Lab Our Save Science


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Lab Our Save Science

Lab Our Save Science

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s “Space Science Explorers” program recognizes individuals from all walks of life who are “connected by their quest to explore and understand our solar system and universe.” NASA recognizes each Space Science Explorer on a special website with a photo and description of each person’s contributions to America’s space program. Emily Calandrelli and David DelMonte are two of NASA’s accomplished Space Science Explorers.

College Senior Experiences a Taste of Space Flight

Emily Calandrelli is a student at West Virginia University where she majors in aerospace engineering. Not content just to study space science in class, online research, and science projects, Emily has experienced it up close and personal. The WVU senior is one of the rare few allowed to fly in NASA’s zero-gravity simulator, a high-performance aircraft that simulates brief periods of weightlessness. Calandrelli was given the chance to fly in this unique astronaut training aircraft because of her keen interest in NASA activities and because of her exceptional academic record.

In an interview with NASA Emily explained her love of space. "Because of technologies from space exploration, we can begin to understand our world's origins, and our lives are improving. These are the reasons why dedicating a life to the sciences and space exploration is so meaningful and rewarding." Emily is also a role mode for other women students. She strongly encourages them to consider science and engineering careers. Emily explained in her NASA interview, "I especially encourage females to get involved in these majors because we are in the minority …and women should not be discouraged or intimidated because they think it is a 'guy major.'"

NASA Space Science Explorers Program Not Only for Young People

Space Science Explorers is a NASA program that ignores an individual’s age. Proof is David DelMonte who migrated from the world of computers at the World Bank to being an ambassador for the entire solar system. The Solar System Ambassador project is funded by NASA and run out of the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in Pasadena, CA. The project began in 1997 to get the general public more interested in NASA’s planetary exploration programs which are sometimes overshadowed by the space shuttle and human space flight activities. “Ambassadors” are people with a keen interest in the space program, a desire to share information about it, and the skill to do an effective job.

The program has several hundred volunteers across the U.S. who are trained by JPL online and given high quality materials. An ambassador doesn't have to be a science teacher with a folder full of science lessons. A focus of the ambassador program is to capture students’ interest in pursuing science and technology careers and increase their willingness to take higher-level subjects in school such as algebra and calculus. On the Space Science Explorer website Kay Ferrari, the JPL project manager, explained, "They (Solar System Ambassadors) come from all kinds of backgrounds and from all over the country. The qualities these volunteers share are a love of space exploration and a desire to share that love with people in their communities."

David DelMonte’s contact with aerospace technology occurred while he was working for the World Bank on a project in New Guinea to set up a distance learning network for children in Papua. DelMonte saw for himself the powerful impact that space technology could have on elementary science, on children, their parents, and an entire community. However, he was disappointed that the media didn’t share this vision, so he wanted to do something about it.