Centerline: February - May 2011

See this NEW exhibit

for the first time at the

Virginia Air & Space Center!

Visit the Vomit Center to discover why we barf!

Climb a giant wall of scabby skin.

Sometimes science canbe crusty, stinky & down right yucky!

february - may 2011

600 Settlers Landing Road • Hampton, VA 23669 • (757) 727-0900 • www.vasc.org

Educate, entertain and inspire explorers of all ages.

et ready to say eeeuuhhh gross as you step into the intriguing yet disgusting world of Human Grossology, a new traveling exhibit at the Virginia Air

& Space Center, now through September 5, 2011. Based on the best selling book Grossology by Sylvia Branzei, this science-in-disguise exhibition allows kids to get answers to many of the slimy, oozy, crusty, stinky questions they absolutely love to ask about the human body. With more than 20 interactive displays and games, Human Grossology allows intrigued kids and adults the opportunity to uncover some of the human body’s unique abilities.

Human Grossology uses sophisticated animatronics and imaginative exhibits to tell you the good, the bad and the downright ugly facts about how your body works. Take a “Tour du Nose” to explore ten nasal features, including how your snoot acts as an air filter, a smell sensor and a mucus producer. Play the pinball game “Gas Attack” by scoring off bumpers dressed up as food items that cause gas. Mimic the build up of acid indigestion by causing the “Burp Man” to release a giant belch. Explore the role of the kidney in a virtual reality experience in “Urine: The Game.” Match the body odors with the area of the body parts they come from: arm pits, lower intestines, mouth and feet in “Y U Stink.”

Human Grossology explains many of the mysterious ways your body’s biology does what it needs to do to keep you healthy. Be the first to take a ride on the GI slide, climb a large-scale replica of human skin, play an over-sized version of the game Operation, learn about tooting, vomit, boogers and so much more!

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Thanks to Community Sponsors:

Now through September 5, 2011!

Human

Find out what causes sneezes, runny noses & allergies with Nigel Nose-it All.

ports meet space at Sports, Space & Sprockit, a celebration in honor of Black History Month, Saturday,

February 12, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Virginia Air & Space Center. This year’s celebration is bigger and better, featuring many hands-on activities and special appearances by sports and space heroes. Special guests include: NASA astronaut and former NFL player Leland Melvin, former Virginia Tech Hokies football player Bryan Randall (currently with the AIFA team Richmond Raiders), major league baseball legend and Hampton native Wayne Gomes, members of the Tidewater Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen and Sprockit the Robot.

Sports, Space & Sprockit will allow you to explore sports in space through a number of hands-on activities. Be the first to test how high you can jump on Mars and discover why you can’t throw a curve ball on the moon. Explore the physics of sports and the important role that science plays in your favorite game. Test your knowledge of the solar system with NASA’s Wheel of Fun Facts and check out the moon through the eyes of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Don’t miss your chance to play Moon-Based Alpha, an interactive 3D game with over 20 scenarios that allows you to explore the lunar environment just like an astronaut. Learn about R2, the 1st robotic member of the ISS crew, test your ability to design a successful Mars Lander and learn about Green Aviation while trying your hand at Air Traffic Control. Participate in the hands-on Sports & Space Demonstration and helium balloon races. Put your aerospace engineering knowledge to work when you protect a potato astronaut by testing your own space suit design. In addition, a special presentation by the Tuskegee Airmen will be held at 11:15 a.m. A meet-and-greet autograph session with Leland Melvin, Wayne Gomes and Brian Randall will be held at 11:15 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.

Sports, Space & SprockitCELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH2011FEBRUARY - MAY

2 CenterLine February 2011 - May 2011

CenterLine is published tri-annually for members and friends of the Virginia Air & Space Center. The Center is a private, non-profit educational institution with a mission to educate, entertain and inspire explorers of all ages.

If you are interested in sponsoring any part of CenterLine, please contact Kim Hinson at 727-0900, extension 731 or email her at [email protected]. Comments and questions concerning CenterLine should be addressed to Editor, CenterLine, Virginia Air & Space Center, 600 Settlers Landing Road, Hampton, Virginia 23669.

CENTERLINE STAFF Editor KimK.Hinson

Co-Editor MeganS.Steele

GraphicDesign AnnMarieS.Jenkins

Writers MeganS.SteeleJennyK.KellyKeithHenryToniM.Williams

Photographers AdvancedExhibitsIMAXCorporationAnnMarieS.JenkinsMeganS.SteeleNASALaRC

SENIOR STAFFExecutiveDirector/CEO

Todd C. Bridgford

DeputyDirectorKim K. Hinson

DirectorofEducationRichard A. Byles, Ph.D.

