Elk Grove Students Get Close Encounter With NASA Astronauts In Orbit
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — Hundreds of miles in outer space, astronauts took time off from work to meet with students at Elliott Ranch Elementary on Earth.
Floating in zero gravity and orbiting the earth at speeds of more than 17,000 miles an hour, NASA commander Steve Swanson and Reid Wiseman were hoping to inspire the students to greater heights.
"And someday I may become an astronaut too," said Kaitlyn Snyder.
NASA decided to speak with the school after a nationwide contest, where the school and volunteers submitted a proposal complete with a new space-exploration curriculum.
"I'm really excited to just talk to the astronauts," Snyder said.
Based on experiments such as how the Earth interacts with the solar system or the unpredictable flight paths of asteroids, the students were selected to speak one-on-one with the astronauts.
In September, the students will get another treat when a NASA rocket scientist will visit their school.
The second school selected was Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, the site of a deadly school shooting in 2012.
