Huntsville, Alabama's Space Camp

Huntsville, Alabama is the site of one of the most fervent of kids’ dreams: Space Camp. NASA sponsors a space camp in Alabama to help kids experience what it is like to be an astronaut. Most programs last one week, and they are also offered in conjunction with other community programs, such as 4-H. Attendance at Space Camp can comprise some of the most meaningful and interesting experiences of a child’s life.

As expected, there is an age limit at the Space Camp in Alabama with the full camp program being offered only to kids of twelve and above. Many of the activities organized at the camp are likely to be problematic for younger kids and also, the kid needs to be old enough to stay for the week away from home. However, some special programs are offered at the center even for younger kids.

The programs and activities at Space Camp are designed to awaken creativity and curiosity. The kids learn to design a lunar colony, and attend classes and seminars to know about the history of the space program. They learn about the Soviet space program as well as the United States program in these classes. They are also taken on trips to the museum to gain an education experience.

But Space Camp would not be fun if sitting in classes and designing lunar colonies is all that went on. There are life size mock-ups of space shuttles to explore. The quarters themselves (complete with bunks) look like they could be on a space station or colony, not somewhere in Alabama. But the best part of Space Camp is the “astronaut training.”

All those who attend the Space Camp go through a sort of training. They wear space suits to get the feel of it. They are taken in simulators to learn how to fly spacecrafts like the shuttle. They go for a ride in a centrifuge to feel the pressure of gravity. And they experience the feeling of weightlessness in the zero gravity simulations. What's more, they even have a contraption designed to give them the experience of walking on the moon.

After going through all of the “training,” the Space Camp participants get to run a simulated mission. Everyone on board the ship has a role (pilot, payload specialist, space walk, etc.) to play in completing the mission successfully. And, because sequencing and time are important in real space missions, these are elements present in the simulated mission. If you mess up, your simulator shakes you around and you know what it is like to crash and burn.

A group may get an opportunity to run the mission more than once, if time permits, thus giving the kids a chance to play different roles in the mission. The mission is a fun, hands-on learning experience for the young space campers.

Space Camp is an effective and fun way to spark an interest in space and in science. Kids go through a practical program in a learning atmosphere that transports them far away from its location in Huntsville, Alabama.

Article Source: http://www.christiannotepad.com

Robert Balwinder runs a very interesting website at Alabama Home, visit there today for the latest Alabama advice, and why not sign up for the free Alabama newsletter. Want to read more Alabama articles?, just go to: www.alabamah.com/articles
Click here for other unique alabama articles.