CCISD News: Students Have a HUNCH They Are Needed by Space Program

April 24, 2005

With the help of America’s high school students, NASA has found a way to develop training materials at a significant discount.

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Contributing to the success of the space program is an honor few high school students can claim. However, on May 2, 75 career and technology students in the Houston area will be presenting NASA with the hand-crafted International Space Station training supplies they have been building as part of the HUNCH program. The ceremony takes place at 10 a.m., Monday, May 2, at the Clear Creek High School auditorium located in League City.

Preparing astronauts for space exploration is vital to the success of the space program; however, training can be very costly. HUNCH, which stands for High school students United with NASA to Create Hardware, allows students to gain hands-on experience designing and constructing hardware needed for Station training, while providing NASA high-quality training gear at a significantly reduced cost.

NASA is supplying material and equipment fixes, and the students are having the opportunity to learn industrial engineering skills such as reading blueprints, designing jigs and fabricating products in partnership with the nation’s premier engineering organization.

Last year, the program began with Clear Creek High School and two Alabama schools. This year, it has grown to include a school in Montana, two schools in Alabama and seven schools from the Houston area that span four school districts: Clear Creek, Cypress-Fairbanks, Houston and Pasadena.

One of the student creations, the audio terminal units, enables astronauts to use a Station telephone to communicate with Station crew members and ground support. Some of the other hardware fashioned by the students includes Station stowage lockers, medicine cabinets and caution and warning panels that will alert the astronauts aboard the Station of abnormal conditions.

NASA is providing more than building materials to the students, HUNCH is providing an insight to a world the students may have otherwise never had the opportunity to see.

“These are students NASA normally does not have a program for, but now we are creating an interest and a niche in the space industry that suits these young adults,” said Stacy Hale, Mission Operations Project Manager. “These students may be doing assembly work in orbit some day.”

Students have been very excited to have a part in helping NASA and the International Space Station.

“I think it is really neat that something that has touched my hands may end up going into space or helping in space,” said Clint Morton, Clear Creek High School student. “It is almost as good as me going into space.”

The students are also getting the unique opportunity to have hands-on experience in the assembly process, using raw material to create a product and they are being exposed to working with engineers, providing the students a professional advantage once they graduate.

More than 100 industrial engineering shops in the Houston area are closing down each year because it is becoming ever more difficult to find qualified employees capable of running the computer controlled equipment. By participating in HUNCH the students will have a better understanding of the job opportunities available to them when they graduate.

“HUNCH is a good learning experience for the students,” said Bill Gibbs, Clear Creek High School career and technology teacher. “Together we have faced the disappointment of building jigs that didn’t work. They have faced a project that was not an instant success. What they learn is how to go on and find ways to make it work.”

During the May 2 program, the students will be recognized for their contributions to the space program and its journey toward the Vision for Space Exploration, which will return humans to the moon, then on to Mars and beyond. Following the ceremony, an informal reception will be held and students will be available to talk about their work that is on display. Speakers include HUNCH Project Manager Stacy Hale, NASA’s Chief Education Officer Dr. Adena Loston and Texas Commissioner of Education Dr. Shirley Neeley.

For more information about the program, please call the Clear Creek Independent School District Office of Public Information at (281) 338-5803 .

Source: CCISD

CCISD Archive