Photograph by George Sakkestad
Lindsay Penrose took a trip to watch Space Shuttle Columbia blast off after writing a winning essay about experiments in space.
By MICHELLE KU
At the invitation of one of the astronauts on board, a ninth-grade student at the King's Academy in Sunnyvale witnessed the launch of the space shuttle on June 20.
Thirteen-year-old Lindsay Penrose of Los Altos watched the space shuttle Columbia go up on a 16-day mission from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., at the personal invitation of Charles Brady, a member of the seven-person shuttle crew.
The day before the launch, Penrose and her parents received a VIP tour of the space center. They also attended a pre-launch party with family and friends of the astronauts, with whom they watched the launch from Kennedy's viewing area.
"It was so amazing. It was just incredible," Penrose said. "It was probably the most breathtaking experience of my life."
Penrose won a half-hour teleconference with Brady by writing an essay titled "How studying bones and muscles in space can benefit us here on Earth." The mission of the space shuttle includes several studies of how space flight affects muscles and bones.
Penrose called Brady on May 24 to discuss human physiology and space flight.
"She went to Moffett Field with her parents and a couple of teachers and she phoned him," said Penrose's sponsor Chris Haugen, head of the math department at the King's Academy. "At the tail end of the phone call, he invited her [to see the launch] as his personal guest. Her face just lit up."
The opportunity to speak with Brady held even more meaning for Penrose because she wants to follow in his footsteps.
"Dr. Brady was so nice!" Penrose said. "I want to be an astronaut doctor. I have always had an interest in aviation and space, and I love biology, so for years this job opportunity has seemed like the ultimate combination."
One of the things that Brady spoke to Penrose about was how NASA needs people interested in careers in science.
Penrose's essay was the winning entry in a national writing competition sponsored by NASA's Space Life Sciences Outreach office. She learned about the contest when she called NASA Ames to see about volunteering there.
"Our intent was to use this [shuttle] mission to inspire students' interest in math, science and technology," said Duncan Atchison, NASA Ames coordinator of outreach activity. "But after reviewing Lindsay's quality work and seeing her energy, motivation and enthusiasm, we got a dose of inspiration ourselves."
Penrose said this experience has only heightened her interest in becoming an astronaut doctor. She attended space camp for the second time the week before the launch.
"I have a goal now," Penrose said. "When I get to be an astronaut, I want to be as nice an astronaut as Dr. Brady is."
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, July 24, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.