NASA Rocket Workshop and Tour

The real reason for going to Florida was to watch a rocket launch and attend an educators workshop and then go on a Kennedy Space Center tour.  The launch was cancelled, but several of us (Einstein Fellows) decided to continue with the workshop and tour, especially since we had already made flight and hotel plans.

In the morning on Tuesday, I drove to the space center for the Rocket Workshop.  It was a lot of fun acting like kids and making different kinds of rockets.

Straw rockets were fun, easy and inexpensive for teachers.

Using Alka Seltzer to power rockets had some surprising results.  Kids will really like this.

Next we went outside to launch our stomp powered rockets.  Competition was starting to increase.

Lastly we used a portable air pressure pump to launch rockets.  We started at 30 psi and then increased to 40 psi.  

In the afternoon we were taken on a tour of the space center.  We were taken places that people that pay for tours do not get to see or do not get to see as close up as we went.  

One of the launch pads.  Anna will be able to tell you more about it than I can.

This was our Einstein group.  Many have become some of my dearest friends.

I am standing under one of the space shuttles that is being prepared to go to its new home.

This is the building where the shuttles were put together with the fuel rockets.  Our guide said that it is the tallest one story building.  It is one large room that is as tall as a 50 story building.

Inside the vertical assembly building there are four bays.  On this day, two of the shuttles filled two of these bays.  This is the Atlantis and they are in the process of removing any parts that might be used elsewhere.  

After the tour, at the visitor center, I had an opportunity to listen to a real astronaut.  Jack Lousma talked about his numerous space flights and time on SpaceLab.  In the evening, Cindy Hasselbring (Einstein Fellow) and I were able to go to dinner with Jack and his wife.  They were very real and kind.

The day was full from morning to late that evening.  Experiences I never would be able to have if I were not an Einstein Fellow.