THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 24, 1994 TAG: 9407220271
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Education
SOURCE: BY XIAOHONG ZHANG SWAIN, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Five small astronauts aboard a space shuttle recently visited Chesapeake's mayor and conducted an hourlong experiment in front of City Hall.
``They have such a sophisticated machine,'' joked Mayor William E. Ward, as he watched the crew's five members emerge from their . . . school bus.
The participants in the mock moon-walk demonstration were actually 7th- and 8th-graders spending two weeks in a space camp sponsored by the Chesapeake Center for Science and Technology. And their space shuttle was a school bus.
For the third consecutive year, the space shuttle was ``launched'' from the center. At 10 a.m. on July 14, it traveled to City Hall under the escort of a city police cruiser.
Upon its arrival, shuttle pilot Heather Adams, 12, presented the mayor with a U.S. flag and invited him aboard the shuttle.
Meanwhile, scientist Ian Parr, 13, retrieved models of a lost ``moon sample'' and a satellite. Mechanic Tim Anderson, 13, repaired a satellite. And Tiffany Brumley, the 13-year-old doctor, measured the blood pressure and pulse of her colleagues. She also prepared and served a nutritious lunch for the entire crew.
Each action by the crew was videotaped by Jeremy Phillips, 14.
John Sammons, a center instructor, watched over the crew as its design instructor.
The shuttle - painted white and black and furnished with control panels, wings and a robotic arm - was actually an old yellow school bus donated by the city in 1992.
``We were looking for science programs that would bring in younger children,'' said Jan Garner, recalling the beginning stage of the space shuttle. This year, Garner, formerly the principal of the Center for Science and Technology, became its special education director.
In 1992, Garner sought advice from local school teachers on finding an interesting program for younger children. Some suggested that the center could turn a school bus into a mock space shuttle.
Soon, Garner was riding the space shuttle with its first crew.
``The program has a real positive impact on the children,'' she said. ``It's kind of a community spirit.''
The first crew designed the interior and exterior of the shuttle. Later, the second and third crews added new parts and equipment to the ship, Garner said. The most recent crew installed a pseudo-robotic arm on the roof of the shuttle to collect pollution samples.
This year, Garner didn't ride the shuttle. Instead, Principal Linda Scott accompanied the crew on the mission.
``I'm mostly here to represent the school and present the group to the mayor,'' Scott said.
For the astronauts, there's a price to be paid for being on the space shuttle. With only a fan blowing inside, the shuttle became scorching hot under the summer sun. The mock white spacesuits worn by the astronauts made the heat even more unbearable.
``It was fun, but it's too hot here,'' said a sweat-drenched Heather Adams, who made a big effort to down her meal of beef jerky, noodle soup and dehydrated fruits.
But the heat didn't stop the crew from satisfactorily completing their experiments.
Ward is convinced that the space shuttle program is a valuable resource for the youths.
``It helps to enhance their knowledge,'' he said. ``Some day, I'm going to take my space ship, that little red Hyundai, and visit them.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by L. TODD SPENCER
Heather Adams, 12, pilots the ``shuttle'' full of students in the
Chesapeake Center for Science and Technology's space camp.
``Astronaut'' Ian Parr participates in the mock moon-walk.
by CNB