Space Camp

After school ended we went down to Florida to do Space Camp. I did it last year and I loved it. Space Camp is at the Kennedy Space Center. When we got there we still had a day or two to do something before I started. That Sunday we went to Cocoa Beach. First we went to Ron Jon and then we went to the beach and walked around a little bit. After about 15 minutes at the beach we left to go back to the bus and get ready for Space Camp the next day.

Monday morning you got there a little earlier to get your shirts that you have to wear for the week. They also had backpacks and water bottles that you could get. I got the water bottle last year so I didn't buy another one this year. Around 8:00am they called you over to get in line to enter the space center. I met someone while I was standing in line to be friends with while I was there. I am glad that I met her because I am a really shy person. Once we got into the space center and had an introduction we started the activities. The first activity was going on a simulator in the Atlantis building. I didn't go on it because I was too nervous to go on it. As soon as the other people were done with the ride we went on to our next activity. A little while later it was time for lunch. That day they had hamburgers for you to eat. They were really good. After lunch we went onto a few other activities. One of them was an egg drop challenge. You had to make something for your egg to be able to drop two stories high and not break. My group's egg did not break. Before you knew it, it was time for snack and then pickup.

On Tuesday we did the new ride Gateway. I also sat out on that one because I had no idea what it was. Now that I know what it is I regret not doing it. I will definitely do it next year though. After the ride was over we did a scavenger hunt in the Gateway building. You picked a partner to do it with. By the second day I met two more girls. My partner for the scavenger hunt was one of them. After we finished Gateway it was time for lunch. I don't remember what we did the rest of the day but at 3:00 it was time for pickup again.

Wednesday we did Mars Base 1. It was super cool. There are 4 stations at Mars Base 1. Each one you are there for around 45 minutes I think. In my group's first station you were partnered up with someone and then you had to complete all the tasks from Mars. At the end you got your scores. You went through three different stations and each one you had to complete different tasks. The next place we went to is the plant lab. When we were there you planted the plants that the astronauts actually use which is pretty cool.

Once we were done in the plant lab we went to lunch. After lunch we continued at Mars Base 1. For our next station we cut a hole in the cup and then put a lease in the hole so when you held it up to light it would be rainbow. The instructor had different lights like helium or hydrogen and many more. Each time you held your cup up there was a different pattern or different colors. After that we went to the rover room. The goal was to drive your rover around and get all the sand off of the solar panels and have the solar panels exposed to light. There was a screen in front of you so you know what percentage of the screen is still covered. It was a little hard to try not to get the rover stuck where the sand goes when you clear it off. After everyone was done we still had some extra time before snack so our instructor told us about a few of his jobs before he came to the space center. There were so many cool jobs that he listed. Then it was time for snack and pickup.

On Thursday we did the bus tour. If you go to the Kennedy Space Center I recommend the bus tour. During the bus tour you get to go super close to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Along the way there is a TV screen that will tell you about the building and some more fun facts. The bus takes you to the Saturn 5 center. To get into the building you go into a room where there are 3 screens and it will play a video. Once you are done with the video you will move onto the next room where it will show you what it was like to be in the control room during a launch. When the rocket launches the windows will start shaking. Once you are done with that you will move onto the big building that has a real rocket in it. The rocket that was hanging wasn't used but it was made just in case something unexpected happened. After we went to another show and looked in a room that had a bunch of historical stuff like the space suits and a few awards. After that we took the bus back to the main part of the space center. After lunch we did the simulators. My favorite simulator is the microgravity one. For the microgravity simulator it is like you are fixing parts on the ISS. They will sit you in a chair and then put air pressure into it I think. We did a total of 4 simulators. After that it was time to go home.

Friday was the last day of camp. In the morning we went into the Hero's and Legends building. First you went through two rooms that each had a video and then you went into a room that had the names of the astronauts. Once we were done with that we went to lunch. Afterwards we went to Planet Play. Planet Play is like one huge playground with ropes you can climb on, a big slide, and more. After Planet Play it was time to leave. On Fridays they let you out an hour early to spend time with your family in the space center. This year they gave you four tickets for your family. When it was time to leave I said bye to the friends I made and then went back into the space center with my family.