Astronaut calls on township youngsters

by By Mike Neavill

BERKELEY HEIGHTS -- Circling the earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of about 350 miles and at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) paid a "call" on township youngsters.

Last week, as part of the township's Summer Playground Camp, nine youngsters had the opportunity to address questions to astronaut Greg Chamitoff as the ISS passed over Berkeley Heights.
The window was short -- only about 10 minutes -- but captured the dreams, imagination and curiosity of more than 130 youngsters, parents and a township official.

The conversation with the astronaut was enabled through the ham radio services of the New Providence Amateur Radio Club (NPARC) and the Berkeley Heights Recreation Commission. Local resident Barry Cohen, a member of NPARC, served as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic host as he outlined the events that would follow.

Utilizing a computer system projected on a screen at the rotunda at the lower Columbia Middle School Field, Mr. Cohen tracked the travel of the ISS as it swept over the Gulf of Mexico heading northeast to Berkeley Heights. "The ISS is now over San Antonio, Texas, and should arrive in our footprint in minutes," Mr. Cohen told the audience as excitement and anticipation steadily swelled. He turned on the speaker, which was filled with static noise, and explained the ISS was still out of radio range, but contact was only seconds away..

Nine youngsters, seated around rectangular tables facing the audience, sat with eyes wide open, anxiously awaiting contact as the crowd noise diminished. Finally, the moment arrived: "Hello, Berkeley Heights this is astronaut Greg Chamitoff aboard the International Space Station." Cheers, applause and broad smiles quickly followed.

Due to the short time interval, students were prepared in advance as they took turns asking questions and then passing the microphone to the next student.

Third grader Eden Aflalo learned that the ISS had an abundance of plants and seeds on board, where experiments were being conducted that could translate into huge benefits back on earth.

Kaitlyn Delia, a sixth grader, wanted to know if Greg (the astronaut requested to be called by his first name) had worked with female astronauts. He responded affirmatively and said there were many female astronauts and encouraged the youngsters, boys and girls, to pursue their dreams.

Fifth grader Beatriz Medeiros wanted to know if Greg had ever walked in space. He hadn't, but a Russian cosmonaut aboard the ISS shared his experiences as a space walker.

Since it was shortly after noon, some of the youngsters must have been looking forward to lunch, which was reflected in their questions. Astronaut Chamitoff said there was a huge supply of food on the ISS.
"My favorite is fiesta chicken, which is a spicy Mexican dish," the astronaut said. Asked how he ate, he responded "carefully," and said the major eating utensil was a straw. He added that since there is no gravity in space, soup stays together.

Another student, fourth grader Jessica Wood, expressed curiosity about sightings of meteors and shooting stars. The astronaut said that since the space station moved at such great speeds they hadn't noticed large meteorites, but the ISS was equipped with shields to ward off small meteors.

With time running out, the third grade Pitingolo triplets -- Grace, James and Louis -- wished Greg the best of luck and offered "many thanks for joining us."

Camp counselors James and Sarah Ericksen also participated in conversations with the astronaut and received greatly deserved accolades for their assistance in orchestrating the day's events.

A day prior to the ham radio event, all participants were honored at the Township Council meeting, where they received proclamations from Mayor David Cohen. Township Council members had been invited to take part in the event, and Councilwoman Elaine Perna was in attendance.

After the event, Mrs. Perna was particularly complimentary of the efforts of the Recreation Commission to provide substantive and educational opportunities to township youths during the summer break. "All you have to do," she said, "is look at the faces of these youngsters to realize that today was a huge success."

Equally enthusiastic was Recreation Director Tom Barton, who said the summer camp program consisted of seven weeks for youngsters in grades one through seven. "We do all kinds of things during the summer, but this was truly a special day," he added.