District News

Technology teacher takes part in flight experiment workshop

 

Sept. 14, 2011

 

Canajoharie Middle School technology teacher Dr. Gregory Pitonza joined a group of 23 teachers from across the United States and Puerto Rico who are building experiments for the Excelsior STEM mission. The teachers gathered for a week-long Suborbital Flight Experiment Workshop, conducted by Teachers in Space under a cooperative agreement with NASA.

The experiments will fly on a suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) being developed by Masten Space Systems of Mojave, CA. The Excelsior STEM mission, sponsored by Teachers in Space, will be the first suborbital RLV mission dedicated entirely to K-12 education. Teachers in Space and Masten Space Systems believe that Excelsior STEM will be the first of many such flights.

“We look forward to the day when suborbital flights are common place and students will routinely fly space experiments as part of their high-school curriculum,” said Teachers in Space spokesman and Pathfinder astronaut-teacher candidate Rachael Manzer, “Right now, we are training a cadre of lead teachers."

Dr. Pitonza was part of a team building an experiment to capture the microgravity environment using a wax substrate, one of several experiments being developed for Excelsior STEM.

“I’m excited to be working on this experiment and make it part of the learning experience in Technology classes this year. Working on the thermal profile component of the project has shown me how to use programmable interfaces that can be used to collect data and allow students to gain a richer understanding of the benefits of space exploration.” Dr. Pitonza said.

“Microgravity is a unique environment that has provided information to / further and benefit from new scientific knowledge produce new cures / innovate and improve technologies / open new career fields / and offer interesting examples and excitement for students who may very well fly in mircogravity themselves as new suborbital vehicles will lead to low cost space flight. I look forward to the possibility of flying with my own sub-orbital experiment along the boundary of space in the XCOR Lynx vehicle.

During another Teachers In Space workshop last week for Suborbital Astronautics, I briefly felt simulated mircogravity with former Space Shuttle pilot and commander Rick Searfoss. Our glider flight gave me the chance to feel 3 gees and momentarily the 0 gees of mircogravity. It was an experience that has left an indelible impression I hope to share with my Technology students."

Dr. Pitonza was a finalist for the Teachers In Space Pathfinder program in 2009 and will be submitting his application later this year for the next of three Pathfinder astronaut-teacher candidate openings.

“I appreciate being selected for these workshops, they have been an almost out of this world experience,” he said.