Post by Paulie pchris00 on Dec 14, 2011 11:31:30 GMT -6
Found this purely by chance (some really bad luck for a guy some of my friends knew). One of our local schools had a chance to talk to astronaut Dan Burbank aboard ISS.
posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/9324077-418/students-talk-live-with-astronaut-on-international-space-station.html
From the Post-Tribune:
December 9
posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/9324077-418/students-talk-live-with-astronaut-on-international-space-station.html
From the Post-Tribune:
December 9
CHESTERTON — “Space station, this is Houston.” Thus began the conversation between students in the gymnasium of Westchester Intermediate School and astronaut Dan Burbank, circling overhead in the International Space Station.
A floating, smiling Burbank, casually dressed in khakis and polo shirt, filled the huge screen. “Hi. This is Dan Burbank from the International Space Station. I hear you loud and clear.”
For the next 20 minutes Burbank fielded questions asked by selected students. The entire student body, teachers, staff and parents looked on in rapt attention.
Sixth-grader River Perrine asked, “What does it feel like to float around in zero gravity?”
“River, it’s wonderful. It’s the most fun you can imagine,” Burbank said. By the look on his face you could tell he meant it.
Sixth-grader Grace Working asked, “Will there be any further exploration to the planets?”
“I certainly hope so, Grace. By the time your kids grow up it will be a wonderful time for space exploration. We need your enthusiasm. We need your brain power,” Burbank said.
It was an exciting day at the intermediate school, the first school in Indiana to establish a downlink with the space station and allow students a first-hand glimpse into the lives of the astronauts circling overhead.
It didn’t happen overnight. Sixth-grade science and social science teacher Ryan Levan approached principal Shawn Longacre about establishing contact with the space station last year. “We couldn’t make it happen,” Longacre said.
Then in October the two went to the Parent-Teacher Organization with the idea. The group agreed to finance the event.
“It wasn’t cheap,” said Longacre, declining to be more specific about the cost of arranging the needed equipment.
Levan had heard during a visit to the Challenger Center in Hammond of other schools from around the country establishing contact with the space station.
“I contacted Congressman (Pete) Visclosky, who in turn contacted the head of NASA, who then contacted me,” said Levan.
A floating, smiling Burbank, casually dressed in khakis and polo shirt, filled the huge screen. “Hi. This is Dan Burbank from the International Space Station. I hear you loud and clear.”
For the next 20 minutes Burbank fielded questions asked by selected students. The entire student body, teachers, staff and parents looked on in rapt attention.
Sixth-grader River Perrine asked, “What does it feel like to float around in zero gravity?”
“River, it’s wonderful. It’s the most fun you can imagine,” Burbank said. By the look on his face you could tell he meant it.
Sixth-grader Grace Working asked, “Will there be any further exploration to the planets?”
“I certainly hope so, Grace. By the time your kids grow up it will be a wonderful time for space exploration. We need your enthusiasm. We need your brain power,” Burbank said.
It was an exciting day at the intermediate school, the first school in Indiana to establish a downlink with the space station and allow students a first-hand glimpse into the lives of the astronauts circling overhead.
It didn’t happen overnight. Sixth-grade science and social science teacher Ryan Levan approached principal Shawn Longacre about establishing contact with the space station last year. “We couldn’t make it happen,” Longacre said.
Then in October the two went to the Parent-Teacher Organization with the idea. The group agreed to finance the event.
“It wasn’t cheap,” said Longacre, declining to be more specific about the cost of arranging the needed equipment.
Levan had heard during a visit to the Challenger Center in Hammond of other schools from around the country establishing contact with the space station.
“I contacted Congressman (Pete) Visclosky, who in turn contacted the head of NASA, who then contacted me,” said Levan.