SUBMITTED BY ARTHUR N1ORC - AMSAT A/C #31468

SUBJECT: ASTRONAUT LANDS IN LAWRENCE,MASS

PERMISSION GRANTED BY THE EAGLE TRIBUNE N. ANDOVER, MA TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE Published: 11/28/2006

Astronaut inspires middle-schoolers By Yadira Betances Staff Writer

LAWRENCE - "Can you eat Chinese food up in space?" "Do you have cable TV?" "How do you brush your teeth?"

Those were some of the questions sixth- and seventh-graders at South Lawrence East Middle School asked NASA astronaut George Zamka when he visited the school yesterday at the invitation of Principal Dina Hickey.

For the record, you can eat Chinese food, there is no cable television and you brush your teeth as you do on Earth, except that you can't spit.

He showed students two videos about the launch process at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and what life is like for astronauts in space.

While the first video was more technical, the second got lots of laughs from students. The children laughed when a female astronaut was seen on the overhead projector with her frizzy, long blond hair covering her face. Others giggled when an astronaut waited for a peeled banana to finally reach his opened mouth.

Zamka was selected by NASA for astronaut training in 1998 and in September he will board the space shuttle Atlantis for his first trip into space.

Zamka will pilot the mission that will deliver the Node 2 connecting module to the international space station.

"It was really cool," seventh-grader Deanna Desfosses, 12, said. "I have never seen a real astronaut before and it was great that we had the opportunity to see a real space person."

Listening to Zamka was especially interesting to Stephanie DeLeon, 12.

"I love space and studying the planets," said Stephanie, who has a giant globe in the middle of her bedroom and several books on the planets on her bookshelf.

"He really inspired me to try something new," Stephanie said. "He helped me learn more about what astronauts do up in space and how the spaceship goes up and how it comes back from atmosphere."

You could hear the oohs and aahs from the 300 students in the auditorium as Zamka answered questions from how they prepare for the launch to personal hygiene in the space station.

"I want to go to space camp because one day I'll do that," said sixth-grader Aneuris Reyes.

Zamka told the children how he grew up building model airplanes. His childhood hobby led him to train as a Marine pilot, including 66 combat missions over Kuwait and Iraq in 1993 during Desert Storm.

The New Jersey native earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1984. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He also received a masters of science degree in engineering management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1997.

Liane Arroyo, 13, was mesmerized by Zamka.

"It was really good and exciting to see how they do such amazing stuff in space," Liane said.

"He inspired me to become an astronaut myself," said Jennifer Guardado, 12. "You have fun but a lot of time it is hard work."

Zamka remembers having role models to look up to growing up.

"I want to do the same for these guys if I can," he said. "If I can get a couple of students wondering about math or what's out there, I'm happy."

That was the goal Principal Hickey had when she invited Zamka to talk to the students.

"I was thrilled that we got him to visit," Hickey said. "Our students do not get a lot of exposure (to space travel). Because of this, math, engineering are areas they will probably explore."