Space Odyssey: 17 students of Nasr School for Boys went on a trip to Nasa

Ask anybody if they would like to go on a space trip or a trip to Nasa, and the answer, most probably, will be yes.

This year, 17 students of the Nasr School for Boys got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go on a tour to Nasa, Florida. “During the 10-day trip, the students gained knowledge beyond their classrooms,” says Hema Madhav, teacher co-ordinator, who accompanied the students along with the principal Mir Hafeezuddin Ahmed. “The reason we chose this Nasa programme was because students felt that one could be in space only if they were an astronaut. But one just has to apply to Nasa and if they find you eligible, they take you on board. Students got to know that people from various fields have also gone to space,” Hafeezuddin says.

Class X student Mohammed Abdul Qadeer says, “At the Kennedy Space Centre, we were exposed to simulators and even met astronaut Robert Bob C. Springer, who flew as a machine specialist on two Nasa missions. The other highlights were a 3D movie of a space mission and a visit to the shuttle from where all the manned space rockets were launched. We also got to see the Atlantis space shuttle.” He further adds, “One of the most exciting experiences for the students was to witness man’s first launch into the lunar orbit and man’s first step on the moon. Witnessing the procedure on the actual machines used for the historic journey was awe-inspiring. Not only that, touching an actual piece of moon rock, seeing the actual rockets and lunar vehicle used by the astronauts to step on the moon were also exciting.”

“This year we have got a good response from the students, so next year we are planning to send them for the ‘astronaut’s training programme’, where they get to adorn space suits and do a mock moonwalk,” says Ahmed. The tour was an example of education beyond classrooms by giving students a global perspective and exposure to cutting-edge technology.