Local teacher to speak at NASA event

We’ve previously told you about weather balloons taking off from West Ferris Secondary School, now NASA has taken note.

Scientific experiments led by physics teacher Kelly Shulman leave a field with a payload and cameras attached.

After the balloons are exploded and the payload is located the students assess the information.

Shulman says this year the balloon was named in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing.

It was called Apollo 19.

“We had a momento of the lunar lander and the astronaut. And the astronaut was holding a little flag that said 50. And we had the curvature of the earth in the background,” she says.

She says at one point the balloon is 30 km up in the air and you can see the curvature of the earth.

NASA was impressed with what Shulman’s class is doing they’ve invited her to come to the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland next month to speak about what’s going on at West Ferris.

“It’s an international event they’ve been having it since 2010. It’s called Observe The Moon Night. It’s a world wide initiative to get people out and observe the moon. And look into lunar and space exploration,” she says.

Shulman says she was born in 1969 and the moon landing inspired her and led her to a life of learning about math, computer science and now teaching it.

(Photo submitted)