WOW! It is really good to be back! Since I didn't post anything during the summer, you might be thinking that I spent my summer going to the movies, hanging out with my friends, and just forgetting about astrobiology. Well, it turns out, my summer was the opposite of that. As many of you know, I was selected to go the Johnson Space Center in June to do a one-week internship. Before boarding my flight, I remember myself freaking out. "Will I know anybody there?" "What if I get lost at the airport?" "Who exactly is on my team at NASA?" " How in the world did I become a NASA High School Aerospace Scholar?" As you can tell, I initially doubted myself but I am glad to tell you that I had a very happy ending at Houston. Once I got to my destination, I met the members of my team. I remember all of us standing in a circle looking at each other awkwardly. But thankfully, we ended up being great friends. After introducing each other, we were briefed on what our task was. My team was in charge of the living there aspect of Mars. We had to identify the main problems that astronauts will face when they are on Mars and we had also to come up with a solution. On top of this, we had to design and build a lab and also a green house that had a specific criterion. We also had to design and create 3D printed tool that would fix a cooling system, build and launch a rocket, design and test a lander, and also build and program a rover. Each team was initially given a budget and if won each of the challenges, we would gain money. The team I was part of was amazing! I never worked with a group of people like this one. Every single person contributing something! No one was on their phones or relaxing. Again, this team was really special. Because of our awesome team work, we won the rocket launch, the lander, and the preliminary design review. Unfortunately, we came in second place because we lost a lot of money on the rover challenge. Although we were all upset we didn't win, we were happy to have each and this experience. I witness how NASA functions. I realized why this space agency was so successful. It is because of team work. I don't think I would of this anywhere else. I had so much fun during the week. Besides the work, I got to meet one of the Apollo 13 Engineer and also a Saturn V Engineer. It was so cool listening to their stories and talking them. The people met and the experiences that had in that one week will be something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Apart from HAS, I also spent my summer teaching kids math, English, and science at Eye Level. I also taught space science classes at the Little Elm Library. While I was teaching these kids, I had a wonderful feeling about sharing my knowledge with others. My passion for astrobiology increased drastically this summer and it continues to do so even now. I hope to make ISM 2 a year remember for the rest of my life.
