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Since the dawn of time, people have been awed by the vast array of stars in the night sky and wondered what is out there. The desire to explore outer space is a common human aspiration. In August, Space Days come to Boise, and events will include the people who can tell you what it’s like up there because they’ve actually been there.
This year’s theme for Idaho Space Days is “Women in Space,” which seems appropriate since Idaho Space Days began in August 2007 when Barbara Morgan, former McCall schoolteacher and the first educator astronaut (Teacher in Space Project) to complete a mission, answered questions from Idaho students in an audio/video link from Discovery Center of Idaho to the orbiting space shuttle. Morgan will be presenting during Idaho Space Days.
Three years ago on August 8, 2007, Morgan and other crew members on the space shuttle Endeavour headed to the International Space Station on an assembly mission. Astronaut and mission specialist Morgan served as robotic arm operator and cargo transfer coordinator.
“I was always interested in looking up at the stars when we’d go camping and as a Girl Scout. When we were very young, my folks got us a little telescope for Christmas. I was always interested in what’s out there. As the space program was being born, we were glued to the TV when we first landed on the moon. I didn’t even consider that that would be something that I could do.”
“To me, space exploration is all about open-ended, never-ending opportunities for our young people. That’s what my motivation has been, to help keep the world of opportunities open for our kids.”
In August 2008, Morgan took a full-time position at Boise State as a Distinguished Educator in Residence, a dual appointment to the Colleges of Engineering and Education. There she advises, leads, and represents the university in policy development, advocacy and fund-raising in science, technology, engineering and math.
Morgan continues to bring her excitement about space exploration to Idaho students through a new program called ISAS—Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars. ISAS is a collaboration between the Idaho State Department of Education and NASA Ames Research Center in California. Over 70 Idaho high school juniors enrolled and completed the NASA-developed online course and attended day-long regional capstone events that highlight the rich academic and career opportunities in Idaho.
Selected students in the online program are invited to the ISAS Summer Academy during the week of Idaho Space Days. After a kickoff dinner for their engineering design challenge at the Discovery Center of Idaho, the students will travel to NASA Ames Research facility in California and meet with NASA researchers and explore space technology. The ISAS scholars will present their engineering work at Idaho Space Days at the Discovery Center on August 7. More information about the ISAS can be found at sde.idaho.gov.site/science/ISAS/index.htm
Dedicated to helping children continue to learn and explore, Morgan is also involved with developing the BSU Microgravity U program. BSU students will explain and demonstrate their “weightless” projects to Discovery Center visitors during Idaho Space Days.
Idaho Space Days will also host former astronaut Wendy Lawrence, who has logged over 1225 hours in space. Wendy is a Captain in the U.S. Navy, a helicopter pilot with more than 800 shipboard landings, and an ocean engineer. She was the first female graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy to fly in space and she has also visited the Russian Space Station Mir three times. She served on four space shuttle missions. Now retired, Lawrence will speak at 6:30pm on August 5. Admission is free.
Morgan’s advice to young, aspiring astronauts is to always ask questions about our world, our universe and about space exploration. She wants to show children that their future is open-ended—there are no limitations and the possibilities (like space) are endless.
With model rockets, stargazing, microgravity project demonstrations, a presentation on the latest planetary discoveries, space travel stories, and more, the opportunities to learn about space during Idaho Space Days seem infinite as well.
Idaho Space Days 2010
August 2–7
Discovery Center of Idaho
131 Myrtle St., Boise
343-9895
For more information visit www.scidaho.org or go to www.treasurevalleyfamily.com for an Idaho Space Days schedule of events and activities.
Like Barbara Morgan and millions around the world, Pamela Kleibrink Thompson stared at the flickering images on television, on July 20, 1969 as Neil Armstrong emerged from the lunar module Eagle and stepped on the moon’s surface. Pamela moved to Idaho three years ago and enjoys watching the night skies.
Idaho Space Days Calendar 2010
Here is the countdown of some of the activities and events at Idaho Space Days at the Discovery Center Idaho. Please note that all events are at the Discovery Center Idaho.
Idaho Space Days ends August 7 so don’t miss it. If you do, you'll have to wait until the earth does another full orbit around the sun for your next opportunity (in 2011) to experience Space Days. For more information about any of these events please contact Discovery Center of Idaho, at 343.9895,www.scidaho.org.
Activities throughout August 2-7 (as of July 6, 2010):
Kids grades 4-6 at Space Summer Camp for the week of August 2 will meet all of the visiting dignitaries, including former astronaut Wendy Lawrence who will do a formal presentation at Space Camp.
Daily live streaming of NASA TV on DCI’s high definition TV.
Space related demos and activities such as Stomp Rockets and Space Food.
DCI will showcase i-STEM, which promotes sharing resources to help Idaho instructors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Visit with a DCI volunteer and learn about I-STEM, ISAS and Virtual Space Community.
