“What Did You Do In School Today?” “Not Much. Crashed a Satellite”

I never got to do anything this cool in my college days.

When a NASA satellite met its doom in a fiery blaze in Earth’s atmosphere after a seven-year mission, a bunch of college students were at the controls.

But these students didn’t hack into NASA to take the satellite for a destructive joyride — they were actually on the job.

The students had been helping NASA pilot the Earth-watching ICESat satellite< for years, so it was natural for them to be there at the end when the space agency decommissioned the craft Aug. 30.

it has been tasked to do), being closely involved in education is near the top of the list. NASA is packed with very smart engineers, scientists, and creative people, each one of whom could be a valuable mentor or teacher. And, hey, its not like we’re going to be putting people into space again anytime soon, so why not have them help educate the next generation of space enthusiasts.

Other Posts of Interest:

• Well, You Certainly Have to be Brave to Take on Stephen Hawking.
• So Long and Thanks for All the Science!
• Shuttle Endeavor Lights Up the Sky

Tags: NASA, space exploration

Category: Hey, Mr. Science Guy!, Out in the Black