North Forsyth Middle School Homepage

Dona Evans, Science Teacher
Ginger Willson, Instructional Technology Specialist

Space Shuttle Crew
 
 

“North Forsyth, we have liftoff!”

North Forsyth Middle School students traveled to Mars in a mock Space Shuttle with a crew of 24 astronauts and 48 mission control experts who rotated through the different missions. This crew has expanded in the use of technology for the mission. On board the Shuttle are three computers, a refrigerator, a microwave, a video camera, and many different types of science equipment. The Space Shuttle Mission is a great opportunity to explore beyond the outer limits of our world and learn important values that are needed to be successful in life.

Handouts:
Job Descriptions and Applications:
Technology:
* Computer laptops
* Close circuit TV
* Video camera
* Digital camera
* LaserJet printer
* Walkie Talkies

* Robotics
* Skype, a conferencing program
* Microsoft Excel
* Microsoft Word
* Microsoft Photo Editor
* Internet Explorer

Reflections:
Web Sites:
 
Our Story in Pictures:  
 
Mr. Folea brought his equipment for students to make their screen printed Shuttle T-shirts!  
 
Students once again designed the Shuttle patch.
 
 
Chris and Michael won State at the Technology Fair. Here they are testing their robotic arm!
 
Building satellites
First satellite launched
 Repairing satellites in an EVA  
Mrs. Evans 8th grade class built the mock satellites that were used during the mission. Manmade, or artificial satellites are placed into orbit by rockets or space shuttles. Communication satellites carry our telephone calls. Weather satellites help meteorologists predict the weather. Earth-survey satellites help scientists to study the earth's surface and living things on it.   Katherine and Morgan are shown above repairing a satellite during an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA). In the 1960’s, EVA was a new form of exploration. After only a few years of experience nestled in a spacecraft, humans began doing the unthinkable and journeyed “outside” into the most hostile environment ever encountered. Around 1965, astronauts and cosmonauts began leaving the relative comfort of their spacecraft and attempted to work in the vacuum of space with only a special space suit to protect them.
 
A liftoff reception was held before launching the 2005 Shuttle - "American Flyer"
 
 
 
Checking temperature and blood pressure  
Because space and earth are so different and the human body responds to microgravity in different ways, it is important to keep a record of the astronauts’ vital signs during a space mission. Mariah, mission control medical specialist, takes the astronauts’ temperature before they board the shuttle.   Julie, mission control medical specialist, checks the blood pressure and pulse rate of shuttle commander, Andrew, after his completing a 7-hour simulated Mars mission.
 
Communication between Mission Control and the Space Shuttle is crucial  
Communication between mission control and the shuttle is vital. When students launched the first shuttle in 2004, Curt Godwin, Forsyth County Schools systems engineer, set up NetMeeting, a Microsoft conferencing program, on four laptops. Mrs. Evans and Ginger Willson, the Instructional Technology Specialist at North Middle, got it up and running each day for use by the shuttle and mission control commanders as well as the computer specialists to facilitate the communication link. They are now using Skype instead of NetMeeting for communicating.   The program links the two through an internet connection. It allows three types of communication to take place: audio, visual, and text. Shuttle commander, Katie, communicates with mission control in the above picture. Skype was used to transport data from the shuttle to mission control. Important data from experiments, medical information, photos, and observations were all items that needed to be transferred between teams. Mrs. Willson was also on call throughout the day for technical support.
  • Video and Audio Conferencing: use audio and video enhancements to see other people and share ideas and conversations.
  • Chat: Chat lets you conduct real-time conversations via text, with as many conference participants as you like. You can also save your Chats.
  • File Transfer: Send a file in the to one or more conference participants
 
       
One of the three Technology specialists focuses the camera in mission control to document this historical event for future NFMS generations. The camera was also set up with the school’s closed circuit TV system which allowed the school to view the mission in real time. A similar system was also inside the shuttle recording and documenting events. 
  
Public Relation Specialists  
 The Public Relations Specialists publicize the mission by keeping the news media informed, holding press conferences, and writing news articles for the newspaper. They are also in charge of scheduling and conducting all tours of students, teachers and guests. They plan, schedule and host all receptions, including the lift-off reception. Designing and compiling the Shuttle scrapbook of the mission is fun but quite a lot of work! It includes taking pictures and editing them for the scrapbook, video taping Mission Control and inside the Shuttle to go out over the closed circuit school TV.
 
 
 
The Mission Director coordinates all activies for the mission  
Morgan, Mission Director, communicates with security specialist monitoring the shuttle. The mission director position is the most prominent and entails many skills. This position coordinates all activities for the mission. The director of NASA was Sean O”Keefe until 2004; he resigned shortly after the Columbia investigation ended.

Mission Director, Christa, demonstrates just how crucial scheduling can be. The mission director is responsible for overseeing that scheduled activities are performed on time and within timeframe and proper safety protocol.

The mission directors are the only member of the Shuttle team who can speak to Mrs. Evans. All crew member and mission control experts must go through them!
 
