Student Reflections: NASA Trip

Justina Rodriguez: Visiting NASA was an overall incredible experience, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity. On this trip we got to listen to an astronaut speaker, which was both fascinating and inspiring. I learned a lot about the evolution of spacecraft technology, particularly how much it has advanced over the years. For example, the astronauts' seats used to be cramped and uncomfortable, making the journey a lot harder, but now they have been redesigned to provide a much larger and accommodating space. This is just one example of how technology has advanced over the years, improving the overall experience of space travel. I also learned about the Apollo missions and their huge spaceship, which has made multiple trips to space. We also got to see a life-sized model of the Hubble Space Telescope. Seeing it in person gave me a real sense of its massive size and how incredible it was. The parts of the trip I enjoyed the most were the simulation and the bonding with my peers. There were two simulations, one was a ride that simulated how it was to be flying in space, and the second one took us on a virtual journey to explore the exoplanets. These simulations made learning so much more exciting and immersive. Sharing the experience with my friends made it even more memorable, as school trips are always the best with friends. We created a lot of new memories that we will never forget. This trip sparked my curiosity about space. While I don’t plan on having a career as an astronaut, it made me realize how much there is to explore and learn about the universe. Overall, if you ever get the chance to go on this trip to NASA, I would highly recommend going to it since it's a great experience for learning, bonding, and creating lasting memories.

Mia Archambault: Throughout the year in Big History Honors, we have learned about the origins of the universe. We started with the big bang and ended with learning how our home planet earth was created. I was so excited when I heard that the honors classes were going to the Kennedy Space Center. It gave me an opportunity to apply the knowledge I had learned in class to the real world. We started the day on a 4 hour bus drive to the center itself. Once we got to KSC I felt elated. As we walked through the rocket garden, admiring the history of spacecrafts, my excitement grew. We then boarded the bus to the Saturn V/ Apollo area. During the bus ride I was able to see the Vehicle Assembly Building and the famous Crawler. Once there I got to see a simulation of the launch of the Apollo 8 mission. It was amazing seeing how it truly happened. Even if it was only for a moment, I truly felt that I was sitting in the control room, watching it in real time. After the show we walked into the main building, and I saw the Saturn V rocket in all of its glory. Walking under it, I was able to appreciate its true beauty. I was able to see multiple artifacts from the moon landings including real moon rock samples. After the bus ride back we had lunch at the Orbit Cafe. I was able to connect further with my friends and make new connections with others. After eating, we headed toward the Atlantis building. The show before the reveal of the shuttle Atlantis itself was beautiful, but nothing compares to the feeling of seeing the shuttle itself. After exploring the building for a while, enjoying the ISS installation, we headed to the launch simulator. I felt like I was an astronaut on the Shuttle missions. It was educational to learn how the shuttles took off and the stages it went through. I have a newfound appreciation for space launches now that I know the intricacy of the launch process. We then were able to hear the experience of a real astronaut who was on the ISS. I asked him a question and got a profound answer in response. After, everyone headed toward the Gateway building to ride the simulator there. My friends and I chose to ride the Mars Exploration. Waiting in line I was able to talk to Mrs. Massa about space and why I want to pursue a career in it. On the ride it was so much fun traversing the surface of the Red Planet. I felt like I was flying across its red, barren lands. After a wonderful day we boarded the bus to head home. Looking back, this trip experience has allowed me to learn more things about a topic I feel so passionately about, helped me further connections with friends and create new ones, and create an experience I will never forget.