DirectorofFacilityServicesChristopher L. Guthomson

Curator,

DirectorofExhibits&CollectionsAllen R. Hoilman

DirectorofAdministrativeServicesJenny K. Kelly

DirectorofVisitorServices

Pearl A. Osby

DirectorofSalesDanielle L. Price

DirectorofMarketing&PRMegan S. Steele

Meet Wayne GomesMLB legend & Hampton native

Saturday, February 1210 a.m. - 3 p.m.

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Thanks to our sponsors:

For more information & schedule of activities:

www.vasc.org • 757-727-0900All activities are included in regular exhibit

admission. Fees apply for IMAX.

Meet Leland MelvinNASA astronaut, former NFL player

& Associate Administrator for Education NASA Headquarters

Meet Sprockit the Robot

Meet Bryan RandallFormer VA Tech Football Player

he specter of Columbia’s last Earth entry on Feb. 1, 2003, still haunts those of us who scrambled in the following

days, weeks and months to understand what happened. At NASA Langley, researchers would immediately apply themselves to long hours of wind tunnel and computational studies and to lab tests ranging from wing leading edge sensors to tile repair kits.

When shuttle flights resumed, with the launch of Discoverymore than two years later, a small army of Langley people was strategically positioned at Langley and NASA’s Kennedy and Johnson space centers. By the time much-deserved awards were presented, more than 250 Langley employees and contractors had contributed in a significant way.

NASA Langley, like the rest of NASA, had mobilized to tackle the agency’s most pressing technical, management and political challenge – find out what happened to Columbia and its crew, fix the problem at its root and safely return to flight. It was Langley at its best. And, in a reversal of previous practice, Langley was at the table when important shuttle matters were discussed.

Today’s question -- eight years after the Columbia accident -- is how did this almost heroic effort change the center and how much of it has stuck? “Columbia reminded everyone of the importance of research centers in solving technical problems and developing new technology,” according to Robbie Kerns, manager of NASA Langley’s Space Operations Program Office. “We can help in a lot of ways. Fortunately, that lesson has not been forgotten.”

Today, Langley is still at the table when shuttle issues are discussed. And, according to Kerns, it can actually be an advantage that his team participates virtually from a distance. “Because we’re not part of the day-to-day operations that go into Shuttle processing and because we are not influenced by daily hallway conversations, when issues arise we are able to add a fresh, detached viewpoint,” he added. “And that goes for all the research centers, not just Langley.” Saying so comes naturally for Kerns, who serves as the Langley representative on the Space Shuttle Mission Management Team, which meets daily during shuttle missions to review mission status and discuss any issues, and as the Shuttle Program Office liaison to the research centers. In addition to helping resolve issues, Langley routinely supports each shuttle mission.

Langley’s wing leading edge sensor system was developed into an operational system and is used on every launch by the shuttle contractor team. The system monitors ascent damage and -- at preprogrammed times – checks for on-orbit damage from micrometeoroid impacts. Langley-developed thermal protection repair kits are available on each flight, and a Langley-developed infrared camera system is available on the International Space Station that can be used by an astronaut on an extravehicular activity to assess impact damage on the reinforced carbon-carbon wing leading edge and nosecone material.

After each launch, two Langley engineers travel to NASA Johnson Space Center to support the Shuttle Damage Assessment Team as it assesses any damage to the thermal protection system.

Bill Wood supports the team with computational fluid dynamics analysis, and either Scott Berry, Tom Horvath, Shann Rufer or Karen Berger review analysis results from analytical tools developed by the Aerothermodynamics Branch. At Langley, engineers and technicians stand ready to perform wind tunnel tests, if needed, to verify analytical results.

Additionally, Langley’s Karen Lyle participates on the Shuttle Impact Dynamics Team. The contractor-led team is tasked with reviewing debris impacts on the wing leading edge and determining if impacts could have caused internal damage not visible on the surface. Lyle and since-retired Ed Fasanella were instrumental in developing the software tools used by the team.

NASA UPDATE

February 2011 - May 2011 CenterLine 3

Shuttle RetrospectiveThe Columbia Accident Changed Langley Forever

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Langley Home to NESCOne of the enduring changes wrought by the Columbia accident was the

creation of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). Based at Langley, the agency-level organization has added a highly respected and sought-after independent technical voice to deliberations of everything from shuttle readiness to last year’s successful rescue of the Chilean miners. Other notable recent NESC accomplishments include the successful pad abort demonstration of the Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) and the successful manufacturing and test of the Composite Crew Module.

Mike Gilbert, one of three NESC principal engineers, is a home-grown Langley talent who got his start doing aero-structures work. “It makes sense to have NESC based here. The Langley culture is to look at a problem thoroughly and find the very best engineering solution,” he said. Gilbert was named the national 2010 Engineer of the Year by the American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics (AIAA) for his leadership of the MLAS project.

