Boy Scouts Hoped Shuttle Discovery Would Have Launched

KGBT ^ | July 2, 2006 | Anabel Marquez

[fgoodwin]

Boy Scouts Hoped Shuttle Discovery Would Have Launched

http://www.team4news.com/Global/story.asp?S=5105676

July 2, 2006, 05:49 PM
Reported by Anabel Marquez
McAllen

Space shuttle Discovery is on the launch pad in Florida. But it isn't going anywhere.

As people waited to see the discovery's lift-off Saturday, NASA officials called off the expedition due to bad weather.

In the Valley, members of McAllen Boy Scout Troop 7 gathered at one of the boy scouts' houses to watch the launch.

They were excited about Astronaut Michael Fossum, a former Eagle Scout from their troop - leap into space.

"It's just such a small world that he gets to go to space for a certain amount of days," said Star Scout Jerrod Prater.

Jonathan Weisfield-Hinojosa added: "I feel excited ‘cause I've never really seen a space shuttle go up."

And fellow Boy Scout Raghuveer Puttagunta said, "It's someone that came from my background, that's from the Valley, from my experiences, he's from a local council- Troop seven."

But about ten minutes before the scheduled launch, the announcement was made to cancel the lift-off.

And that was something that made Scout Hayden Prater feel especially disappointed.

"I feel depressed," he stated. "I was hoping to see it for my birthday 'cause it's my birthday today. I'm really bummed out."

Hayden Prater said Fossum is his role model.

"Seeing him where he is and how high he is, in his job right now, I could see myself there one day."

Scoutmaster Marty Martin said even with the postponement, the boy scouts won't miss the event. He said they would gather again.

"We're going to try to do it again tomorrow," Martin said. "I know it's 4th of July weekend and everybody has plans but we're going to try one more time."

[Young Werther]

Pardon the slap on the back. My National Space Society chapter edited and updated the Boy Scout Space Exploration Handbook.

I received credit for the Intro/History of Rockets, an illustration, ( I drew it in Excel! ), and the recycle requirement. The old handbook had a section where a scout would draw a picture and write a description of a satellite, lunar base, or other space hardware.

The new requirement directs the Scout to use recycle artifacts, a hot glue gun etc to construct a space station, satellite, lunar or Mars rover or space base.

I tested this requirement at a Cub Scout meeting and the results were amazing. Two liter pop bottles became a Mars landing vehicle with aluminum foil skin, fins, soda straw solar panels. A rover was made from a styrofoam plate with bottle caps as wheels. A tempra coloring set came out of the bedroom, my hot glue stic was in constant use and tomorrows astronaut wannabes did a marvelous job!!!

[fgoodwin]

Cool -- are you referring to the merit badge book? I'll have to take a look at it.