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The Burleson-area community got a rare peek into the life of an International Space Station astronaut Thursday.
A select group of students gathered Thursday morning at Burleson High School to question astronaut Greg Chamitoff about everything from growing plants in space to eating freeze-dried astronaut food. A video feed allowed the audience to watch Chamitoff float about the space station as he responded to their queries through a live, in-flight downlink.
“I feel excited and nervous,” 10-year-old Christian West said as he read over the question he had prepared for Chamitoff. “I was surprised to be chosen.”
West was one of 20 children selected to pose questions to the astronaut, and the excitement surrounding his unique experience rippled throughout his family. Younger brother Cameron West, 8, said he wants to be an astronaut when he grows up, describing the experience as “awesome.”
After answering as many questions as time permitted, Chamitoff offered a last piece of advice.
“Believe in your dreams and believe in yourself, and your dreams will come true for you,” he said.
After his presentation, a NASA education expert fielded the remaining questions before releasing the attendees so they might enjoy the rest of the morning interacting with hands-on science experiments.
“It was pretty cool,” said Noah Peters, 9. He said he was disappointed time didn’t permit him to ask the astronaut the question he had prepared.
His mother, Jill Peters, said she found the show interesting.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said. “I think it’s very important to learn about science at a young age, and I actually learned a lot today, too.”
Burleson ISD was selected through a competitive grant process to be one of five sites across the U.S. to participate in the event.
Jeanie Gilbert, director of resource development and safe schools coordinator for BISD, helped organizers such as Sandra Hines, director of instructional technology, compose a proposal for BISD to be the next site of a downlink.
“NASA really liked our proposal, and they said, ‘You win,’” she said.
The downlink took place a week after Mission BISD: All Systems Go Camp, which is focused on science and technology. An nearly even mixture of girls and boys filled the camp’s 73 slots, and registration costs were kept low so every socioeconomic class could participate. [Needs attribution.]
“Basically our goal with all of this is to spark an interest in math, science and technology,” Gilbert said.
Joseph McGee, who attended both the science camp and the downlink presentation, said his favorite part of the astronaut presentation was watching Chamitoff’s freeze-dried food float around the station.
“I learned a lot today,” he said.
Hines said she thought the downlink went well, and the camp was great.
“The feedback for the camp has all been positive,” she said.
She received several e-mails from parents glowing about their children’s increased passion for science, she said.
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