Self-motivation plus free access to knowledge equals.....what does it equal?

The astronaut; one of the most popular occupations that children hope to pursue - until they hear of the harsh
conditions of outer space. No oxygen, almost completely pitch black, and no ground; a kid ought to pee his pants,
no?
On a typical summer weekend, my family was unusually occupied for a Sunday. I was preparing to do something I
had never imagined doing at my age- leave home for a week, and stay/work with fifty other people (High School
Aerospace Scholars) from all over the state, at a hotel, sixty miles away from home, in Webster, Texas. After
stuffing my suitcase, I hustled into my dads Accord, and headed off to Johnson Space Center. I was about to meet
people that came from a multitude of lifestyles and backgrounds, in an environment I had never been in previously
- and at the time I was sure that everyone came for one main reason; that was to find their career interest, by
experiencing the vigorous NASA workday.
After a mind boggling drive, I felt beads of sweat forming on my scalp, and as I stepped out of the car, I began to
pat my hair down to try in an attempt to appear decent. An intimidating crowd stared at me from the lobby as I
entered the hotel; I really needed to go the restroom. In a few minutes, I got my NASA Visitor Pass, Room key,
HAS program information. Later, my roommates and I headed downstairs to the introductory meeting. When noon
came by the next day, I found myself in the Longhorn (meeting) room of the Gilruth center; Teresa Sindelar gave a
presentation about the varying geological aspects of Mars, as many of us enjoyed our Lunch and Learn session.
The system of canyons and troughs connected throughout the equator of Mars, and the elevation levels changed
drastically from one hemisphere to the other, first dropping like a valley, then rising like mountain. My mouth hung
open, lettuce on fork, as I saw the next presentation about the reality of living in space - Astronauts may be
required to build a pulley system in space, or even grow plants in hydroponic, or soil-less, habitats.
Robots are not my specialty; however my roommate immediately took command upon receiving the task the
following day. The team divided and conquered - one part received Lego Mindstorm programming education, while
the other focused on the actual construction of the robot. Learning about the rovers used to explore other planets
led us to create multiple appendages extending from the vehicle. Piece after piece fitted, twisted, and clicked into
place as I leaned back in my chair. In a blithe, concentrated manner, the program was created and then exported
to the Lego robot. The real test then came about; a mat containing numerous obstacles was laid in front of us.
Claps and shouts were the only signals that could be heard among us, as the robot whirred and rapidly turned.
Cheers of success echoed through the second floor as our robot valiantly brought back our first item to base. By
the end of the timed trial, our robot had lost an arm, but its gallant efforts were not in vain. In high spirits, we
returned to our normal tasks, confidence brewing in our minds.
Another activity, which brought us to University of Houston at Clear Lake, involved designing a payload lofting
system. We attached a string from the ground to the second floor, stuck a straw onto a balloon, attached
lightweight materials to it (for a follow-up activity), and then let the balloon shoot up, only to have it stop
millimeters short of our team mates reach from the second floor. I continuously paced around our design table, but
by remaining upbeat about my team, I realized I had nothing to worry about. A visit to Rocket Park prior to the
following assignment was crucial - by having multiple layers of cushioning at the bottom of any landing system, the
safety of the spacecraft was always ensured. The next team activity would result in success as well; our lander was
able to sustain an egg, dropped from the third story, onto coarse tile.
High School Aerospace Scholars was a once in a lifetime experience - I learned about the mechanism of matter in
space from home, and lived the thrill of creating a mission proposal at NASA Johnson Space Center. Outer space
has been a true fascination for me since I learned about the gallant astronaut - floating freely, almost in eternal
bliss, with the natural beauty of the universe glimmering around you. Space isn't that dark! Close investigations of
movies and actual missions, such as Apollo 13, have lead me to analyze the different types of traveling paths, one
being the Hohmann transfer: after a satellite reaches a certain height in a constant orbit, the engine is fired to rev
the spacecraft into a higher orbit. After repeating this process, the satellite can leave the orbit of a planet or hover
at one height to observe. The mechanisms of a rocket have become much clearer to me - the launch vehicle works
in stages. The lower portions tend to fall off after they provide the necessary push to get the upper portion into
space. The lower part stays in a temporary parking orbit, until it is detached from the rocket. Following that, upper
stages fall off and expose the spacecraft to the vacuum of wonder.
Self motivation plus free access to knowledge equals.....an enlightened and open mind. Being exposed to subject
matter aside from school topics has led me to explore beyond lower earth orbit, all from the comfort of my own
home and community. On top of that, continuous perseverance and little adult supervision has pushed me to
become knowledgeable about the realm of outer space.