Other key NESC personnel recruited from Langley include Daniel Tenney, manager of the NESC Management and Technical Support Office; Walt Engeland, Langley NESC Chief Engineer; and NASA Technical Fellows Dan Murri (flight mechanics), Bob Piascik (materials), Bill Prosser (non destructive evaluation), Ivatury Raju (structures) & Dave Schuster (aerosciences).

NASA Langley researchers, including Tom Horvath, used scaled ceramic models in wind tunnel tests to help return the space shuttle to flight .

Opens February 18 in IMAX!


RIVERSIDE DIGITAL 3D IMAX®

Opens March 11 in IMAX 3D!

ake out the trash, eat your broccoli—who needs moms, anyway? Nine-year-old Milo (Seth Green) finds out just how much he needs

his mom (Joan Cusack) after she’s abducted by Martians. The Martians are preparing to raise their own young by harvesting maternal instincts from Earthlings. Experience Milo’s adventure in Digital IMAX 3D as he stows away on a spaceship, navigates an elaborate, multi-level planet and

takes on the Martian nation and their leader. With help from a tech-savvy, underground earthman named Gribble and a rebel Martian girl called Ki, Milo takes an unforgettable journey to an alien planet hoping to find a way back to his mom.

Mars Needs Moms 3D

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Three are dead. Who is Number Four? D.J. Caruso helms an action-packed thriller about an extraordinary young man, John Smith (Alex

Pettyfer), who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events, his first love, powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny. Three like him have already been killed… he is Number Four.

I AM NUMBER FOUR

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Thanks to Theater

Sponsors:

Did you know our Cafe not only serves the classics like popcorn, drinks & candy, but also hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries & more?

Members receive

10% OFF in the Cafe!

Thanks to Theater Sponsors:


RIVERSIDE DIGITAL 3D IMAX®

Opens May 20 in IMAX 3D!

ye, Aye Matey – The fun-filled adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow are back with a vengeance in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger

Tides. Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in an action-packed adventure. Crossing paths with the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard, Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica.

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orn to be Wild 3D is an inspired story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond between humans and animals. The film follows

an extraordinary group of people who rescue and raise orphaned orangutans and elephants. Born to be Wild 3D takes you on a behind the scenes journey into a world where human generosity thrives and endangered species are saved. Stunningly captured in Digital IMAX 3D, this heartwarming adventure transports you into the lush rainforests of Borneo. World-renowned primatologist Dr. Birute Galdikas and celebrated elephant authority Dame Daphne Sheldrick, travel across the rugged Kenyan savannah with their rescue team to rehabilitate and return these incredible animals back into the wild.

Opens April 8 in IMAX 3D!

Born to be Wild 3D

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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 3D

Experience pirates first hand when you join us for the

12th Annual Blackbeard Pirate Festival

June 3-5 • Downtown Hampton www.blackbeardfestival.com

Exclusive Members' PreviewThursday, April 7, 2011

IMAX presentations at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m.

Details coming soon! Look for an email invitation in March.

RSVP by April 4 to [email protected] call 757-727-0900, ext. 718Thanks to

Theater Sponsors:

Saturday, May 711 a.m. to 3 p.m.

at the Virginia Air & Space Center

CENTER HAPPENINGS


Saturday, March 5, 201110 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Engineering Day at the Virginia Air & Space Center with NASA Astronaut Susan Kilrain

Explore the Development of New Space Technologies!

For more information call 727-0900 or visit us online at www.vasc.orgActivities included with regular exhibit admission

Celebrate Women's History Month with

Susan Kilrain!• Discover what roles women have played in America's space program.

Presentations: 10:45 a.m. & 1:45 p.m.

Autograph meet-n-greet: 11:30 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

• Meet NASA Astronaut Susan Kilrain & explore the engineering challenges of space flight

• Step aboard the International Space Station when you play the Station Spacewalk Game

• Build a mock up of Curiosity, the next Mars rover to be launched in 2012

• Dig up new information about the moon with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

• Design a satellite and see if you are as creative as a 5th grader

• Test your skills at landing on Mars • Explore the Red Planet

• Hold a piece of the moon in your hand with the hands-on science demonstration, Moon Rocks

• Help create a Martian outpost with the hands-on science demonstration, Mars Colony

Categories and Times: Grades 5 & under • 10:30 a.m. Grades 6 - 8 • 12:00 p.m. Grades 9 - 12 • 1:00 p.m.College/Adults • 1:00 p.m.

• Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. for the 1st Age Group.

• Participants are FREE! $3 for guests!• Eggs supplied by VASC

Engineers’ Month

8th Annual Egg Drop Contest

Saturday, February 19, 2011 – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Design the lightest possible container for a fresh egg that will prevent the egg from breaking

or cracking when dropped from the upper floors of the Virginia Air & Space Center.

Meet NASA Astronaut Roger Crouch!

