For more than 30 years, students participating in what is now called Camp 301 at the Cosmosphere International Science Education Center and Space Museum in Hutchinson, KS, have traveled to Houston and Johnson Space Center as part of their camp experience. This week, their experience will sink to new depths.
Cosmosphere was part of the Bezos Expeditions effort to recover and conserve the F1 engines that launched the Saturn V rockets of the Apollo program. Those engines were recovered from the bottom of the ocean floor in 2013 using highly sophisticated robotics.
As one of the museums now exhibiting part of the recovered F1s from the Apollo 11 mission, Cosmosphere staff and patrons recently had the opportunity to learn more from Vince Capone who was operations manager for the Bezos Expeditions team. The connection inspired Cosmosphere Vice President Tracey Tomme to add a new element to this year’s Camp 301 experience.
“I am very excited about the connections this year between our Space 301 camp and the F1 Project. Based on discussions with Vince Capone and the video he showed of the F1 recovery project, we will use underwater rovers to retrieve artifacts during this camp,” Tomme said. “The students will study the Saturn V rocket and the recovery efforts by Bezos Expeditions. Then as teams, they will build and test their own underwater rovers using SeaPerch kits available through the Navy. They will solder, cut and place PVC pipe, build the motors and more to produce a working, neutrally buoyant underwater rover.”
Campers will have the first chance to test their rovers in the pool at the Hampton Inn in Webster, Texas the evening of June 22nd. After they have toured NASA Johnson Space Center and seen an actual Saturn V rocket, they will receive a team challenge based on the F1 recovery project to complete the morning of Friday, June 23rd.
Just as with Bezos Expeditions, to complete the challenge the Campers will have to come together as larger teams. It will take three SeaPerch to complete the challenge. One will pick up the artifact, the next will bring it up in a basket, and the third will carry the underwater camera to view and record the experience.
This camp consists of 41 students, age 13 to 16 years old. They are from KS, MN, TX, IA, OK, MO, and NM.
For questions about this camp, contact Tracey Tomme at 719.641.9940.
