Earlier today, five Wheatley students were fortunate to attend a small presentation by Senator Bill Nelson at the Cradle of Aviation Museum. Mr. Nelson, currently the Senior Senator from Florida, spoke to students about his time aboard the Space Shuttle. In January 1986, then Representative Nelson became only the second sitting member of Congress to fly in space (he served as a payload specialist aboard the Columbia).
After praising the engagement among high school students after the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School, Senator Nelson described some of his personal reflections on his time aboard the Space Shuttle: the feeling of zero gravity, the overview effect, the loss of bodily fluids and the challenge in conducting experiments in space. Senator Nelson discussed the 2010 NASA Authorization Law, which continues to guide NASA’s direction.
Finally, Senator Nelson was kind enough to take questions from the students in the audience.
Thank you to Mr. Todd Richman for helping to facilitate this opportunity for our students. The students who participated included:
- Kaitlyn Ducroiset
- Sanjana Khana
- Megan Kirschner
- Arham Sheraz
- Justin Vega
- Sharon Zhong
