Boston, Massachusetts. A city rich in history, culture, and
most notably, sports. For more than a decade it’s been referred
to as the City of Champions. And at it’s heart lies the iconic
Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox. Today, thousands of
kids will crowd this stadium – but it’s not in the name of
sports. Instead, today is all about science. On May 30th 2018,
Fenway Park became the command center for a unique NASA mission
- a showcase about the wonders of our universe, and the many
ways NASA scientists study it. The concourse was transformed
into a science center featuring exhibits, hands on activities,
and demonstrations. 60 schools in the region participated,
bringing in over 4000 kids. Students and teachers alike
learned about everything from meteorites, to solar eclipses,
and how we search for exoplanets. Leading this
endeavor was the Project Scientist of the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission – Noah Petro. His presentation
about geological features on the Moon was just the beginning of
an all-star lineup of presenters discussing planetary and Earth
science, heliophysics and astrophysics. Space-themed
visuals drew eyes to Fenway’s famous jumbotron, while a lesson
on light waves brought a more familiar wave to grandstands.
And down on the field, water bottle rockets launched skyward
for all to see. The excitement in the air was palpable.
The closer for today’s event was someone sure to be in NASA’s own
hall of fame: Astronaut Sunita Williams. Having served on the
International Space Station and as the Commander for Expedition
33. Captain Williams once held the women’s record for total
spacewalks and spacewalk time, and was even the first person to
run the Boston Marathon from space. Her time at Fenway
undoubtedly inspired a whole new generation of future space
explorers. After the STEM Day closed up shop, there was one
final NASA surprise in store. The national anthem for the
Red Sox game was performed by professional harpist, and NASA
Goddard scientist, Maria Banks.
[music]
The performance was out of this world.
In the end, the crew of this mission found it to be a
great success. By showcasing the wide variety of disciplines and
work being done at NASA, a simple message of the day became
clear: No matter where you came from, or what field you wind up
in or on, the universe is yours if you put your mind to it.