By GLYNIS HART
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ACWORTH — A local nonprofit that encourages young women and girls to explore careers in science, engineering and technology has been invited to the blast-off in July of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) SpaceX Crew Dragon rocket at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. A board member of Heritage Mills, who is also an astronaut, went to Cape Canaveral for the demo launch on March 2.
Heritage Mills is a Claremont-based nonprofit that aims to preserve and teach historical technologies while educating the younger generation about the principles of engineering, scientific processes, manufacturing technology and entrepreneurship. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a supporter of the program, secured the invitations to both launches.
“NASA liked what we are doing, so they invited us there,” said Gerry DeMuro, board chair of Heritage Mills.
The demo launch of SpaceX Rocket 9 on March 2 showed the capabilities of the new generation of rockets. The rocket leaves the nose cone in space and returns; instead of falling into the ocean, the rocket lands on a floating barge. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon flew unmanned this time, but is planned to transport astronauts on its next trip to the International Space Station.
Dr. Jean Gupta, an astronaut who sits on the board of Heritage Mills and is the committee chair for its Young Women in Science and Engineering program, attended the demonstration launch of SpaceX.
“We arrived at 12 midnight,” Gupta wrote. “The launch was at 2:48 a.m. It was an instantaneous launch window, which meant the launch had to take place at exactly this time to meet the International Space Station 26 hours later.”
Gupta said the crowd of 1,000 felt as if “all of us were one person” as they waited for countdown. The final clearance for launch wasn’t given until 2:47 a.m.
“The launch pad, gantry and rocket were clearly visible, especially through binoculars,” Gupta wrote. “At the moment of the launch first there was the blinding light, then the sound, a pulsing roar, then the pressure waves that pounded against your chest. It was so bright, it turned night into day.
“I thought I was witnessing a thermonuclear blast. The Falcon 9 rocket has 9 engines,” she wrote.
The launch lasted less than three minutes. The rocket accelerated to orbital velocity. “We saw the first stage separation on camera,” Gupta wrote. “After the second stage ignited, with binoculars, you could see a reddish dot with a faint vapor trail spreading from it.”
Gupta and the other viewers were able to follow the action on two screens. One showed the view from inside the cockpit and the other NASA feeds of the launch. “And then we saw it. The first stage Falcon 9 righted itself and reignited to make a controlled landing on a barge 250 miles away in the Atlantic Ocean. And we saw it coming down, finally sinking below the horizon. On the NASA screen to the side, we saw its perfect landing on the barge, right in the middle of the crosshairs.”
“It’s like starting the whole space program from scratch,” said DeMuro. “It literally establishes America back in the space business. We will be able to shuttle back and forth to the space station.”
DeMuro said the connection to the space launch will be incorporated into Heritage Mills’ educational programs for young women and girls, which takes place in August. Middle and high school girls who participate will develop a video about aerospace engineering, deep ecology and carbon-free energy.
“We are really blessed to be part of this,” said DeMuro, “and encourage young women to participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs. America needs engineers, and this is our part to encourage girls to look at STEM careers. If we can keep the momentum going it will be great for girls and for our region.”
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