Programs

NATIONAL STS-118 STUDENT POSTERS

Challenger Center is one of three sites chosen to have a 20-minute live question-and-answer downlink session with mission specialists Barbara Morgan (Educator Astronaut) and Benjamin Alvin Drew during the flight of STS-118 on Thursday, August 16th.

The STS-118 downlink will be held at the Challenger Center of Greater Washington located at Challenger Center Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The 20-minute Q&A session included an invited audience including students (20 will be chosen to ask questions via our national poster contest), teachers and special guests (including many astronauts).

Participating Challenger Learning Centers submitted one illustrated question from students in their communities focused on the STS-118 mission (living and working on the International Space Station).

Click on any image to make it larger.

Question: Dear Astronaut Morgan - On earth astronauts practice in water to get used to the weightless environment of space. Exercise is also an important part of an astraonaut's daily activity.

I am on a swim team for exercise and noticed that you also liked swimming. If an Olympic sized swimming pool could be built in space, would you be able to swim faster on earth or in space, and where would you burn the most calories?

Brownsburg Challenger Learning Center
Brownsburg, Indiana
Name of Student: Sarah
Age of Student: 11
School: Traders Point Christian Academy

Question: What qualities does it take to be an astronaut?

Challenger Learning Center of Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Name of Student: Patrick
Age of Student: 10
School: Health Elementary

Question: Have you made any mistakes in space?

Challenger Learning Center of Maine
Bangor, Maine
Name of Student: Peter
Age of Student: 6

Question: What is it like going on a spacewalk?

Challenger Learning Center of the Southwest
Tucson, Arizona
Name of Student: Hector
Age of Student: 11
School: Drachman Elementary

Question: What is your favorite space food?

Challenger Learning Center at Prairie Aviation Museum
Bloomington, Illinois
Name of Student: Jessica
Age of Student: 11
School: Prairieland Elementary School

Question: Dear Rick - How and where do you sleep on the space station and do you ever sleep spacewalk?

Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Name of Student: James
Age of Student: 7
School: Bucklake Elementary School

Question: How would you compare flying in space to flying on an airplane?

Buehler Challenger & Science Center
Paramus, New Jersey
Name of Student: Layne
Age of Student: 11

Question: How do you stay connected to the space station if there is no gravity in space?

Challenger Learning Center-St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
Name of Student: Cameryn
Age of Student: 7
School: Warren Elementary

Question: How do photos of space help you with your research?

Challenger Learning Center of Hawaii
Kapolei, Hawaii
Name of Student: Elliot
Age of Student: 12
School: Stevenson Middle School

Question: What simulations did you go through during training?

Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana
Hammond, Indiana
Name of Student: Donovan
Age of Student: 12
School: Ernie Pyle School

Question: How do you feel going into space for the first time?

Challenger Learning Center of Lower Hudson Valley
Suffern, NY
Name of Student: Caesar
Age of Student: 9
School: Lenape Meadows

Question: Did you have a special teacher or mentor when you were a kid? Who was it and why were they special to you?

Challenger Learning Center of Greater Washington
Alexandria, VA
Name of Student: Maddy
Age of Student: 12
School: Robinson Secondary School

Question: I love the Challenger Learning Center, but I am not good at science. What encouraged you to be an astronaut and did you like science when you were a kid?

Challenger Learning Center of Lucas County
Oregon, Ohio
Name of Student: Peyton
Age of Student: 11

Question: Astronaut Morgan - How do you brush your teeth in space?

Challenger Learning Center of San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
Name of Student: Haleigh
Age of Student: 8

Question: How do you feel about the decision that Pluto is not a planet anymore?

Challenger Learning Center of Kansas
Wellington, Kansas
Name of Student: Rachel
Age of Student: 13

Question: What is your favorite experiment you have done about space and why?

The Museum of Flight
Seattle, Washington
Name of Student: Masayuki
Age of Student: 8
School: University Child Development School

Question: How will the experiments on the ISS help continue and further the mission to Mars?

Challenger Learning Center of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Name of Student: Kelli
Age of Student: 16

Question: Why is Earth the only planet that has people?

Challenger Learning Center of Maine
Name of Student: Noah
Age of Student: 5

Question: Can you see constellations in space?

Challenger Learning Center of the Southwest
Tucson, Arizona
Name of Student: Emily
Age of Student: 11
School: De Grazia Elementary

Question: Which is more difficult -being in training or actually being in space?

Challenger Learning Center of Greater Washington
alexandria, Virginia
Name of Student: Jordan
Age of Student: 12
School: Robert Frost Middle School

Students are encouraged to visit NASA STS-118 resources, and teachers and Challenger Learning Center (CLC) educators are directed to NASA STS-118 educational resources to integrate into their curriculum to support the project.

Mission specialist Barbara Morgan was the back up to Christa McAuliffe, Teacher in Space, and is a long-time member of the Challenger Center Council of Advisors. Through STS-118, Barbara Morgan will bridge the objectives set forth in the Teacher in Space Program of the mid-1980's to NASA's current Educator Astronaut Project.

NASA Biographies of Barbara Morgan and Richard Mastracchio

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/morgan.html
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/mastracc.html

Additional Information

For more information on Challenger Learning Center programs, please contact a Learning Center Coordinator via e-mail at info@challenger.org; by telephone at (877) 443-5701 or (816) 471-7770; or by completing the Feedback Form.