Minneapolis youth ‘boldly goes’ to space camp

  • Published
  • By Cristina Oxtra
  • 934th Services Squadron
MINNEAPOLIS (AFPN) --  Going to camp this summer has proven to be a memorable experience for one youth here.

Carissa Ott, 15, is the daughter of Tech. Sgt. Greg Ott of the 27th Aerial Port Squadron at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Air Reserve Station, and his wife, Becky.

“It was a great opportunity,” she said. “The information I learned was amazing, and I met so many interesting people.”

Carissa, who said she is passionate about astronomy, met and befriended young people from other bases. The camp schedule was packed with activities that included listening to speakers and experiencing firsthand some of the training that astronauts go through.

One of her most memorable activities was taking a spin on the G-force accelerator.

“I did about five Gs, and it was pretty cool,” Carissa said. “You feel immense pressure. You can’t move even your hands. It was kind of scary at first, feeling immobilized. I thought I’d get sick since I sometimes get motion sickness, but I didn’t.”

But her most unforgettable memory of space camp is when she and her fellow campers participated in a six-hour simulated shuttle launch. Carissa was the “cap comm,” the person in the mock mission control room tasked with communicating with the astronauts in a shuttle.

“We had all kinds of problems and anomalies to deal with,” she said. “It was really hard.

“I had to relay problems that were happening with the crew to the people at mission control while they were dealing with other problems of their own,” she said. “It was frustrating, but it was fun. I learned to have patience and think outside the box.”

Carissa said she also gained a greater respect for astronauts.

“I was stressed in the flight simulator alone. … They have to learn so much more and perform under pressure. It’s amazing,” she said.

Carissa said she was particularly impressed when she learned that the commander of the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery voyage in July was a woman, retired Air Force Col. Eileen Collins. Colonel Collins became an astronaut in July 1991 and retired from the Air Force in January 2005.

“That’s great,” Carissa said. “It shows that it’s not just the men who can take it. Women can be just as tough.”

Carissa said she is not sure yet whether she wants to be an astronaut one day.

“I don’t know if I can do it,” she said, “but I know I do want to join the Air Force and be a pilot.”

Carissa said she wants to take to the sky first and see how she does before she tries to reach for the stars. (Courtesy of AFRC News Service)