• Test your knowledge of the planets with our Fun Facts Wheel Game

• Meet Sprockit the robot• Discover the history & future of aviation

• Understand how planes fly & air traffic is managed

Admission is included in regular exhibit admission

• Design your own solar system and see if it passes the test of time• Create straw rockets and paper astronauts

• “Read” the Universe through the eyes of Hubble• Discover how detailed is the JWST(James Webb Space Telescope)

• Celebrate the 10th anniversary of life on the ISS • Experience the thrills of space flight with the

Mysteries of Aerospace science demonstration • Hold a piece of the moon in your hands with the

hands-on science demonstration, Moon Rocks

SPRING & SUMMER CAMPS


April 4 - 8, 2011 or April 18-22, 2011GRADES K-1, 2-3 & 4-5$160 non-members/$150 members

GRADES K-1

Scallywags, Stars and Science • June 20 - 24 Explore the world of astronomy through pirates’ eyes! Make your own pirate ship and telescope. Play a navigation game, learn how to read pirate treasure maps, and create your own. Make a spiral galaxy and play the planetary distance game. Learn to use a sundial and make shadow art. Study the phases of the moon and create a moon catcher. Construct a pinhole planetarium and explore the many constellations of the night sky.

Human Grossology • June 27 – July 1Embark on a slimy, mushy, oozy, and stinky adventure as you explore the human body. Learn about germs and why the body makes mucus. Make edible “Boogers on a Stick!” Investigate how the nose works and explore different smells with the “What’s That?” game. Participate in laboratory experiments with a microscope. Explore the human body, from pits to zits, with the new exhibit Human Grossology.

Candy, Confections and Sundaes • July 5 – 8 *(4-day camp)Learn how some of your favorite candies are created and how

you can protect your teeth from sweet treats! Explore the history of chocolate and how it is made. Make a sundae using liquid nitrogen! Create your own monster marshmallows

& play some math candy games. Work in teams to develop and run an old-fashioned candy shop. Design your own candy and wrappers. Create an advertising campaign and “sell” your candy,

using your play money skills, in the store you have created.

Whodunit?: Junior Detectives • July 11 – 15Put your nose to the ground and earn your Junior Detective certificate after solving a number of mysteries, including the Case of the Missing Mars Rover. Working with your team of detectives, photograph mock crime scenes, gather evidence, and assemble a list of suspects. Learn techniques to collect, process, and analyze fingerprints, shoe prints, and trace evidence. Whodunit? You decide!

Challenge Your Senses • July 18 -22 Make your own instrument and play with sound. Map out your tongue when you discover where your taste buds for sweet and salty are located. Discover the three forms of water when you reach out and touch a cloud. Learn how your eye works, find out why two eyes are better than one, and discover if seeing is really believing when you view some optical illusions. Check out the power of the sun and light when you see the sun. Fine-tune your sense of touch when you work with textures and play some amazing games!

Astronaut Adventure: Jr Rocket Kids! • July 26 – 30 Stomp, blow, fizz and explode your own rockets into space! Learn the mysteries of flight and make your best paper airplane to fly. Experience astronaut training when you exercise, eat and work in a simulated space environment. Get a taste of how cold it is in space when you sample Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream. Bring astronauts safely back to Earth when you participate in the Egg Drop Challenge. Take a tour of the moon, Mars and beyond with Space Quest, the Center’s space gallery, and join astronauts as they perform a space walk with the IMAX film Hubble 3D!

Scream Machines I • August 1 – 5 Build a bridge with craft sticks, create a catapult, and participate in an egg drop contest. Design and build an amusement park with your friends! Discover how some of your favorite theme park rides use simple machines and build your own ride. Watch machines make snow cones and cotton candy, and perform a taste test. Explore the science behind the thrills with the IMAX film Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun.

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. $160 non-members/$150 members

(Must be age 5 by 6/1/2011)

Grossology Camp: Grades K-1Make your very own mucus to take home! Use a microscope to view some mysterious things under your fingernails. Make Gross Paper Mache masks. Search for Harry Potty and study hair samples. Examine why “This Scab is for You” and make edible scab snacks. Check out a smelly mess of bones and eggs and sniff out the science behind the smell.

Grossology Camp: Grades 2-3Discover how stomach acids work to break things down. Test a variety of acid approach compounds to reduce and dissolve the contents. Make your very own mucus to take home! Use Roamer Bots on a human body scavenger hunt. Use a microscope to view some mysterious things under your fingernails. Examine why “This Scab is for You” and make edible scab snacks. Check out a smelly mess of bones and eggs and sniff out the science behind the smell.

Grossology Camp: Grades 4-5Make some chemical combinations & understand how elements react. Use a microscope to view some mysterious things under your fingernails. Build a nose and use robots to retrieve nose contents. Make your very own mucus to take home! Use a microscope to view some mysterious things under your fingernails. Learn why pee is yellow and perform an experiment with sweat. Explore flatulence and other gastrointestinal problems. Create a recipe for a disgusting, edible treat.

