Space Camp Turkey: Eighth Grade Students from TAISM Take Flight

Keith Boniface, MS Principal - Oman Observer, May 5, 2012

 

The human mind seems to be obsessed with space and travel beyond the confines of our own atmosphere. We’ve learned much about the heavens and logistics of space travel over the past five decades, and students are keen to know more about it. For the past three years, eighth graders from The American International School of Muscat have made it a mission to learn more and they do it by traveling to the NASA sponsored Space Camp located in Izmir, Turkey. There, they spend 4 1/2 days at the well-established facility and discover much of what it means to be an astronaut. This year, 32 eighth graders chose to go to Space Camp. In order to go, students need to be academically responsible, as they miss up to four days of classes. All funding for this trip is personal - there are no donors or sponsors helping to defray costs.

 

 

The Space Camp houses simulators and replicas of actual space vehicles such as the Challenger and Apollo rockets. During their time there, eighth graders space walk on the zero-G wall, learn about disorientation in the hamster wheel orbiter, experience a moon walk at 1/6 of their body weight, and complete a specified mission using the command center and the space module. There are also heat shield experiments, hydroponics, space history talks and team-building challenges. This year, the TAISM students were treated to a special session with former U.S. astronaut Anna Fisher. Mrs. Fisher presented an inside view to being an astronaut and answered every question you ever wanted to know about life on a spaceship. (Her mission lasted eight days.)

 

Izmir is close to the famous ruins at Ephesus and the students received a history sampler on their last day with a guided tour of the ruins. It was as if history came alive as they explored the library, the amphitheater, and of course, the Roman toilets.

 

In all, students were away for five days but returned with a lifetime of not-to-be-forgotten memories. Imaginations were kindled, hopefully to spark an idea which will take man even further into the heavens. Let the dreams begin!