What: More than 200 North Alabama Girl Scouts will converge in Huntsville, Ala., Nov. 7-8 to visit NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. About 30 cadets and senior-level scouts will visit the Marshall Center Nov. 7 to discuss careers with Marshall engineers and tour the center’s key engineering facilities, where they will learn about NASA’s Environmental Control and Life Support System for the International Space Station — the recycling efforts cuts dependence on resupply from Earth, reducing it by 15,000 pounds each year the water and consumables launched. The group also will visit the Huntsville Operations Support Center — a mission support facility that distributes secure voice communications, video and science and spaceflight data anywhere in the world.
The scouts will join the rest of their troop members that night at the Space & Rocket Center for team-building activities and viewing the 3D movie “Fly Me to the Moon.” On Nov. 8, the troops will take part in space-themed workshops, including water filtration and building water bottle rockets. Senior-level scouts will take part in a LEGO League Robotics workshop developed by FIRST, the “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology” program, a global effort to get kids excited about science and technology. The workshop lets young people build their own robots and program them to follow commands.
When: Members of the news media are invited to meet with the scouts and their engineer-mentors at the Marshall Center Nov. 7 from 1-4 p.m. CST; and at the Space & Rocket Center from 6-9 p.m. Media opportunities also will be available Nov. 8 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
To attend: News media interested in covering the Marshall Center event should contact Angela Storey in the Public & Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0034 no later than 4 p.m. Nov. 6. For members of the media seeking to attend activities at the Space & Rocket Center, call its media relations manager, Al Whitaker, at 256-721-7160 no later than 4 p.m. Nov. 6.
Media visiting the Marshall Center must report to the Redstone Arsenal Joint Visitor Control Center at Gate 9, Interstate 565 interchange at Rideout Road/Research Park Boulevard. Vehicles are subject to a security search at the gate. News media will need two photo identifications and proof of car insurance. Visitor parking is available in front of Bldg. 4200 on the southwest side.