Embark on a slimy, mushy, oozy, & stinky adventure as you explore the human body!

Call 727-0900, ext. 716 for camp information or register on-line at www.vasc.org/camps

Spring Break Science Camps


SUMMER SCIENCE CAMPS 2011

camps continue on next 2 pages....

Robots, Airplanes, Astronauts, & more!From outer space to the wild blue yonder, super summer science camps

at the Virginia Air & Space Center mean stellar summer fun!

Grades K-1 continued...

Radical Robots • August 8 -12Investigate the mechanics of robots, and then build a robotic hand to perform a task. Try robotic math using a Roamer-bot. Design your own robots that could colonize the moon. Work in teams to create a solar system mural. Using simple materials, build various types of rockets, your own jet pack and future spacecraft. Join astronauts as they perform a space walk with the IMAX film Hubble 3D!

Exploring with NASA I • August 15 -19What is NASA? What does NASA do? Discover the past, present and future of NASA, as you explore exhibits at the VASC and construct a model of a space vehicle. Explore extreme environments here on Earth and take a look at Titan one of Saturn's moons for chances it might have life. Compare the VASC's historical carousel to a Disk UFO when you ride it and find out how it works. Explore a variety of career opportunities available at NASA. Talk to NASA engineers and scientists to find out what they do and how they got where they are today.

GRADES 2-3Scallywags, Stars and Science • June 20 - 24 Play some amazing pirate games, construct a sundial, learn to read treasure maps, and participate in a telescope scavenger hunt. Study the parts of a ship and discover how pirates navigated at sea. Make a pirate ship you and your mates can “navigate” by using the stars. Investigate why stars twinkle and study the lifecycle of stars. Learn about the constellations when you make your own stargazer. Create your own constellation and its legendary story.

Human Grossology • June 27 – July 1Explore the world of germs, what makes us sick, and what the body does to protect itself. Investigate how a stomach digests food, and how and why the stomach creates gas. Use experiments to determine whether foods are acids or alkalis. Investigate the slimy world of mucus, make your very own mucus to take home, and create edible “Boogers on a Stick.” Explore the circulatory system and make fake blood to learn how it works. Create Robotix Robots to clear a mock-up vein of pesky clots. Take a slimy adventure with the new exhibit Human Grossology.

Wacky Chemist • July 5 – 8 *(4-day camp)Is it magic or is it science? You decide when you become a wacky chemist! Create dew, frost, and snowflakes. Turn pennies into silver or gold. Erupt your own volcano. Experiment with floating magnets and make rice dance. Whip up some chemistry in the kitchen and gather the ingredients to make your own goop! Science has never been this fun!

CSI: Hampton • July 11 – 15 Become a crime scene investigator when you solve several mock crimes and catch crooks. Investigate what is left at the scene of a crime when you process and analyze lip prints, fingerprints, shoeprints, voice prints, tool and dental impressions, glass fractures, hair specimens, and fibers. Examine documents and bank checks to spot forgeries. Use chemistry to analyze and identify mystery powders, read writing on burned documents, and identify ink.

Nature of Sound • July 18 -22Discover the secret of sound. Find out how elephants and whales communicate over long distances. Listen in on a HAM radio conversation and discover how we communicate with the International Space Station. Put your mind to the test and come up with your own idea for a musical instrument.

Astronaut Adventure: Rocket Kids! • July 25 – 29 Design and launch your own rockets. Experiment with balloons, water, rubber bands, straws and soda and see how they can propel your rockets into the air. Get a taste of how cold it is in space when you try liquid nitrogen ice cream. Bring astronauts safely back to Earth when you participate in the egg drop challenge. Join astronauts as they perform a space walk with the IMAX film Hubble 3D!

Scream Machines II • August 1 – 5 Explore the wild world of thrill rides! Build newspaper structures and test them. Investigate various Rube Goldberg machines. Using simple machines, construct a Rube Goldberg project. Explore acceleration, gravity, and the forces that send roller coasters racing around breathtaking turns. Design and build your own daring roller coaster. Create and launch stomp rockets, and compete for distance. Explore the science behind the thrills with the IMAX film Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun.

Astronaut Adventure: Robot Mission • August 8 -12Investigate how robots are used to explore space, including upcoming Mars missions. Use end effectors to load a shuttle cargo bay. Build and test a Mars rover. Build your own non-powered robot and play robot soccer. Program and play with working robots. Join astronauts as they perform a space walk with the IMAX film Hubble 3D!

