Friday 14 August 2009
Wednesday 12 August 2009
THE END... OR THE BEGINNING
For our students this is the end of the space school experience but they have been made very aware of the ongoing benefits of the programme and the contacts they have made in the space industry.
They have also made strong connections with each other and the graduation and departure were very emotional events for many.
Facebook is their preferred medium, only old people blog. And there is a huge buzz of activity as they "friend-up" each other and make plans for their next meeting.
You've seen most of these before: but it is a selection from the first day to the last and the captions may be helpful.
Thanks for reading!
John
They have also made strong connections with each other and the graduation and departure were very emotional events for many.
Facebook is their preferred medium, only old people blog. And there is a huge buzz of activity as they "friend-up" each other and make plans for their next meeting.
You've seen most of these before: but it is a selection from the first day to the last and the captions may be helpful.
Thanks for reading!
John
Friday 7 August 2009
Wednesday 5 August 2009
TUESDAY
After our morning lecture on space medicine we grabbed a boxed lunch and drove to Galveston. At the University of Texas Medical Branch we participated in a videoconference, students gave brief presentations on their projects and mentors introduced themselves.
ARISS LINK TO SPACE STATION
Watch our students speak live from UHCL to the crew of the International Space Station
Monday 3 August 2009
SUNDAY
Sunday was the Cultural and Food Fair, when all students bring a dish from their country and perform a talent item. Patrick delivered a haka to tumultuous applause, and India and John' s waiata were also well received, as was John's impromptu hongi workshop.
The New Zealand contribution to the dessert trolley: pavlova and pineapple lumps!John's "colonial goose" mysteriously absent from photo...
SATURDAY
My kind host family took me to the San Jacinto monument, the tallest monument in the world. An elevator takes you nearly to the top and from there you have views of the Houston Sea Channel, the bayous and the massive oil refinery installations.
Also at San Jacinto is the USS Texas, a destroyer which served in both world wars. This panorama shot shows the stern of the Texas and the sea channel.
Although this was supposed to be a host family day we were given a surprise event: the return of the shuttle crew to Ellington Airbase. One of the crew of STS-127 had remained behind on the ISS and the first Japanese astronaut was brought back instead.
Here the crew file up on stage to a rousing bit of music (Alison tells me it's the Stars and Stripes March, and she would know).
The Japanese astronaut gets a Texas welcome!
From the airbase we proceeded to a football stadium and watched a game of football, getting home about 10pm.
FRIDAY
After a lecture by Juniper Jairala on her work testing EVA technologies, we spent some time in our teams doing project work. Then to Oriental Gourmet for an amazing and varied buffet meal.
During a Texas thunderstorm we rushed to the vans and headed off to Brazos Bend State Park
At Brazos Bend there is a visitor centre dedicated to public education, and about half the space is made up as a simulation mission control and spacecraft, where students can participate in a mission to the moon and on to Mars. The simulation is as realistic as possible and students get really involved!
After the simulation we went for a walk around the lake and saw big banana spiders, racoons, herons and an alligator. Really hot, but an amzing and beautiful place.
After a meal and an an astronomy lecture we were treated to a couple of hours of stargazing through the massive telescopes of the George Observatory situated on top of the visitors' centre.
A long day but absolutely brilliant!
During a Texas thunderstorm we rushed to the vans and headed off to Brazos Bend State Park
At Brazos Bend there is a visitor centre dedicated to public education, and about half the space is made up as a simulation mission control and spacecraft, where students can participate in a mission to the moon and on to Mars. The simulation is as realistic as possible and students get really involved!
After the simulation we went for a walk around the lake and saw big banana spiders, racoons, herons and an alligator. Really hot, but an amzing and beautiful place.
After a meal and an an astronomy lecture we were treated to a couple of hours of stargazing through the massive telescopes of the George Observatory situated on top of the visitors' centre.A long day but absolutely brilliant!
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