By Krishna Chaugule
Esteemed astronaut Colonel Terry Virts visited Innovation Academy and met Innovation Academy students, Hopewell Middle School students, and Alpharetta Elementary students on April 12th. With his new book The Astronaut’s Guide to Leaving the Planet out, he has been on the forefront of discussion for many young students.
A graduate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Harvard Business School, and test fighter pilot as a NASA Veteran for two spacecrafts, he certainly has the experience and knowledge needed to inform young minds about the wonders of space. He is one of only four astronauts in history to have piloted a Space Shuttle, flown a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, performed space walks, and commanded the ISS. In The Astronaut’s Guide to Leaving the Planet, he harnesses excitement about space and space exploration to introduce children to STEM and inspires a love of science in every reader.
This was a significant educational experience for students of all ages, considering the educational STEM material that the book covers and also Colonel Virts’ speech about life in space. From gastric reflux in space to the technicalities of a space suit, all the youngsters’ questions about space were answered. While showing a video of himself floating through a spacecraft, he discussed the training that astronaut trainees have to receive to be eligible for becoming an astronaut, including swimming through a pool while wearing an incredibly heavy space suit.
To spark interest amongst those interested in astronomy, he showed students photos of the sky from different lenses and discussed various astronomical phenomenon, such as the over-heating of the atmosphere resulting in certain ‘hotspots.’ He discussed the technicalities of how to leave the orbit of planet earth, and how a certain speed needs to be reached so that spacecrafts can travel to the moon, mars, or to any planet outside the orbit of planet Earth.
To engage his younger audience, Colonel Virts introduced some lighter topics like cutting hair after being in space. He talked about his experience learning how to cut women’s hair and then actually implementing this in practice with his female crewmate after the spacecraft landed. This spiked great interest and added humor to his story, also keeping the audience engaged.
Moreover, this gave students the opportunity to interact with others of different ages and from different schools. This also gave the elementary and middle schoolers a brief glance at STEM from the perspective of a work-based field rather than just a science class. Infusing his talk with fun stories about life in space and newer innovations to protect astronauts, he was successful in engaging students from all three schools, despite their vastly different ages.
This entire event was organized under the guidance of the Innovation Academy’s Student Library Advisory Board, and its sponsor, Mrs. Bongiorno. It was an innovative and educational experience for students and will hopefully leave them with a newfound admiration for science and STEM. This will help the younger generation envision their dreams of becoming an astronaut as a potential reality!