August 2
Space Days will launch on August 2 with a model rocket launch hosted by Ray Amaya of KBOI Radio. Come to DCI and watch outside on the lawn for free. Ray, a model rocket enthusiast,will do the launch demonstrations at 12:30 pm and 2 pm.
Talk to a representative from Space Center Houston about Virtual Space Community, a national resource sharing program coordinated by Space Center Houston, and endorsed by NASA.
August 3
Tony Leavitt, regional NASA Education Specialist living in Washington State, will be at DCI August 3-5. During his one hour presentation he will speak on life in space and show a great audio/video presentation that covers many interesting NASA subjects. Leavitt will also have some cool NASA items with him on display, like a space suit, space food, shuttle model and a variety of other things. 10 am and 1 pm.
The DCI sponsored Teen Club qualified for national model rocket launch competitions in Virginia two years ago. They will be doing model rocket launches 2pm.
Gene Nora Jessen, an Idaho resident, was one of the original “Mercury 13” women selected to participate in the same program that the Mercury 7 men were training under in the early 1960s. She will discuss her early years as a woman in the male world of NASA of the 1960s. Nora will speak about her early years in the experimental program at NASA to train women as astronauts (the Mercury 13), and her flight work for Beechcraft that is discussed in her new book, The Fabulous Flight of the Three Musketeers. At DCI,6:30 pm. Free.
Boise Astronomical Society will be hosting nighttime star gazing on the lawn at the Discovery Center, at 9:30 pm. They will provide some telescopes, and can also help telescope owners get the best performance from their own telescopes. Free. Check the website www.scidaho.org for any additional dates.
August 4
Learn about space suits and space food from our regional NASA Education Specialist Tony Leavitt. During his one-hour entertaining presentation, Leavitt will speak on life in space and show a great audio/video presentation that covers many interesting NASA subjects. Tony Leavitt will also have some cool NASA items with him on display, like a space suit, space food, shuttle model and a variety of other things. 10 am and 1 pm.
The DCI sponsored Teen Club will demonstrate model rockets at 2 pm. The Teen Club qualified for national model rocket launch competitions in Virginia two years ago.
NASA Planetary Scientist, Chris McKay, will be doing an audio/video presentation from NASA Ames Research Center in California at 4 pm for DCI patrons. Dr. McKay is an expert on planets and spoke last year about Mars. His talk this year will probably center on his current work on the atmosphere of Titan. To read more about Mckay go to http://ti.arc.nasa.gov/projects/sigma/mckay.html
Learn about the technical fashion and culinary art of space from our regional NASA Education Specialist Tony Leavitt. During his one-hour entertaining presentation, Leavitt will speak on life in space from space suits to space food and show a great audio/video presentation that covers many interesting NASA subjects. Tony Leavitt will also have some cool NASA items with him on display, like a space suit, space food, shuttle model and a variety of other things. 10 am and 1 pm.
Blast off at 2 pm with the DCI sponsored Teen Club, who will do model rocket launches. This club qualified for national model rocket launch competitions in Virginia two years ago.
Meet two women who have been in space. Talk to retired astronauts Barbara Morgan and Wendy Lawrence and get a picture signed from 2:15-3:15pm. Pay your DCI admission and get to meet astronauts!
BSU Microgravity Teams, under the guidance of Barbara Morgan, two teams of BSU students participate with NASA at creating and testing projects in microgravity (weightless) environments by going up on parabolic air flights that simulate weightlessness. They will give DCI visitors a glimpse of their projects in 1 ½ hour presentations. The BSU student spokesperson is Jordan Anderson. Held at 3pm
Retired astronaut Wendy Lawrence, who served on four shuttle missions will speak at 6:30pm. She has logged over 1225 hours in space. Wendy is a Captain in the U.S. Navy, a helicopter pilot, and an ocean engineer. She was the first female graduate of the US Naval Academy to fly in space and she has also visited the Russian Space Station Mir. 6:30pm. Free.
August 6
Teen Club will launch model rockets at 2 pm. The DCI sponsored Teen Club qualified for national model rocket launch competitions in Virginia two years ago.
BSU Microgravity Teams, lose weight instantly! Learn about microgravity and weightless environments from teams of BSU students. They will give DCI visitors a glimpse of their projects in 1 ½ hour presentations. The BSU student spokesperson is Jordan Anderson. 3pm.
August 7
The BSU Microgravity Teams will give DCI visitors a glimpse of their projects where they study weightless environments. 11 am
Come to DCI and watch Ray Amaya of KBOI Radio launch a model rocket outside on the lawn. Ray, a model rocket enthusiast, will do the launch demonstrations at 12:30 pm and 2 pm. Free.
ISAS (Idaho Science & Aerospace Scholars) is wrapping up their first successful year during the Space Days week. (Barbara Morgan helped to bring ISAS to Idaho.) ISAS scholars will travel to NASA Ames Research Center for their final project during the first part of the Space Days week. Student representatives from ISAS will talk about their experiences and their projects under the first year of ISAS. 3:30 pm
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