January 30, 2007

NASA Public Affairs Office

Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000
228-688-3333
RELEASE: STS-07-012

SSC LAUNCHES 2007 ASTRO CAMP SCHEDULE

NASA Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi will hold four sessions
of its popular daylong Astro Camp Saturday this spring.

Astro Camp Saturdays are one-day science camps held on Saturdays

throughout the school year for children ages 7-12. Participants take
part in themed missions filled with exciting experiments and
activities. Camp hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Rocketry
101” will be held Feb. 24 and March 3. “Mission to
Mars” will be held March 31 and April 14.

"Astro Camp Saturday crewmembers will design, build and test a

rocket based on the same principles that would be used to build a
rocket suitable for returning astronauts to the moon," said
Maria Lott, Astro Camp director. "Campers will look ahead to the
future of space exploration: the moon, Mars and beyond. They'll
explore the principles of space travel – distances to the moon
and Mars, the time it would take to get there, the supplies they
would need and surviving in the environment of space."

Cost for Astro Camp Saturday is $30 and includes lunch.

“My Place in Space” will be the theme of Astro

Camp’s seven summer sessions. Each weeklong session will take
children ages 7 to 12 on an exciting adventure, learning about the
variety of skills and talents it takes to voyage into space.

As NASA embarks on its next mission to send humans back to the moon
and on to Mars, campers will learn about the different goals and
assignments it takes to make the space program a success. Counselors
work with campers on team projects and games that teach science and
math principles as they inspire future scientists, engineers and
astronauts to follow their dreams.

With the launch of NASA’s STS-118 mission, planned to take place

during the camp sessions, campers will be briefed on the mission and
its slated crew of astronauts including Educator Astronaut Barbara
Morgan. Campers will learn that all types of backgrounds contribute
to successful space travel and research, including engineers, doctors
and teachers.

Astro Camp sessions will begin on the following days: June 4, 11, 18
and 25 for children ages 7 to 9; and July 9, 16 and 23 for children
ages 10 to 12.

Fee for each summer session is $150 per camper, which includes a camp
T-shirt, supplies, snacks and lunch.

Two sessions of Astro Camp Plus’ “My Place in Space”

will be conducted for teens ages 13 to 15. The curriculum adjusted to
interest teenagers will still teach math and science principles. The
weeklong sessions begin June 25 and July 9. Fee for each Astro Camp
Plus session is $180 per camper, which includes a camp T-shirt,
supplies, snacks and lunch.

To register for any of the 2007 Astro Camp sessions, visit

http://education.ssc.nasa.gov/astrocampschedule.asp

Follow the links to the respective registration form, complete it and

mail it with a deposit to the address on the form.

All Astro Camp missions are held at StenniSphere, Stennis Space

Center’s visitor center. Every mission begins at 8:15 a.m. at
the Launch Pad, located at the Mississippi Welcome Center in Hancock
County, Interstate 10, Exit 2.

For more information, call 228-688-7623 or 800-237-1821 (Option 4) or

visit http://education.ssc.nasa.gov/astrocamp.asp

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