Laughlin Airman presents unique opportunity for Del Rio students

by SSgt Steven R. Doty
47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

4/24/2014 - LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- A Laughlin student pilot helped connect students around the world to the International Space Station.

Thanks to a partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the United States Air Force Academy Cadet Wing Science Technology Engineering and Math Outreach Club, panelists were on hand at the Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to talk to the astronauts living and working at the International Space Station currently orbiting 230 miles above Earth.

Laughlin's 2nd Lt. Victor Lopez, 47th Student Squadron, founded the Cadet Wing STEM Outreach Club while a student at the Air Force Academy. Currently, the club has more than 400 members representing 10 percent of the USAFA student population. In 2013, the club spent more than 1,769 hours volunteering at area schools and local science events.

Last year, Lopez was approached by an aeronautics instructor and asked if the club could help support a possible International Space Station downlink for students in Colorado.

"I excitedly accepted and helped co-author the proposal to send to NASA's Johnson Space Center," said Lopez. "Our caveat was that we would open up this event for students across the country to participate."

A few months ago, NASA answered.

"Once [NASA] accepted the proposal, I began organizing my network of STEM Outreach Aerospace students and professionals from here in Del Rio, Texas," said Lopez. "Before we knew it, we had seven schools in five states participating in the downlink, including the Del Rio Middle School and High School Robotics teams."

Thanks to NASA's Digital Learning Network, robotic teams from Del Rio High School, Team 4063 "TrikzR4Kidz", and the Del Rio Middle School, Robo Squad, were part of the downlink with hundreds of other STEM students from across the country.

"It's the first time we've done a national event," said Lopez. "It's exciting to be able to bring this kind of event to so many kids."

Two representatives from Team 4063 were on hand for the downlink at the Del Rio Middle School as their teammates compete against 128 teams at the 2013-2014 For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Tech Challenge World Championship, April 23-26, at the Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri.

"Having the students from the high school in attendance with the middle school students will help form a bond," said Lopez. "We want to inspire the middle school students to pursue robotics in high school and STEM in college."

The International Space Station has been around for 13 years, brought together five different space agencies and is supported by 15 nations. It was an opportunity for students, who are already in tune with the kind of science occurring on the International Space Station, to learn about life in space, current experiments and gain further inspiration to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

"Students from Del Rio had a chance to interact directly with each remote school and astronauts on the ISS and on the ground in Colorado," explained Lopez. "It's an opportunity of a lifetime."

Lopez stressed that this unique opportunity was possible due to the support of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy, the Research Department at the Air Force Academy, students of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, who helped connect schools from around the country, and the STEM Outreach Club at the Air Force Academy.

The International Space Station downlink serves as a milestone to the efforts of Lopez and his founding of the STEM Club in 2011.

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Research publicist Amy Gillentine at the Office of Research, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado contributed to this story.