Exploring with Nasa II • August 15-19What is NASA? What does NASA do? Discover the past, present and future of NASA, as you explore exhibits at the VASC and construct a model of the International Space Station . Learn about the discovery of water on the moon, and microbes that thrive on arsenic. Follow the history of smash science. Design, build and experiment with your own Smash Probe. Experiment with various impactors as you create craters on a model lunar surface. Explore a variety of career opportunities available at NASA. Talk to NASA engineers and scientists to find out what they do and how they got where they are today.

GRADES 4-5Scallywag Science • June 20 - 24 Investigate celestial navigation’s use of the astrolabe and sextant. Learn how pirates determined speed and used charts, and find out what “dead reckoning” means. Learn some pirate facts and myths. Practice using a compass, play navigation games, and read and create treasure maps. Play the planetary distance game and learn about the Earth’s rotation and orbit. Experiment with shadows and participate in a telescope scavenger hunt. Make your own moonscape with craters. Map the stars and learn the myths behind constellations.

Human Grossology • June 27 – July 1Investigate the digestive system and make “Edible Barf.” Perform an experiment to understand how and why the stomach creates gas, and participate in a team-burping contest! Explore the slimy world of mucus, germs and sneezing and make your very own mucus to take home. Explore the circulatory system and make fake blood to learn how it works. Create Robotix Robots to clear a mock-up vein of pesky clots. Play some gross games and understand how wounds heal when you make a fake scar. Explore the human body, from pits to zits, with the new exhibit Human Grossology.

Magic of Chemistry • July 5 – 8 *(4-day camp)Discover a substance that can soak up 600 times its weight in water and use your knowledge to perform magic tricks. Find simple items that can serve as invisible ink, and write secret notes to your friends. Experiment with dry ice and liquid nitrogen to discover properties of matter and the effects of super cold temperatures. Learn about the properties of plastics and make your own polymers. Explore chemistry as it affects the human body with the new exhibit Human Grossology.

CSI: Forensics Lab • July 11 – 15Process and analyze lip prints, fingerprints, shoeprints, tool and dental impressions, glass fractures, hair, cloth, and paper fibers. Examine documents and bank checks to spot forgeries. Use chemistry to analyze and identify mystery powders, writing on burned documents, and ink and blood left at a crime scene. Identify missing people through their tibia, fibula, and humerus bones and how blood spatter patterns can be used in criminal investigations.

Space Sport Challenge • July 18 -22 Ever wonder how high you could jump on another planet? What would it be like to play baseball on the moon? Discover what it takes to play sports on other planets and at the bottom of the ocean. Meet the challenge of making your own sports equipment to make it possible to play baseball on Mars. Design a new sport that could be played in a zero gravity environment, and play the Weightlessness Race and Black Hole games.



SUMMER SCIENCE CAMPS



SUMMER SCIENCE CAMPSAstronaut Adventure: Blast Off! • July 25 – 29 Discover what it takes to be an astronaut when you train for a lunar mission. Try a variety of astronaut training exercises to prepare you for a space mission. Create a “cold comet” and make a lunar walker. Work as a team to construct a robotic arm to help you with a simulated space mission and play the “Docking in Space” game. Test launch paper, balloon and bottle rockets. Experiment with the super-cold of space with liquid nitrogen. Compete in a rocketeer contest when you build and launch a solid fuel high-performance rocket. Join astronauts as they perform a space walk with the IMAX film Hubble 3D!

Scream Machines III • August 1 – 5 Examine the Bernoulli principle, air pressure and air resistance while designing, building, and testing your own airplanes. Build newspaper structures and test them. Construct a Rube Goldberg project. Explore the physics and forces that send roller coasters rocketing around twisting turns, then design and build your own daring roller coaster. Create and launch stomp rockets and compete for distance. Explore the science behind the thrills with the IMAX film Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun.

Astronaut Adventure: Robo-Power • August 8 -12Investigate the history of robotics and how robots are used to explore space, including on-going Mars missions. Experiment with Mars rovers to complete tasks on the Red Planet’s surface. Program robots to perform a variety of tasks and build edible robot arms to compete in team challenges. Use LEGO’s Mindstorms to navigate an obstacle course that you and your team create. Join astronauts as they perform a space walk with the IMAX film Hubble 3D!

Exploring with Nasa III • August 15-19What is NASA? What does NASA do? Discover the past, present and future of NASA, as you explore exhibits at the VASC and construct your own space suit. Learn about the discovery of water on the moon, and microbes that thrive on arsenic and other extreme environments. Follow the history of smash science. Design, build and experiment with your own Smash Probe. Design your own egg drop vehicle and launch it from our balcony to see if your Eggstanaut survives. Experiment with various impactors as you create craters on a model lunar surface. Explore a variety of career opportunities available at NASA. Talk to NASA engineers and scientists to find out what they do and how they got where they are today.

