Space Camp: Day 2

Hi 5th grade families! Today was a busy day at camp! The kids started their first real day. The groups were given their "group name" - Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cygnus, Dorado, Draco. All groups were trained for their upcoming mission and were assigned positions. Some groups were able to check out the simulators. One simulator is called "Five Degrees of Freedom." This simulates a space walk. The simulator allows kids to hover above the ground as they work on a shuttle. If they let go of the shuttle, they will float away into space. :) They were also able to ride on the MAT (Multi Axis Trainer). The Multi-Axis Trainer simulates the disorientation an astronaut would feel in a tumble spin during reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere. The MAT is patterned after the MASTIF ( Multiple-Axis Spin/Space Test Inertia Facility), used for astronaut training during the Mercury program. The astronauts used this to condition themselves for disorientation that might occur in emergency conditions during flight. The kids reported that they got a LOT of sleep last night (they were tired from the bus ride). :) Everyone was in good spirits and smiling throughout the day! Have a great evening! Leslie