Many kids dream of becoming astronauts and exploring the universe, but have little grasp on the day-to-day life of what it takes to pursue that dream. If you are concerned about summer brain drain, but are looking for a more exciting option for educational fun than summer school, this unique option might ignite their brain boosters. Space Camp (www.spacecamp.com) is the ultimate overnight camp experience where children work as a team and confront mission scenarios that require dynamic problem solving and critical thinking skills. Throughout the week, camp trainees learn about space hardware and the history and future of space exploration.
This STEM-packed week lets kids sit in the driver seat, literally, when they take their turn in the Five Degrees of Freedom Simulator. The trainer was used on Earth by the Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab astronauts to practice moving in a frictionless environment. It allows future space kids to move in five different directions: Forward and backward, Roll, Yaw, Side-to-Side, and Pitch. The chair runs on air bearings to simulate the frictionless environment of space and demonstrates Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Kids can also “walk on the moon” or at least learn the feeling of the task while experiencing the 1/6 Gravity Chair, a simulator modeled after one the Apollo astronauts used for moon walk training. The Moon’s gravitational pull, which is 1/6 that of Earth’s would make a person who weighs 90 lbs. on Earth, 15 lbs. on the Moon. When strapped in, young scientists get a realistic feeling of walking in the reduced gravity of the moon.Three different kinds of movements are used to combat the realities of the gravity swap, The Bunny Hop, Side-to-Side and a Slow Motion Jog.
Another popular experience at the camp is The Multi-Axis Trainer. Many of us have seen this simulator that replicates the disorientation one would feel in a tumble spin during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere. Similar to the tool used for astronaut training during the Mercury program, this allows astronauts to condition themselves for disorientation that might occur in emergency conditions during flight. Bonus, the space camper’s belly will stay centered so they won’t feel any nausea and it is designed to not spin more than twice in the same manner in a row, to keep the inner ear fluid steady and avoid dizziness.
While those training simulators add an exciting flair, fascinating tasks and challenges round out the week of fun. Campers construct and launch their own model rocket, learn what it is like to live onboard the International Space Station, use tech to design and construct a Martian colony, launch simulated missions to the International Space Station and discover the newest rocket that will bring NASA astronauts to Mars.
While the camp is certainly designed to bring out kids’ inner science lover and space explorer, all the traditional benefits of overnight camps still hold true. Forging new friendships, developing team-building skills, camp-wide challenge nights, and most of all, fun.
Family Space Camp
Many of us parents would be shocked to know the classic “Space Camp” movie modeled after the camp just celebrated its 30-year anniversary. The movie followed a group of teens at the camp who were inadvertently (and somewhat unrealistically) sent into space by a rogue robot. Regardless of the Rotten Tomatoes rating, the late 80’s flick did capture imaginations and tempted many of that generation to, if not become space explorers, at least go to the cool camp. Now, parents can pull on their own space boots and not get left behind on Earth.
Family camp is designed with many of the activities of the kids’ version, and can accommodate kids seven and older (while the regular camp requires a minimum age of nine). Families can even sign up for a barbecue lunch before or after camp to “Dine with an Astronaut”, hearing tales of the space explorer’s experiences, participate in a Q&A and photo session. The program also offers Aviation Challenge and Robotics camps for those wanting to come back for other experiences or who have a focused interest.
By Sascha Zuger
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