Know of a great way to get your kids excited about Science? Go see a live Rocket Launch! That will fuel (pun intended) a multitude of home experiments, trips to the library or google searches. Measure the length of your hand made rockets or how far they traveled. Modify any toy at home to increase it’s trajectory. Or just research how scientists figured out the best way for astronauts to go to bathroom in space. That’s a grand hook!
Join us in LOMPOC, CA to witness a real NASA Rocket Launch June 10, 2011 FRIDAY @ 7:20:13 am – 7:25:13 am @ the Vandenburg Airforce base.
Where’s the best place to view a launch? googlemap – Lompoc Valley, Corral Road, Vandenberg AFB, CA
The public viewing site for Vandenberg launches is off of Corral Road near Vandenberg’s main gate. To access the area, take Highway 1 to the Santa Maria Gate and proceed on Lompoc Casmalia Road. At the barriers, turn right onto Corral Road and bear left to the top. The launch countdown net and port-o-lets are set up near the bleachers.
On launch day, June 10, NASA TV commentary coverage of the countdown will begin at 5:30 a.m. PDT (8:30 a.m. EDT). Launch coverage will be streamed live at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.
Plan to arrive at the viewing site no later than 7:00 am. That means you should be parking @ 6:45am. There are bleachers, but I advise you bring a few lawn chairs and/or park blankets. The MudPies & Butterflies crew will have blankets and lawn chairs spread out to enjoy the launch. Ear plugs might be prudent for smaller children.
Aquarius Satellite being installed into ULA Delta II Rocket head - from Lompoc Record paper
This launch’s mission is called – Aquarius - which is the satellite created in conjunction with the Argentinian Space program. Aquarius will measure ocean surface salinity to understand the links between ocean circulation, global water cycle and climate. The Launch Vehicle (aka Rocket) is United Launch Alliance Delta II 7320 or other wise known as ULA Delta II. Crazy isn’t? Almost our daughter’s name to a T!
There will only be one other NASA launch on our coast this year and it falls on Oct 25. But the LAST Space Shuttle Launch will take place on July 8th @ Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Fl @ 8:40 am PST. Watch it live on TV with your family. This space program started with it’s first launch on April 12, 1981 and now will come to a close on July 8th, 2011. Well, it started long before 1981, didn’t it? Space shuttle Atlantis is set to liftoff on the final flight of the shuttle program, on a 12-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The last Space Shuttle crew : Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim.
Win these Patches and submit by 10pm 6/8/11
“Win an authentic Aquarius mission patch! This goes out to all our young space fans. We’d like to see your best drawing or coloring of a Delta II space launch (or the Aquarius satellite in orbit)! Display your artwork here on our Facebook page …30th Space Wing (Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.)”
Click for video of Rocket Fans doing the Wave
Click to see our Friends do M&B Proud!
All the patches for the Kids' Coloring contest offered by the Vandenberg Airforce Base & NASA were won by Mudpies & Butterflies!
Click for video of Rocket Fans doing the Wave
Click to see our Friends do M&B Proud!
All the patches for the Kids' Coloring contest offered by the Vandenberg Airforce Base & NASA were won by Mudpies & Butterflies!
……..Mudpies & Butterflies homeschoolers won all four of the NASA/Aquarius Patches that were awarded in the Rocket Launch contest.
What an incredible experience it was for all the families involved. Even if the fog at the viewing site prevented any visibility – the roar of the launch shared with friends will be a memory of a lifetime.
