Area students are invited to a day of science exploration at El Camino College's Onizuka Space Science Day 2020, scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to noon March 7. El Camino welcomes NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei as the guest speaker at this free hands-on conference for students in 5th through 12th grade. The Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Committee, El Camino College and American Honda Motor Co., Inc. are event sponsors.
Astronaut Vande Hei served as flight engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 53/54 from Sept. 13, 2017 through Feb. 28, 2018. Vande Hei logged 168 days in space on this mission, which included four spacewalks totaling 26 hours and 42 minutes. The retired U.S. Army colonel also served as an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at the United States Military Academy at West Point in New York. In 2003, he reported to the Army's 1st Space Battalion at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. There, Vande Hei served as an Army space support team leader, then as the battalion's operations officer. As an Army space support team leader, he deployed to Iraq for 12 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Vande Hei earned a Bachelor of Science in physics from St. John's University and a Master of Science in applied physics from Stanford University. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army through the ROTC program and served as a combat engineer.
After astronaut Vande Hei's presentation, students will participate in hands-on science activities and experiments, egg drop and paper plane competitions, as well as classroom presentations and demonstrations led by El Camino College professors, students and guests from other institutions.
This year marks the 34th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in which astronaut Ellison Onizuka perished along with the six other crew members. The annual event at El Camino College was created to honor Onizuka's memory and his dream of inspiring youth to strive for and achieve their career goals.
Onizuka Space Science Day 2020 Arts Contest: Young students can also enter an arts contest. The winner will be invited to bring three guests to meet and attend dinner with Astronaut Vande Hei on March 6. Students are asked to create original artwork inspired by the theme: "Great Moments in Space Exploration." Accepted forms of artwork include drawing, painting, printmaking, computer-generated image, photograph or photographic collage.
For additional contest guidelines or for more information about Onizuka Space Science day, view www.elcamino.edu/academics/naturalsciences/onizuka-space-science-day/, contact [email protected], or call 310-660-3487.