Grades 6-8

Scallywag Science • June 20 – 24Find out how Jack Sparrow’s compass works. Explore the myths and legends of piracy. Meet Blackbeard’s crew and learn some real, sea-going pirate skills. Investigate the chemistry behind the Fountain of Youth. Spend the night at the Virginia Air & Space Center to explore the night sky just like early sailors and experience Pirates of the Caribbean: on Stranger Tides in digital IMAX.

Living in Space • June 27 – July 1Examine what it takes for a planet to sustain life. Explore the history of space food from the first Apollo mission to living on the International Space Station. Research and create new ways that we could grow and manufacture food in space for future missions. Make and use your own NASA Glove Box to practice working in space. Travel to the moon, Mars and beyond with Space Quest, an interactive space gallery.

Spacial Cadets 2 • July 5 – 8 *(4-day camp)Test your skill at landing a mission on Mars while you a part of a team challenge using the Mars Lunar Lander Simulator. Immerse yourself in the world of technology and learn how Modeling and Simulation (MODSIM) are used in the world of science and engineering. Create your own visualizations and examine Earth as NASA does using Satellite Imagery, GPS units, Google Earth, GIS and other geospatial software.

CSI: Forensic Science • July 11 – 15Become a crime scene investigator when you attempt to solve a mock-murder. Examine evidence and learn forensic techniques when you take finger prints, explore splatter patterns and test other clues. soil samples when you make your own Earth, Mars and Moon Regolith slides. Learn what it takes to keep Langley NASA Research Center safe. Design a bomb disposal robot and test it against others in a race.

Aerospace Engineering Challenge • July 18 -22 Step into the future to find out what space flight technologies are being developed by NASA. Research the physics of flight, both past and present. Research and create your own reentry vehicle. Explore the science behind parachutes and inflatable air bags. Test your reentry vehicle or design when you drop it from the observation deck.

Animation 101 • July 25 – 29Join us for an exploration of animation. Early man communicated stories and history through cave paintings and pictographs. Make you own aboriginal art as you learn and understand their language. Decipher the cave paintings in France and early rock art from Australia to Ireland. Design your own story board that tells a folk tale. Come up with your own ancient art and animate it when you make a flip book. Explore early cartoons from Steam Boat Willie to film posters and product boxes. Design your own film poster and product art. Learn to tell a story or get a thought across with both moving and static art using a story board. Learn the art of digital animation when you take a trip through NASA animations.

G-Force • August 1 – 5 Pull some G’s as you experience force and motion in action! Explore the effects of micro-gravity on living and non-living things. Develop an understanding of g-forces as you build a Rube Goldberg device. Discover the physics and physiology of motion as you ride the Max Flight simulator. Learn first-hand from a pilot what g-forces feel like and how they can affect the human body. Follow the progression of rockets from simple satellite payload to heavy lift rockets. Build and launch paper, balloon and bottle rockets. Experiment with g-forces when you construct a roller coaster. Rover-Power • August 8 -12Explore the history of deep space exploration from Voyager to the New Horizons spacecraft, scheduled to reach Pluto in 2015. Celebrate the Year of the Solar System as you track various missions and build models of spacecraft. Work in a team to design, build and program a moon rover with the VEX and LEGO Mindstorms robots. Discover what’s new in rover science with Curiosity, the newest Mars rover.

Exploring NASA IV • August 15 – 19Discover the past, present and future of NASA, as you explore exhibits at the Virginia Air & Space Center and construct a model of the International Space Station. Learn about the discovery of water on the moon, and microbes that thrive on arsenic. Examine particles returned from space and make an icy comet. Follow the history of smash science. Design, build and experiment with your own Smash Probe. Experiment with various impactors as you create craters on a model lunar surface. Meet Robonaut 2 and discover how he is adjusting to life aboard the ISS. Build your own robotic assistant using the VEX robot.

Registration policy: Space is limited and is available on a first-come, first paid basis. Payment must be made at the time of registration. If you must cancel or change a registration and wish to receive a refund, you may do so up to seven days before the start of the camp for a processing fee of $20. Cancellations made less than seven days from the start of camp will be charged a $30 processing fee. Refunds are not available after a camp session has begun.

Call 727-0900, ext. 716 for camp information or register on-line

at www.vasc.org/camps




COMMUNITY EVENTS

The Peninsula's Only Outdoor Ice Skating Rink!

Only a few weeks left to skate!Open now through March 6!

Skating is only $7 per person! Bring your own ice skates or rent

ours for only $2 more!

Visit www.vasc.org for more information

-Star gazing with the Virginia Peninsula Astronomy Club

- Belly Dancing by Neferteri and Kickrocks

Rock Band and Corn Hole with 96X

-NASA technology exhibits and more!

www.yurihr.com

LIMITED SPACE! Purchase tickets in advance at yurihr.com or call 727-0900, ext. 705$10 admission includes complimentary food. Cash bar (21+)

Celebrate �the �Art �& �Scien

ce �of

Human �Space �Exploratio

n!

