Alexander Tauke, son of Denise Tauke, Wichita, graduated from Level 1 of the Future Astronaut Training Program (FATP) this month at the Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center, Hutchinson.
Tauke will be a seventh grader at Andover Middle School this fall.
The four-day, introductory astronaut camp is for students entering grades 6-8 and emphasizes teamwork, leadership and problem solving. Developed by Cosmosphere staff, FATP is a nationally recognized camp that motivates campers to seek careers in aerospace-related industries.
Throughout the week, campers train in space simulators such as the centrifuge, multi-axis trainer and stress simulator. They launch homemade rockets, and design and direct a robotic mission. The week culminates with a mission in the Cosmosphere’s Falcon III, the most realistic shuttle simulator outside of NASA, and the monitoring of another team’s mission in the mission control center
They also tour the Cosmosphere’s world-renowned Hall of Space Museum and watch a live presentation of Dr. Goddard’s Lab.
The centrifuge is a rotating device that tests people’s reactions to forces encountered during launch and reentry; the multi-axis trainer spins riders 360 degrees in multiple axes while simulating tumble-type maneuvers that could be encountered in spaceflight; the stress simulator incorporates external stimuli into a mission to replicate stressful situations encountered in spaceflight. The Falcon III simulates launch, orbit, satellite deployment, reentry and landing.
The Future Astronaut Training Program is just one of the Cosmosphere’s educational camps. For more information about this or other camps, call the education coordinator at 800.397.0330, ext. 323, or visit www.cosmo.org. The Cosmosphere is located at 1100 N. Plum, Hutchinson, Kan.
The Cosmosphere offers camp programs for students as young as those going into second grade, and on through high school age. Camps are available for adults, including some for intergenerational learning that grandparents or parents as young as 40 can attend with their children or grandchildren. Camp experiences are also offered for groups, including schools who want a program designed just for them, and corporate team building. The Cosmosphere also has programs designed specifically for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Webelos.
The Cosmosphere’s Future Astronaut Training Program (FATP) has five levels. Levels 1 and 2 are held at the Cosmosphere; Level 3 is held at the Cosmosphere for two days and then at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for two days; and Level 4 is held at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for all five days. X-treme is 12 days, split between the Cosmosphere and Beaver Lake in Arkansas, where they earn SCUBA certification. For more information call 800-397-0330, ext. 323.
The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to Honoring the Past and Inspiring the Future of Space Exploration. Educating people from around the globe, the Cosmosphere boasts the Hall of Space museum, one of the most significant collections of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world; the Justice Planetarium, a dome-shaped classroom where attendants learn about astronomy; Dr. Goddard’s Lab, a live demonstration of early rocket technology; the Carey IMAX® Dome Theater, one of the first ones built in the world; and a multitude of special events and programs.
Augusta, Kan. —
