Our Space Shuttle

 Jook Leung via JSTN

Well, it's Day 4 of the last space shuttle mission.  Atlantis is up there somewhere, moving at 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 kilometers per hour) and 330 miles (528 km) above sea level.  Mike Fossum and Ron Garan will be doing the mission's only space walk at 8:44 a.m. EDT Tuesday.  I think it's sentimental time for all of us, and I think everyone can take pride in the shuttle program.  Hopefully they're jamming to some sweet tunes like this or this or this.  For more sweet pictures of cockpit, check out Jook Leung's 360vr work.

When I was in 6th grade, I had two amazing math and science teachers: Mr. Glueck and Mr. Chilelli.  Our whole grade worked together to build a lifesize replica of a shuttle flight deck.  We pieced together toggle switches, joysticks, keyboards, computers,  and some other gadgets to create a pretty realistic simulation experience.  We had shuttle flight and mission simulator programs (and this was the 90s, remember!), and had a couple official missions.  I was Mission Specialist, and in charge of releasing a satellite into orbit (although I recall some difficulty with retrieving the device!)...   It Was Awesome. 
 
Together, Mr. Glueck and Mr. Chilelli captured our imaginations of what was possible to achieve, not only in a year-long school project, but in life.   "I'll see you in the stars," I remember Mr. Glueck writing in my yearbook.  Well, I'm not an astronaut and I don't work for NASA.  Yet.  Thanks for the launch, guys.   *For more of the famous 6th grade projects, check out these photos.

 photo by Mr. Glueck

 photo by Mr. Glueck

Below, waking up to Coldplay on the shuttle...