The Science Behind Space Exploration: KGSP Students Visit NASA

Houston, we have a problem!  The science behind this famous phrase, received by NASA’s Mission Control from the ill-fated Apollo 13 shuttle on its way to the moon, was recently brought vividly to life for a group of KGSP recipients. Seventeen Foundation Year students from the University of Texas at Austin took a well-deserved break from their studies to visit NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and tour the Mission Briefing Center, which monitors current space missions as well as the International Space Station.  Offering encouragement towards their current hard work, students learned that the Center is home to astronaut education, where men and women selected for space exploration train for future missions.

Students had the opportunity to see the world’s largest collection of astronaut space suits, as well peak inside as the Skylab Trainer, a module where astronauts first trainedfor life in space. The most interesting (and futuristic!) exhibit was the for life in space. The most interesting (and futuristic!) exhibit was the Living in Space interactive presentation, offering students a feel of what daily life is like while aboard the International Space Station. The last stop of the day was to the Rocket Park, where students examined rockets that have returned to Earth after boosting shuttles into space.  Our thanks to the Johnson Space Center (www.spacecenter.org) for inspiring the pioneering spirits of our KGSP scientists and engineers!



Jehan Alsulaiman (Electrical Engineering) gave 2-thumbs up for the NASA visit and tour of the Skylab Trainer, a place for astronaut education!