• Music with DJ Jeyone • Live music overlooking Hampton's waterfront

• Marstini Lounge • Space Costume Contest - win great prizes! • And a fusion of entertainment hosted by James Steele of 96X!

APRIL 16, 20117 p.m. to 12 a.m.Virginia Air & Space Center • Hampton, VA


Join us for these Special Events!

92.9 the Wave • Live BroadcastMonday, February 21 • 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

HOT 100.5 • Live BroadcastLast Weekend - Dance PartySaturday, March 5 • 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Presenting Sponsors:

with additional support from:

Queensway in Downtown Hampton Saturdays• 6 p.m. - 11 p.m.

April 23 through September 3, 2011

• Live music • Cold refreshments • Activities for the

young & old!

Look for us on Facebook!

Check out

www.vasc.org

for dates &

bands

Exhibits

IMAX

Special Events

Sports, Space & Sprocket in celebration of Black History MonthFebruary 12 • 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.NASA Astronaut and former football player Leland Melvin, former VT football player Bryan Randall, Baseball Legend & Hampton Native Wayne Gomes, Members of the Tidewater Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, & Sprockit the Robot.

York County/Poquoson/Williamsburg/JCC Neighborhood Appreciation Days February 18 – 27, 2011FREE exhibit admission for all York County/Poquoson/Williamsburg/JCC residents. Proof of residency required. Call 727-0900 for more information.

Engineers’ Month 8th Annual Egg Drop Contest February 19, 2011 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

FREEdom Days - Entire Month of MarchFree admission for members of the military and their household dependents, with the presentation of their military ID.

NASA Engineering Day Saturday, March 5, 2011 - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meet NASA Astronaut Susan Kilrain

Yuri’s Night

Saturday, April 16, 2011 – 7 p.m. to 12 a.m.The world’s hippest space party! Features live music, technology demonstrations & more! Call 727-0900, ext. 705 for tickets.

International Space Day Saturday, May 7, 2011 – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meet NASA Astronaut Roger Crouch

Spring & Summer Science Camps

Space is Limited! Register Now!See pages 6, 8 & 9 for details or register on-line at www.vasc.org!

Sigma Series

March 1, 2011 • 7:30 p.m. From Flapping Birds to Space Telescopes: The Mathematics of Origami by Mr. Robert Lang

April 5, 2011 • 7:30 p.m. TBA

May 3, 2011 • 7:30 p.m. Automotive X-Prize: Very Light Car by Mr. Oliver Kuttner, President and Ron Mathis, Chief Designer Edison2 winner of the Automotive X-Prize competition

June 7, 2011, 7:30 p.m. Tales from a Former Test Pilotby Paul Metz, Vice President of Rocketplane Global and Chief Test Pilot

Cosmic Kids Club

Saturday, February 5 Grossology

Saturday, March 5Early Explorers: Vikings

Saturday, April 9 Riverkeepers

Saturday, May 7 Pathways to Space


COUNTDOWN CALENDAR

Opens Feb. 18 Opens May 20

New Traveling Exhibit!Now through Sept. 6, 2011

Human

Opens March 11 Opens April 11

600 Settlers Landing RoadHampton, Virginia 23669-4033

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

Hampton, VirginiaPermit No. 516

VIRGINIA AIR & SPACE CENTER HOURS LOCATIONThe Center is located at 600 Settlers Landing Road in Downtown Hampton. From I-64 take exit 267 to Settlers Landing Road. Proceed over the bridge; the Center will be on your left just past the Crowne Plaza Hampton Hotel;

the parking facility will be one block further on your right.

TELEPHONE: 757-727-0900 • FAX: 757-727-0898WEB SITE: www.vasc.org

Printed on recycled paper

PAID

GENERAL INFORMATION

Special thanks to COX Communications for providing the Virginia Air & Space Center telephone, e-mail and Internet services.

Please Note: The Riverside IMAX Theater at the Virginia Air & Space Center is open select evenings for special shows.

February 1, 2010 – March 13, 2011

Monday: Closed (except for Feb. 21) Tuesday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday: noon - 5 p.m.

March 14 - May 25, 2011

Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday: noon - 5 p.m.Spring Break Hours - April 4 - 22: Daily 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

FREEdom Days! at the Virginia Air & Space Center

Where military families have fun for FREE*

• FREE Exhibit Admission!• Discounts on IMAX Admission!• FREE Motion Simulator rides on Glacier Run! • FREE make-n-takes for Children on Saturdays• 10% off in the Imagination Station-One Stop Science Shop!• $10 off a Family Membership!

*Free admission is for all active duty & retired military, spouses & household dependents. Identification required.

THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH!

757-727-0900 • www.vasc.org

Documents

Centerline: February - May 2011