While no adult has set foot on Mars quite yet, Olympic Peninsula Academy has successfully launched five missions to the red planet in consecutive years.
Third-graders in Michele Canepa’s class flew out and returned from their Lutra-V mission on March 27.
Canepa converted a majority of her second/third grade classroom into a giant replica space shuttle — named The Adventurer — and the surface of Mars. Prior to liftoff, the class exited the school office to be cheered on by OPA and Dungeness Virtual School students along the way to their ship.
Since January, the students have learned about Mars and space travel two days a week after school.
Do you know why Mars is red? It’s from rust, as the atmosphere oxidizes the rocks, OPA student Bekah Abken said in an interview the week before launch.
Stduent Eden Kulfan noted that people weigh about 60 percent less on Mars because there’s less gravitational force.
Students also learned about Mars’ moons, space travel, and the essentials of teamwork, especially during situations dealt by “fate cards.” At one point, Madelynn McIntyre had to navigate a rover (A.U.R.O.R.A. — Assisted User Remote Operated Robot Arm) from Mission Control on Earth via walkie talkie, with direction from Raeani Schierer on Mars.
Leading up to the mission, Captain Vaughn McCarter said he was excited but nervous to go. Some of his efforts included leading the team in exercises, and preparing for a “soft landing” on Mars by making egg drop devices.
“The purpose (of the trip) is team building and working together,” McCarter said.
Students ventured out to Mars in spacesuits for various tasks, and they also tried astronaut food (freeze dried ice cream sandwiches). After the mission, students told Canepa it was a success.
“All of my students each have their own unique set of challenges and experiences, both academically and socially, (and) to see them all working together to complete their task while supporting one another is the real win,” Canepa said.
“So, if you ask me if the mission was successful, then I say yes!”
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Michele Canepa leads third grade astronauts out of Olympic Peninsula Academy’s office to her classroom for their Mission to Mars on March 27.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Third graders Vaughn McCarter and Eden Kulfan enter their spaceship (Michele Canepa’s classroom at Olympic Peninsula Academy) before they go on a mission to Mars on March 27.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Family members watch as third graders in Michele Canepa’s class begin a “soft landing exercise” for their spaceship by building egg drop devices.
Madelynn McIntyre talks via walking talkie from Mission Control to third graders on the surface of Mars. She provided them directions and helped navigate a lunar rover (A.U.R.O.R.A. — Assisted User Remote Operated Robot Arm).
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Students build egg drop devices as part of a “soft landing exercise” for their spaceship in Michele Canepa’s third grade class.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Nai Gish, center, examines Bekah Abken’s egg drop device during a “soft landing” exercise.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Captain Vaughn McCarter of Olympic Peninsula Academy’s mission to Mars (Lutra-V) confirms instructions to Mission Control during an exercise.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Third graders Vaughn McCarter, front, and Eden Kulfan walk onto Mars (Michele Canepa’s classroom) for the first time to build and place a weather station.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Third grade geologists Atreus Parker and Zische Sylvester uncover rock specimens during an interactive lesson on Mars in Michele Canepa’s class.
Photo courtesy Axel Wilkinson/ Third graders in Michele Canepa’s class successfully complete their Lutra-V mission to Mars on March 27 at Olympic Peninsula Academy. Students included, from top left, Zische Sylvester, Atreus Parker, Nai Gish, Vaughn McCarter, Raeani Schmierer; front left, Eden Kulfan, Madelynn McIntyre, and Bekah Abken.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Polaroids capture moments of the Olympic Peninsula Academy’s Vulta V flight to Mars on March 27.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Raeani Schierer, right, gives direction to Madelynn McIntyre, sitting in chair, to control a rover on Mars (A.U.R.O.R.A. — Assisted User Remote Operated Robot Arm) as Katie Wilkinson, a substitute paraeducator, watches. The pair were practicing a week prior to their classroom’s mission to Mars on March 27.
