin (literally) on the multi-axis trainer, which simulates an out of control space tumble, and the 1/16th chair, which simulates the moon’s gravity. By the end of the day, we were all exhausted as we headed back to Habitat One.
Day Three:
Our final day started with the Space Bowl, a Jeopardy-inspired game used to review all we learned. Next we headed out to shoot off our rockets. I was surprised at how high they flew! All nine of us had successful launches. Finally, we had our graduation ceremony, where we were presented with a certificate, some patches, and our team photo.
I had such an amazing time at Space Camp and would absolutely recommend it for kids and adults alike! I stand among some pretty impressive alumni, such as astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. Thanks for watching, and stay tuned for more fun Huntsville activities!
