By Katy Gagnon
About 50 Richmond Hill children got a first-hand account of life in outer space Monday during a bi-coastal video conference that linked students in Queens and California to a NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station.
The children, fourth- and fifth-graders from eight different borough schools, were joined by educators, elected officials and business sponsors for the event at One Stop Richmond Hill Community Center.
First, the Richmond Hill group was connected to an elementary school in California via teleconferencing. Then after being patched through mission control in Houston, both groups were able to speak with NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman live from the International Space Station.
“Have you ever see a total eclipse in space?” 10-year-old Elijah Ramos asked.
Dressed in bright blue T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Future Explorers” and holding index cards containing carefully printed questions, 10 of the Richmond Hill students dutifully waited in line to introduce themselves and ask their questions.
Elijah, a PS 56 student, said he asked his question because he always wanted to see an eclipse and wondered what it'd be like to see one from space. “I wanted to have that experience,” he said.
As he answered the questions, Reisman demonstrated how he could effortlessly juggle a 10-gallon jug of water in space or how he could tumble mid-air through a corridor in the space station eliciting laughter and applause from Reisman's audiences on Earth.
“It's one thing to do it in a textbook, but this comes alive,” said PS 66 Principal Phyllis Leinwand, who attended the event.
The children began preparing for the conference last fall when they enrolled in an after-school program at One Stop that centered on science and technology. For months, the students used teleconferencing to connect with NASA educators and scientists from around the world.
After the video conference, Frank Scalzo, a NASA educator, spoke with the children about the benefits of studying science and potentially pursuing a career with NASA.
“The people going to Mars in 2020 or 2030 are not going to be someone like me. Hopefully, I'll be home watching it in my rocking chair,” he said. “It's going to be someone like you or someone a little younger than you.”
Reach reporter Katy Gagnon by e-mail at kgagnon@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 Ext 174.
