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Every kid's most fervent dream is to experience what it is like to be an astronaut. The NASA sponsored Space camp in Huntsville, Alabama makes this dream a possibility. The week long programs help the kid experience what its like to be an astronaut. Some of these programs are offered along with other community programs like 4-H. Attending a Space Camp can be one of the most meaningful and interesting experiences of your child's life. Of course, one would expect an age limit at Space Camp, and there is no exception for the program in Alabama. While there are special programs at the center for younger kids, the full camp is only available to those who are at least 12. There are many activities offered at the camp that younger kids would have a problem with, and there is also the question of being old enough to be away from home. The activities and programs at the Alabama Space Camp are designed to evoke the kids' curiosity and creativity. There are seminars and classes about the history of the space programs including the United States Space Program and the Soviet Space program. These are supplemented by educational tours to the Space museum and creative exercises like designing a lunar colony. But the most fun in Space Camp is obviously not in sitting in classes or visiting museums. What the kids love is that they get to explore the inside of spacecrafts using life size mock ups of space shuttles. The bunks in the quarters are so life like that they could be on a space station or colony, not someplace in Alabama. But the most exciting part about Space Camp is the "astronaut training". All kids who attend Space Camp are put through astronaut training. Space suits are fitted for the kids so they get to experience what that feels like. There are centrifuge rides to help the kids feel the pressure of gravity and zero gravity simulations to help them experience weightlessness. Using simulators, they are also taught to "fly" spacecraft like the shuttle. Not to forget, the kids can use a contraption that helps them experience what it feels like to walk on the moon. Once the training is complete all the Space Camp participants are given the opportunity to run a simulated mission. Everyone on board the ship is assigned a specific role such as that of a pilot, or a payload specialist to play in completing the mission successfully. Special attention is paid to sequencing and time because these elements are important in real space missions. If you make a mistake, your simulator shakes you around and you know what it is like to crash and burn. Depending on how much time you have, you may get to run the mission more than once. Thus you may be able to play different roles. This way you not only have fun but also learn more about the space program by doing more. Space Camp is an effective and fun way to spark an interest in space and in science. Kids go through a practical program in a learning atmosphere that transports them far away from its location in Huntsville, Alabama.
Article Source: http://www.fubrus.com
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