An out-of-this-world experience

By NATE HUBBARD/Staff

Zach Justus’ first major trip away from home was out of this world.
The Bland High School eighth-grader attended space camp in Huntsville, Ala., last month – one in which stellar vision isn’t a requirement for fun or success.
“It’s a great environment,” said Sara Henry, Zach’s chaperon on the trip and a teacher of visually impaired students in Bland, Smyth and Wythe counties.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, which holds a variety of space-related camps throughout the year, annually hosts the weeklong Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students.
Henry said one of her colleagues in Tennessee raved about the experience and encouraged her to invite some of her students to attend.
Although Zach said he didn’t know much about space when Henry broached the idea of attending camp, he said it sounded like an exciting opportunity.
“I thought it would be interesting to learn about all the rockets,” he said.
In late September, Henry, Zach and a Smyth County student made the journey down to Alabama, quickly discovering the camp’s other-worldly vibes when they were led to their respective sleeping quarters.
“It looked from the outside like a big rocket ship,” Henry said.
Zach said the rooms themselves also mimicked living on a rocket as the small space was windowless and Spartan.
In addition to learning about the lifestyle of an astronaut, the students at SCIVIS also got the opportunity to interact with peers who understand what its like to live with a visual impairment.
“Down there he was just kind of one of the gang,” Henry said about Zach. “There were students that had better vision than him and there were students that had worse.”
Zach, whose impairment mostly hinders his ability to see things at long distances, said he enjoyed being able to help the completely blind students.
“People that are totally blind actually listen really well,” he said, recalling some of the team-building exercises his group did at camp.
Zach took part in the “Space Academy” program, which was for students in grades seven through 12.
The 170 students were divided into multiple groups, which rotated around to various activities at the extensive center.
Zach’s group was given the moniker of “Deimos,” one of Mars’ two moons.
One of the most memorable experiences at the camp, Zach said, was making rockets out of paper towel tubes and other everyday materials.
Zach said his rocket’s flight was short-lived, but cool nonetheless.
“It swirled up, caught on fire and fell down,” he recalled about the launch.
The campers also got to experience more high-tech space simulations such as a Micro-G wall that replicates floating in space.
Another standout feature of the academy was a simulated space mission.
Each group got to go through two exercises, with some of the students working in mission control while others did work on the shuttle.
Zach was part of the shuttle crew on both occasions, serving once as a mission scientist conducting experiments and another time as a payload specialist flipping switches and operating equipment.
Food at space camp also provided the opportunity for out-of-the-ordinary experiences. Although the campers ate typical food in the dining hall, Zach said he got the chance to sample astronaut fare like freeze-dried ice cream.
“It tasted like hot ice cream,” he said.
In addition to the Space Academy program, the Alabama rocket center also offers an advanced academy for older high school students and an aviation camp, both of which are equipped to accommodate visually impaired students.
With a fun experience under his belt and the opportunity for many more, Zach said he hopes to make space camp an annual journey.
“I’ll go back next year,” he said.
Nate Hubbard can be reached at 1-800-655-1406 or .