Schools
Mission Accomplished for Gwinnett Space Bus Program
Modeled after NASA space travel, the program 'flies' its last mission at Hull Middle School after 17 years.
The sounds of a simulated space journey starting with 30 7th graders in complete control:
Twenty seconds and counting. T-15 seconds, guidance is internal. 12, 11, 10, 9 ... ignition sequence start ... 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 ... All engines running. Liftoff! We have a liftoff!
The Gwinnett Space Bus program is now in full operation for teams of 7th grade students at Hull Middle School. The activities center around a 1982 school bus that is painted and set up to look like the real NASA space shuttle. The orbiter comes complete with wings and exterior thrusters. The program, though, is in its final year.
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The full simulation runs about 90 minutes and includes a launch, life experiments in the mid-deck, space experiments in the space lab, an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) to replace an engine on the International Space Vehicle, and experiments on the moon base. The mission requires complete team participation. Those who try to go it their own could find themselves on the "perished" list at the end of the mission.
Students are assigned a wide range of titles and job responsibilities including mission control, science director, pilot, commander, space lab technician, and even moon base commander. There are enough positions in the simulation for 33 students.
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There are five distinct groups of students: mission control, earth science lab, moon base, international space station, and the space shuttle. This comprises four different locations so that the students are separated from visual sight and must communicate with radio devices and computers.
Each student is supplied a unique notebook that includes preparation activities, mission and post mission materials. Each group uses a timer, walkie-talkies, and a laptop computer for real-time chat communication.
Mission control synchronizes the timers with all teams at the beginning of the mission and then each team is responsible for following a set script of communication and experiments. The script requires communications down to the second, so students must keep up with their job responsibilities.
Mission control is separated into different areas of the computer lab and represents the Cape Kennedy, Huntsville, and Houston centers. Their job is to keep all mission participants on time and on mission. They oversee the launch sequence, space dock, return entry and landing.
The space shuttle (inside the space bus) has a full crew including commander, pilot, and scientists. While the commander and pilot are busy communicating with mission control for flight instructions, the scientists are doing live experiments and recording results. As soon as they get results for their experiment, they type them into the live chat feed so the science directors in mission control can record the results for analysis.
The international space station team is tasked with building an EVA and conducting a series of experiments, including measuring the pH level of some solutions. All of this is while wearing helmets and gloves to simulate space conditions.
The moon base crew simulates a moon walk. They are tasked to stake a tent and then conduct lunar experiments that include solar measurements around different colored panels, weight measurements of various items, and pulse/respiration rates for lunar exercise. Try typing those results into a laptop with a pair of space gloves.
The idea for the program started in 1993 with a vision from founder Marilyn Davis. She sought to increase student knowledge and interest in research and development of space exploration and science technology. One teacher from each middle school in Gwinnett County was selected by their principal to work on the Space Bus program.
The entire committee attended the Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., in the summer of 1994 to educate themselves and begin planning. The first mission was in January 1995 and over the years the bus rotated between participating middle schools in Gwinnett County.
Each day since the first mission in January 1995, Gwinnett County Fleet Maintenance has delivered the bus to the school in the morning and returned each afternoon to take the bus back to secure storage.
The initial program funding came from multiple sources including: the 1993 State of Georgia Christa McAuliffe Award, a 1995 Atlanta Journal/Constitution Honor Teacher Award, and a Duluth Rotary Club donation.
As the real NASA space orbiter program retires in 2011, the Gwinnett County Space Bus Program will also retire. The program has served thousands of students over the years across the county. Davis dreamed big, worked hard, and achieved her goal. Mission accomplished commander.
