Last December were notified we would be attending. We started earning money by selling cookies and candy, babysitting, dog sitting, weeding and doing other odd jobs.Thankfully, Girl Scouts of Utah awarded us both travel scholarships, paying for a quarter of the tuition.
On June 28 we checked into the U.S. Space and Rocket Center for Astronaut Fast-Track. Our age group, 12 to 14-year-olds, participated in Space Academy.
We split into groups and completed the leadership low ropes course, Area 51.
We used the Man Maneuvering Unit (MMU) to experience how astronauts move during Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA) while the 1/6 Gravity Chair simulated walking on the moon. We also trained using the Multi Axis Trainer (MAT), which simulates going into a tumble spin in outer space and provided experience on how to recover. We each built and launched our own Estes rockets. Ellisa’s rocket went the farthest, and Amber’s rocket was the only rocket whose parachute worked.
We were also a part in the success of Team Atlas’s simulated missions, each time playing a different role. A typical mission had a time to prepare, a “visit” to the International Space Station (ISS) and after “repairing”
satellites, returned to earth. Our team was also agile on earth, racing through the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Museum locating objects in the museum, tying the Australians in this museum hunt.
At the end of the week, all the Space Academy teams, including the international team from Australia, used the information to compete in Space Bowl, similar to the game show “Jeopardy!”
Before flying out on the last day, we attended graduation where we were presented with a certificate, a picture of the Girl Scout Team Atlas and a pewter shuttle pin honoring our successful missions. A former astronaut addressed us, encouraging us to continue to follow our dreams.
Having been trained, ground transportation returned us to the Huntsville International Airport where we literally took-off on the real part of our
mission: returning safely home.
We chose to fly without the expense and status of unaccompanied minors, which left us to make decisions. Our primary communication tool, Ellisa’s cell phone, helped us communicate with “mission control,” manned by Ellisa’s parents who were monitoring the departure delays and holiday traffic.
Unfortunately, severe weather had our plane circling the Denver airport until the need to refuel took our flight to Colorado Springs, where we waited almost three hours until the thunderstorm passed and trucks were again permitted to fuel planes. Our connecting flight to Salt Lake had left, and we had $13 between us.
Elissa’s parents communicated with the airlines who committed to have accommodations and food vouchers, but we were told at the airport there was nothing the airlines would do for us. They contacted Girl Scouts of Colorado and reached Andy Jagger, the Chief Operating Officer, who insisted on meeting us at the airport, providing lodging and feeding us before walking us to the gate the following morning. Miss Andy gave us $50 in case something unforeseen happened.
Gratefully, our mission ended successfully as we landed on Saturday, July 4, at 12:49 p.m. and returned Miss Andy’s money by mail. We learned firsthand the benefits of belonging to Girl Scouts.
Looking back, the hardest part of the entire adventure was saying good-bye to all our new friends, brought together as Girl Scouts, during this
destination.
Thanks to Girl Scout of Utah, we look forward to applying again for a
destination during the summer of 2010 as experienced travelers.
Do you have a Girl Scout story to share? Email it to communications@gsutah.org. |
