BOISE, Idaho — It's a science lesson years in the making. On the long journey it took to get to this point, Hawthorne Elementary third-grade teacher Kellie Taylor says, "We have worked for three years to get an in-flight NASA downlink here."
Taylor helped make it possible for a group of Idaho students to virtually meet a crew actively on board the International Space Station.
Cylus is a third grader at Hawthorne Elementary who was eager to quiz the astronauts. His question: "What do you do on the International Space Station for fun?'"
Don Pettit, a flight engineer on Expedition 72, answered each question thoughtfully, giving the kids an inside look at life without gravity.
In doing a photography demo, Pettit shows what it's like to operate in a zero-gravity environment. "Here, I'm going to spend time doing photography out the windows and doing investigations in zero gravity."
Former NASA astronaut Steve Swanson, who now works at Boise State, came to campus to talk with kids, answering any lingering space-related curiosities.
We asked students if this visit inspired them to become an astronaut.
Cylus says, "Maybe, only if I'll be in the same crew."
Fourth grader Denali says, "My mom calls me the drama queen because I go above and beyond with danger. So, I'm afraid of the thousands and thousands of possible ways to die in space. So much so that I'm having a hard time deciding whether I should go there or not."
Kellie Taylor says this is all for the kids, to show them that what they learn in the classroom can lead to endless opportunities.
"We're looking to inspire them, show them the possibilities with space exploration. Because right here in Idaho, you can take on that challenge through higher education or industry. It's pretty amazing, and we want them to know it's a possibility," says Taylor.
