Many kids dream of traveling to space. Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, will present two summer camps designed to encourage students to make long-range career choices in math and science: "Space Shuttle Simulator" and "Mission to Mars."

The simulator program was launched in 1990.

"NASA wanted to show that the space shuttle program was up and running again," said Dave Meredith, program architect and coordinator. "The Continuing Education Department at Penn State asked me to do a program for kids, and I agreed."

Meredith contrived a space capsule and organized a system that would enable students to simulate launching and landing a shuttle. He wrote a computer program that enables students to launch one satellite and retrieve another.

The response to the first space camp was positive. When Meredith polled his 'space campers' regarding future projects, the campers' expressed their desire to study Mars.

"That's how "Mission to Mars" was born," Meredith said.

He said that Mars was a good choice for a project.

"The conditions on Mars are more similar to those on earth than any other planet," he said. "Also, there's the 'unknown factor'; kids are fascinated by things that are not familiar to them."

In this camp, students have the chance to study phosphorescent rocks, much like those found on Mars. They experiment with magnetism and pull metals from sand. They even analyze landing sites for shuttles. "Mars has many plains," Meredith said.

"I give students problems and encourage them to solve them on their own," said Meredith. "These camps also encourage team work. Most of all, kids learn to stay calm under pressure."

Events for the simulator include learning how the shuttle enters orbit, learning about fuels and fuel systems and learning launch abort procedures. Students will live the life of the astronaut, learning to eat and sleep in space. Later, students will learn to work in space. Students will demonstrate their skills by completing a mission from launch to landing.

During the "Mission to Mars," students will study the solar system and construct a scale replica. Students then will plan and execute a trip to Mars, where they will study and identify rocks. Students will conclude by conducting a mission from beginning to end.

Taking flight

The "Mission to Mars" program runs from 9 a.m. to noon July 27-31. The "Space Shuttle Simulator" program runs from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 3-7. The cost for each program is $25. For more information, call Dave Meredith at 724-430-4268 or email him at dxm15@ psu.edu .

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