It’s a standard requirement when going back to school to write a paper on how one spent their summer vacation.
For a group of students in Virginia it will go beyond spending time with friends and families, swimming and playing sports. Their answer will include one-week studying research projects at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.
Through the Virginia Space Coast Scholars, 120 high school sophomore students from across the Commonwealth will spend one week at Wallops talking to scientists, engineers and technicians about research conducted at the Eastern Shore facility.
Joyce Winterton, Wallops senior advisor for education and leadership development, said, “This is the fourth year we have partnered with the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport to provide the opportunity for these outstanding students to experience the missions at a NASA facility.”
“During the week, the students will take what they learn about past and current Wallops missions and apply this to their design of a suborbital mission, putting to the test their project management and team skills,” Winterton said.
Mary Sandy, Consortium director, said, “The Virginia Space Grant Consortium is pleased to partner with NASA Wallops to provide this outstanding real-world opportunity for Virginia students to enhance their knowledge of science, engineering and technology through the awe-inspiring work of NASA.”
“By studying real missions that range from measuring global precipitation and monitoring atmospheric pollution, sea ice and severe storms to studying the aurora phenomenon, students learn about scientific investigation as well as the engineering aspects of mission platforms and launch requirements,” she said.
The program has grown from one week-long session to three week-long sessions. This year the sessions will begin on July 23, and August 6 and 20.
At the end of the week the students will present their projects to Wallops employees and showcase their projects to friends, families and Wallops’ visitors during the closing ceremony between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. July 29 and August 12 and 26 at the NASA Visitor Center.
More information on NASA”S Wallops Flight Facility is available at:
Keith Koehler
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia
keith.a.koehler@nasa.gov
757-824-1579