NASA encourages kids to Train Like anAstronaut25 July 2017

Students from The Netherlands soar to new heights withTrain Like an Astronaut activities. Credit: Mission X:Train Like an Astronaut

Mission X: Train like an Astronaut, since itsinception in 2011, has morphed into aninternational collaboration of physical fitnesschallenges. The program is an immersive resourcethat fosters mind, body and spirit in students allaround the globe. It's an education unlike any otherthat has encouraged tens of thousands of youngpeople to take their pulse for the first time andblast off with straightforward exercises that makefitness fun. Equipped with the training and criticalthinking necessary for any real astronaut, thesefuture explorers are now more than ready toembark upon Mission X, taking the torch ofspaceflight to even deeper reaches of space.

Through the Mission X: Train Like an Astronautfitness challenge, space invades the classroom,physically manifesting as elaborate decorations ofstars and fields of meteors. As planets and aliensmade of paint and plaster hang above, Mission Xis brought to life by the teachers who use theproject's resources to encourage mental andphysical growth.

"The teachers are the real champions," said NASAHuman Research Program project contributor ScottTownsend. "It takes one person in a school systemto make something happen, and then it takes thesupport of the person above them."

Mission X began as a local investment in NASAJohnson Space Center's community in its pilot year.The next year, the project reached 12 countries androughly 4,200 student participants. That numberhas now skyrocketed to more than 104,000students in 38 countries and Taiwan in the 2017challenge. Participants use NASA and theastronaut experience as a roadmap for their ownhealth and fitness achievements.

Mission X, however, is about more than simplyphysical and nutritional growth. Children areprovided with interactive science experiments thatdemonstrate how comparison and rationale playinto drawing conclusions. Teamwork isemphasized, showing what can be accomplishedwhen working together. Students are not onlyexposed to the present landscape of spaceflight,but also challenged to stand before theirclassmates and present about the history of NASA,fostering public speaking skills and the presentationof ideas before a group at a very young age.

Several Mission X students gather at the Ars ElectronicaCenter in Linz, Austria for the Train Like an Astronautclosing event. Credit: Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut

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Mission X also enlists real astronauts on spacemissions as "ambassadors" to interact with thestudents. Nearly 50 Mission X ambassadors, suchas Kate Rubins from Expedition 48/49, haveengaged with students through videos while aboardthe International Space Station. They answerquestions, participate in Mission X activities andencouraging healthy lifestyles by sharing their ownpersonal journeys.

Nubia Carvajal believes the program's success ispartly due to its "international flair."

"Mission X encourages teamwork without borders,"Carvajal said. "Mission points are converted intosteps, and that is how we get Astro Charlie (theprogram mascot) moving. It is not about one step orone country, it is about everyone moving."

Both Carvajal and Townsend spent years as publicschool educators. Carvajal regularly meets withinternational partners such as ESA (the EuropeanSpace Agency) to discuss the future of Mission X.Each country has a lead who participates indecisions about the upcoming direction of theproject.

With teachers at the helm and more studentsworldwide to reach, there is indeed a bright futureahead—for NASA and this interactive educationportal. The universe is vast; the opportunities forgrowth are almost as endless. But before you canfly, you must first simply . . . move.

Consider joining the worldwide team at Mission X:Train Like an Astronaut.

Provided by NASAAPA citation: NASA encourages kids to Train Like an Astronaut (2017, July 25) retrieved 18 July 2022from https://phys.org/news/2017-07-nasa-kids-astronaut.html

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