   
Preparing the shuttle   The "Walk" to the Shuttle  
The shuttle was built by Mrs. Evans in 1998 while teaching in Thomasville, Georgia. The shuttle measures 30 feet long, 27 feet wide (wingspan), and 6 feet high. It was constructed of black and white heavy plastic sheeting and is inflated with a 10” box fan. The shuttle houses a refrigerator, microwave, TV, VCR, three computers, and experimental and communication equipment. It has a seating capacity for six astronauts.   Mission 4 crew takes the infamous “walk” to the shuttle. The crews are wearing authentic NASA uniforms that were purchased with donations from local businesses. The student astronauts are nervous as they approach the shuttle not knowing what to expect on their mission. Each crew member has a specific job aboard the shuttle but must work together as a team to successfully complete the mission.
 
 
 
Preparing for liftoff!
 Gathering and documenting data
 Receiving data from Shuttle  
The crew of the shuttle is preparing for liftoff. Actual NASA liftoff and landing scripts are used for the mission. Mrs. Evans even throws in some unexpected events to test the astronauts quick thinking and trouble shooting skills! Daniel, food and supply specialist, compiles a lunch schedule for mission control personnel. Lunch times must be staggered in order that enough personnel is left in place to monitor all equipment and instruments. In the background you see several of the mission control specialists Medical specialist Jessica receives astronaut vital signs from the shuttle. Walkie-talkies are used for some personnel to communicate data or to conduct experiments.
 
 
 
Experiment with bacteria   Next step...  
Many experiments are conducted during the four-day mission. Some of the experiments were: growing crystals and fast plants; participating in verbal and nonverbal communication skill tests; testing toys in mission control and comparing their performance in space; and studying the surface of Mars. In the above picture, the science specialist is applying antibiotic pads to determine which antibiotic works best on different strands of bacteria.   Chelsea, the shuttle science specialist, is placing the prepared Petri dishes in the incubator where they will remain for the next crew to collect future data. Several of the experiments are long term where one mission begins the experiment and following crews continue collecting data and transmitting the data to mission control. Science specialists in mission control are responsible for compiling and analyzing data and generating any necessary graphs.
 
   
Science Specialist in Mission Control gives verbal direction to Space Shuttle scientist  
Legos in mission control? Mission control science specialist, TJ, constructs a structure out of Legos. He then transmits verbal directions only to shuttle science specialist, Chelsea, to see if she can construct the identical structure. This is an activity carried out early in the mission to test the communication ability level of the science specialist.   Accurate transmission of data is crucial in experimentation and documentation. It took a while, but mission accomplished! This activity proved to be much harder than the students thought it would be. Attempting this activity teaches listening skills, accurate verbal skills, problem solving, and patience.
 
   
Preparing the Food   Hey! This isn't so bad!  
Mrs. Evans strives to make the simulated mission as close to reality as possible. Because we were fortunate to receive sponsorship money from parents and local businesses, we were able to purchase freeze dried foods that simulate the foods the astronauts eat. Freeze dried foods are used on shuttle missions because they have a long shelf life and take up less space. Meals were packaged and labeled by the food and supply specialist and placed in the refrigerator on board of the shuttle.   ...Then the food was prepared in the microwave on the shuttle. Once the crew of the shuttle got over the fact that their lunch was freeze dried and stopped staring at it, they actually enjoyed their freeze dried spaghetti with meat sauce. The students were a little hesitant at first, but it proved to be quite tasty, especially the ice cream! Now who is going to clean the kitchen?
 
   
Two-way TV allows Shuttle and Mission Control to view each other  
Public relation specialists schedule and conduct tours for each class at NFMS during the four day mission. They are also responsible for any other visitors that may come for a visit. They work with the press and media personnel to assure accurate coverage of the mission. Another responsibility of the public relation specialists is to assemble a scrapbook which depicts the events of the NFMS Simulated Space Shuttle Program. Here Courtney explains to a visiting class that the satellites were designed and built by the 8th grade students. Each mission launched a satellite.   The classroom was set up as Mission Control. There were eleven jobs in Mission Control. Each job had its various responsibilities such as tracking the shuttle, monitoring the weather and communicating with the astronauts on the shuttle. The mission control specialists were able to view the astronauts. There was a video camera on the shuttle that was hooked up to the television. The rest of the student body could tune in and watch the astronauts complete their mission.
 
   
Monitoring the weather and tracking the Shuttle as it moves over Africa  
One of the jobs in mission control was the Tracking Specialist. Their job was to monitor the weather and track the shuttle. Trey is moving the picture of the shuttle across the map which represents the shuttle’s actual path. This was crucial in determining the shuttle’s velocity and represented the tracking of actual NASA space shuttle.   The shuttle moves over Africa as it revolves around the world. Using the distance the shuttle travels and the time it takes, the speed of the shuttle can be determined. This knowledge is necessary for the shuttle to arrive at its destination on time.
 
    

Paula Gault,
Superintendent of Schools

   Nancy Roche,
Forsyth Co Board of Education		  
The morning of the first mission, parents, teachers, and administrators, and superintendents had the opportunity to come and pretend to be astronauts. They too could have the experience the students had. Mrs. Gault and Mrs. Roach use NetMeeting to talk and communicate information. Mrs. Gault experienced being a member of the space shuttle crew while Mrs. Roche "stayed on Earth"' at Mission Control.