CAN YOU PLAY SPORTS IN SPACE?
Join Challenger Center’s Live Webcast to discover the possibilities! Former NFL Player Ken Harvey and Richard Garriott team up to talk to students
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -Richard Garriott, the next civilian to visit the International Space Station, teams up with former NFL player and four time pro bowler, Ken Harvey and Challenger Center for a live interactive webcast, Monday, July 21st at 12:00pm ET to discuss how future athletes will play sports in space. Asking students questions such as “What happens when you block an opponent on Mars, leap for a reception on the Moon, or throw a tight spiral on the space station?”
To join the event live, simply go to www.challenger.org and click on Sports in Space.
Richard will try out various sports moves when he is on board the space station this fall, and his videos will be available upon his return. Students can check out videos of Ken and students playing football here on Earth, and send in their own predictions about which moves can be done in space. Will new or modified versions of sports need to be invented for future people living on the Moon or Mars?
To submit a question for Richard or Ken before the live event, please visit our website at www.challenger.org.
More program information
From August to January, tens of thousands of people will spend several hours on Sunday afternoons watching professionals perform physics demonstrations. They do this simply by watching a football game. Sport players perform a number of moves that we are familiar with and take for granted. When watching a sporting event, you don’t stop and think of the physics needed to throw, kick, or catch a ball, tackle an opponent or change direction. But each of these motions requires the use of some specific physics that has to be applied in a specific way if you are to be a great sports hero.
Friction, energy, gravity, and momentum are all needed to succeed in sports. Especially important is Newton’s Law of Action and Reaction which states: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For more about the Garriott educational space science program, visit www.challenger.org.
The Challenger Center for Space Science Education was founded in 1986 by the families of the astronauts of the space shuttle Challenger 51-L mission. Challenger Center programs raise student’s expectations of success by fostering a long-term interest in science, mathematics, technology and engineering, motivating them to pursue a career in these fields. The network of 50 Challenger Learning Centers across the U.S. train more than 25,000 teachers annually to incorporate project-based learning and use the theme of space exploration to engage students in critical thinking, decision-making, communication and teamwork.
For program information, please contact:
Shannon Rush, Development and Communications Associate
Challenger Center for Space Science Education, Alexandria, VA
703-683-9740; srush@challenger.org
If you are a member of the media and would like to request an interview with Richard Garriott, please contact:
Stacey Tearne, Space Adventures
703-894-2192, stearne@spaceadventures.com
