February 24, 2009

The real day 1! Johnson Space Center AKA NASA!

7am: Wake up call J

8:30: Susan Anderson picked us up and we got our badges, notebooks, space pens and pins and were ready to go!

Jenny and Josh met us for a tour with Frank our driver and Lori the tour guide. We arrived at the SVMF – Space Vehicle Mockups Facility and met with Karen Nyberg, an astronaut who flew in the STS-124 Discover! Karen was super nice! She told us how it was when she went up and lived in space for 14 days. The mock up models that she took us to were replicas of the real ones that she lived on when on board the ISS. She really inspired us with her enthusiasm for space exploration and determination. She told us to go for our dreams…and she told me as well which meant a lot to me because she still said I can make my dreams of becoming an astronaut a reality! J She also gave us signed autographed pictures!

Next on our tour we met Tim Hall the FAO (Flight Activity Operator). He gave us several tours of the MCC (Mission Control Center). First we saw the MCC for Mercury and Apollo astronauts (the one just like on the movie Apollo 13) and then we proceeded to the MCC of ISS  and lastly the MCC of the Space shuttle. The rooms were full of people working on their particular job. It was so amazing to be able to be able to see these people do what they do in action! CATO controlled the cameras and we saw the ISS outside view. Tim was so knowledgeable of everything that went on in MCC. Upon meeting him you can tell how passionate he is about his job! He shared so many facts with us and answered so many of our questions! It was really great!

Then we had our lunch break which turned out to be just as exciting as everything else! First we met Kalya, a high school senior intern who originally interviewed us over the phone. The highlight of lunch was finding out that were having lunch with an astronaut! We had lunch with astronaut Stephanie Wilson, an astronaut who flew on STS-121 followed by 120. She is also getting ready to fly on STS-131. She told us how she became an astronaut and about her missions! She blew me away with her many credentials and scholarly accomplishments. She was very kind, soft spoken and an inspiration person to meet!

Afterward we met Linda B. who is a shuttle Robotics instructor. It was such an amazing opportunity to work with her because she trains astronaut on how to use the robotics arm and then she trained us!  We were able to train using the same computer simulators that the astronauts train on!  Linda also showed around building 4S. There we walked into the model of the capsule. Then we all got chance sit on the toilet bowl…a model of the toilet used in space on the space shuttle and ISS!  

Our first NASA day ended with a chance at getting to work with Sam, an instructor on the SEMS (simulators) for Space Shuttle Missions. We rode on board a “space shuttle” on the flight deck and had to strap in like real astronauts! We were in a small cramped compartment full of buttons! We each got a chance to land the shuttle! It was so exciting and a lot of fun!!!

Our first day in NASA was really amazing! Everyone was so nice! We were able to learn and do so much in just one day!!!!

I can’t wait for “tomorrow”… the day will start at 7am J

PS. Dinner with Jenny…The NASA PO who is really cool!