Members of the Air, Space, and Missile Defense Association pose with the 16 recipients of the 2016 ASMDA Space Camp scholarship at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, July 6. Since 1996, ASMDA has sent more than 200 students to S...
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Sixteen future explorers began their journey into the future this week in the Rocket City.
The students; recipients of an Air, Space, and Missile Defense Association, or ASMDA, scholarship, spent July 3-8 at Space Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. On July 6, the scholarship winners were treated to lunch by members of the ASMDA board and had a chance to speak with those who made the week possible.
Col. Thomas Nguyen, chief of staff, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command, told the students they may someday be the ones leading America on its journey into space.
"I am sure you have all heard of NASA's Juno Satellite," Nguyen said. "Juno has been on a journey for five years to get to Jupiter and as of two days ago it finally arrived. We go to places like Jupiter because it is in our human nature to explore and to find out answers to tough questions about life, our planet, our solar system and our universe. We have an innate drive to understand, to expand our horizons, to quench our curiosity and fulfil our desire for knowledge.
"All of this is due to our incredible curiosity, the same type of curiosity inside you that brought you all to Space Camp," he added. "Most everyone here is curious about spaceflight and other planets. That is great, however, I would ask you not to limit your interest to one or two subjects. Our world is a complex and wonderful place, and other worlds even more so. So whether you want to become an astronaut or something else, greatness in this life will require you to work hard and be ambitious."
Since 1996, ASMDA has awarded scholarships to children, ages 9-11, of a parent or guardian currently assigned to the USASMDC/ARSTRAT; Program Executive Office, Missiles and Space; Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense; Missile and Space Intelligence Center; NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; or Missile Defense Agency, whether military or government civilian.
The 16 Space Camp students this year are from Madison, Gurley and Huntsville; Fort Greely and Delta Junction, Alaska; Peyton and Colorado Springs, Colorado; Omaha, Nebraska; Alexandria, Virginia; and Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. They are: Regan Caple, Jennifer Hamm, Braeden Hayes, Skylar Hayes, Paul Lee, Porter Mroszczyk, Matthew Snodgrass, Aleksandar Vukosavljevic, Joshua Brower, Julianna Williams, Kira Bailey, Trystan Hartzell, Maya Yee, Thomas von Ahlefeld, Ava Moore and Kendal Warren.
Nguyen talked to the campers and told them how proud everyone was of them for being selected and congratulated them on receiving the scholarships.
"I would like to thank the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and ASMDA for giving me this opportunity to speak to you and for providing a place where children, both young and old, can learn about space exploration," Nguyen said. "Every day is a great day when we get a chance to interact with our bright young adventurers and future leaders of this nation. Thank you for your interest and your dedication in the pursuit of learning. You will realize in the near future that learning is a lifetime activity.
"Let your curiosity guide you and drive you to a greater understanding of your world and worlds beyond," he added. "You owe it to yourself to always be inquisitive, and to seek answers, possibly to questions that we have yet to ask. You all have it in you to be astronauts or mathematicians or politicians or whatever you want to be in life. I applaud you for your willingness to learn and encourage you to keep reaching for the stars."
After the luncheon, some of the campers spoke about what they had learned and how excited they were to be at Space Camp.
"I have enjoyed my time at Space Camp," said Kira Bailey from Colorado. "The missions are great because you get to start out on the space shuttle and go to the International Space Station to experiment. I was a payload specialist and it was exciting.
"Space Camp is really fun and if you like space, then you are going to like it a lot," she added.
During the week, the children participated in activities including rocket construction and launch, water activities, a simulated Space Shuttle mission, Mars mission simulators, Manned Maneuvering Unit, Multi-Axis Trainer, and an IMAX movie.
"The mission is the best part," said Aleksandar Vukosavljevic from Alabama. "I like the experiments where we mixed two chemicals and made slime. This is fun and if you like space, you should come here."
"I like that everyone is from different places and they have told me how life is where they are from," he added.
The students were selected for the scholarship based on an essay, school grades, interest in science and space, and financial need. The scholarship covers one week at Space Camp, travel, a flight suit, clothing package, a calling card and spending money.
"My favorite part of Space Camp has probably been the simulators," said Julianna Williams from Alaska. "There is one that is like a hamster ball with rings around it and you spin backwards, forwards, sideways and it is really fun. I enjoy it here because I get to learn things and see all the rockets.
"This is a great experience, and if you have the chance, you should come to Space Camp," she added.
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