Hamilton Middle School students will be recognized May 6 by Senator John Glenn in Washington, D.C., at the Space Day Opening Ceremony for their “Stellar” solution to the Space Day 2004 Design Challenges.
“Team Star Troopers” and “Team Galactic Gals” will be awarded Best Design and Most Creative for their solutions to the Extreme Explorer and Galactic Gear Design Challenges. These students were chosen out of 338 entries received from 1620 students, from 23 states and three different countries.
“We hope to perpetuate the legacy of our nation’s pioneers by nurturing that same sense of curiosity in our children and engage them in the thrill of discovery,” said Senator Glenn, co-chair of the Space Day educational initiative. “These students, who represent our future space pioneers, will one day realize exciting possibilities that we can only now imagine.”
The Star Troopers, Christopher Burbridge, Jonathan Saint, Grant Hodel, Ross Sheppard, led by teacher Nicole Domingues, designed The Hesperus, a rover that would explore the planet Venus. It has a shovel to collect samples, sensors to take temperatures and a camera to send back video images. The rover was designed with large wheels to maneuver over the rocky surface and would be driven by a person. The Hesperus would be delivered by a modified space shuttle that would orbit Venus and unload and reload the rover.
The Galactic Gals, Kailey Graybill, Claire McSwain, Molly Schmidt, Elizabeth Collins, guided by teacher Mary Patterson decided to build shoes that astronauts could wear while exploring the planet Mars. The shoes would have suction cups on the bottom so that the astronauts would stick to the surface of the planet and not float away.
The team thought the Suction Cup Shoes would replace tethers and would allow them to travel farther distances from their ship or home base. The shoes would also be equipped with tools such as a flashlight, a screwdriver and a remote control rover that could collect samples.
“The Design Challenges reinforced the idea that these children are our future. It forced them to work as a team to find a solution. It honestly does not get more beneficial when teachers are able to intertwine curriculum with the real world,” said Domingues. “Space Day 2004…Blazing Galactic Trails” is an educational initiative that seeks to ignite the imagination of 21st century space explorers, scientists and inventors by focusing youngsters’ attention on the challenges and accomplishments of exploration. Space Day uses space-related activities to inspire and prepare youth for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The 8th annual Space Day is co-chaired by Senator John Glenn and Dr. Vance D. Coffman, Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Lockheed Martin is the founding sponsor of Space Day, which has more than 75 organizations participating as Space Day Partners and Associates. Millions of students, teachers, parents and space enthusiasts participate in Space Day educational programs and celebrations across North America. Learn more about Space Day online at www.spaceday.org.
This is the fourth year for the Space Day competition and the first time that two teams from the same school with two different teachers have won the competition.
Winning members of the Star Troopers team include (l-r): Chris Burbridge, Grant Hodel, Ross Shepard and Jonathan Saint.
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