FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 21, 2010 Independence Student Completes Cosmosphere Program HUTCHINSON, Kan.

 

Jonathan Ferm of Independence, child of Theodore & Amy Ferm, graduated from Level 2 of the Future Astronaut Training Program (FATP) July 10, 2010 at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. Jonathan will be in grade 9 at Independence High School this fall.  The week-long astronaut camp is for students entering grades 8-10 and emphasizes teamwork, leadership and problem solving.  The camp builds on knowledge gained from FATP Level 1, also held at the Cosmosphere.

 

Developed by Cosmosphere staff, FATP is a nationally-recognized camp that motivates campers to seek careers in aerospace-related industries.  FATP Level 2 incorporates aspects of astronaut training with advanced courses in space shuttle systems, space science and physiology, and microgravity science.

 

The camp capstone is a simulated space shuttle mission in the Cosmosphere's Falcon III, the most realistic space shuttle simulator outside of NASA, during which they capture and repair the Hubble Space Telescope. FATP Level 2 participants also work in teams to produce a short video to preserve the memory of another team's mission, and undergo a full day of SCUBA training and underwater exercises.  Campers receive high and low ropes course training, including a 30-foot climbing wall and zipline, and learn night sky observation techniques. They also visit the Cosmosphere's Hall of Space Museum, which houses one of the largest space artifact collections in the world.

 

The Future Astronaut Training Program is just one of the Cosmosphere's educational camps.  For more information about this or other camps, call the education coordinator at 800.397.0330, ext. 323, or visit www.cosmo.org.  The Cosmosphere is located at 1100 N. Plum, Hutchinson, Kan. The Cosmosphere offers camp programs for students as young as those going into second grade, and on through high school age.  Camps are available for adults, including some for intergenerational learning that grandparents or parents as young as 40 can attend with their children or grandchildren. Camp experiences are also offered for groups, including schools who want a program designed just for them, and corporate team building. The Cosmosphere also has programs designed specifically for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Webelos.

 

The Cosmosphere's Future Astronaut Training Program has five levels. Levels 1 and 2 are held at the Cosmosphere; Level 3 is held at the Cosmosphere for two days and then at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for two days; and Level 4 is held at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for all five days.  X-treme is 12 days, split between the Cosmosphere and Beaver Lake in Arkansas, where they earn SCUBA certification. For more information call 800-397-0330, ext. 323. 

 

The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to Honoring the Past and Inspiring the Future of Space Exploration. Educating people from around the globe, the Cosmosphere boasts the Hall of Space museum, one of the most significant collections of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world; the Justice Planetarium, a dome-shaped classroom where attendants learn about astronomy; Dr. Goddard's Lab, a live demonstration of early rocket technology; the Carey IMAX Dome Theater, one of the first ones built in the world; and a multitude of special events and programs.