Surrounded by his Lahaina Intermediate School classmates, Weston Chapin flies the Civil Air Patrol simulator at the AMOS Conference. PHOTO BY JOSE MORALES.

LAHAINA — Lahaina Intermediate School students were among 150 middle school students and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) educators welcomed by the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference on Friday, Sept. 30, at the Wailea Beach Resort-Marriott, Maui.

The conference and the Space Exploration Student Session, presented by Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), thrilled attendees who got to meet retired NASA Astronaut Scott “Scooter” Altman and visit numerous exhibit booths for hands-on STEM activities presented by the AMOS exhibitors.

Altman, a retired United States Navy captain, talked about his four Space Shuttle missions as well as his time as a Naval aviator, test pilot, engineer and astronaut.

Before leaving from NASA, his final space mission was servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. He is also known for his aerial acrobatics as an F-14 pilot in the filming of the 1986 “Top Gun” movie with Tom Cruise, which the students were excited to hear about.

He was one of four pilots who were chosen to work with the movie.

“The flying was incredible!” he said. “You know, most Navy pilots don’t get to fly like that and buzz the tower. And, of course, they wanted nine different takes, so we did it nine times!

“It is an honor to be here at AMOS,” Altman continued. “I like to engage with students because it’s important that we connect with the next generation and get them interested in space-related issues. There are great things happening right now, and there is an exciting future in space! Artemis will launch before the end of the year, SpaceX is doing incredible things, and much more. We are going back to the moon, and we are going on to Mars. It will be students in this age group that I am talking to today who are going to make that happen. Maybe someone here right now will be the first one on Mars!”

When asked what it was like to see the Earth from space, Altman replied, “In space, you see the Earth as an amazing organism. When you fly over it, you can see the edge of the horizon. There is a thin blue line around it — the atmosphere — everything that keeps us alive is there. I was like, ‘WOW!’ It appears so fragile. You can see our resources that we must take care of presently and for future generations. Seeing the Earth from space brought on feelings of stewardship, sustainability and respect for the planet. The need to care for it. The universe is a really big place; however, it’s one world. We are a small part of an infinite universe. World leaders need to work together.”

Lori Koyama, Lahaina Intermediate School media production and graphics teacher, said, “Events like this expose our youth to the unknown and excite them into future STEM careers. The students got to meet an actual astronaut, Scott Altman, who answered all their questions about his time in space and about his experience in the 1986 ‘Top Gun’ movie with Tom Cruise, which they loved.

“Gaining firsthand knowledge in the exhibit hall about the science applications needed for the next century will drive my students the most. Having them attend the AMOS Conference just opened their eyes to jobs they otherwise would not have known existed. It opened up new opportunities that they may never have thought about.

“Many of our students had not heard of most of these organizations and did not know that there is such a thing as space debris — something we all have to be concerned about. That’s important. They learned that a lot of the satellites in space are responsible for their daily activities like cell phone and wi-fi use, which tremendously interested them. One of the exhibiters also told the students about the need for international cooperation to keep space safe. That taught them the need for diplomacy in space as well as in their daily lives.”

COMSPOC Senior Engineer and exhibitor Alex Ridgeway pointed out, “We talked to the students about space and how to get into aerospace engineering as a career path and how math and science are important for a space industry future. Most importantly, we tried to let the students know how significant it is for all nations to work together to keep space safe for all. We explained that by keeping satellites safe, they will not hit each other and create more debris. Understanding the consequences of what is happening in outer space and how it relates to our everyday lives is vital. As long as humankind continues to use space, students worldwide need to become excited about space-related careers.

“COMSPOC supports the space operations community with software products and services that address current and emerging challenges in the space environment. Our safety-of-flight and mission-assurance services are the most accurate, precise and complete in the private sector. COMSPOC supports STEM outreach to stimulate and encourage future leaders in the fields of space and satellites. Plus, along with inspiration, we give the students ice cream and really cool pens!”

Emma Chapin, Lahaina Intermediate School eighth-grader, said, “Learning about careers in space was really interesting. People in different booths told us about their own careers, what they do, and how important space is to all of our lives. I like writing stories. I felt inspired to maybe write science fiction stories about space. Also, the ice cream at the COMSPOC booth was really good!”

Seventh-grader Kaila Nagasako added, “I took a lot of notes and feel really inspired by all that I learned. I asked the astronaut many questions, and he explained so much about what it is like to be in space. Plus, all my classmates loved the souvenirs we got to take home from all the exhibitors and the great ice cream at the COMSPOC exhibit. The flight simulation at Civil Air Patrol was the most interesting and fun for me in the exhibit hall.”

Shalev Sabag, Lahaina Intermediate eighth-grader, noted, “Astronaut Altman opened my eyes to how big and different it is in space. It was all so interesting. He made me think I might want to go to space when he was telling all about what he and his teammates did while they were there. Also, I really enjoyed all the hands-on science activities. My favorite one was at the Civil Air Patrol booth.

Squadron Commander and Aerospace Education Officer Lieutenant Darryl B. Ng, Civil Air Patrol, explained, “The students were learning about some basic laws of physics and how they apply to aircraft and flying. It’s so great to see the look of wonder in a young person’s eyes when they realize for the first time that flying is neither simple nor mysterious. It just takes the knowledge of the magic that we call physics. We brought a flight simulator to AMOS and showed the students the movements needed to fly, which they thoroughly enjoyed. They had a lot of fun crashing, too!

“Aerospace education is one of the primary missions of Civil Air Patrol, with classes being offered to schools throughout Maui County. Connecting classroom lessons to the country’s current and future plans for STEM innovation helps activate the imagination about space exploration. Teachers interested in bringing aerospace and STEM education to their classrooms should reach out to us.”

Rylie McClean, seventh-grader, reflected, “Math and science are already my favorite subjects. Today I learned how much those subjects are related to the space industry and space careers. I got to do so many new things, like steering a plane with my feet and learned how to glide when the engines were shut off. That was so exciting! Plus we did an experiment using hard-boiled eggs at the SAIC exhibit booth to learn about the millions of pieces of man-made debris that are floating around in space and how the debris can destroy a satellite.”

Michael Gutto, SAIC vice president of programs, Space & Strategic Mission Systems, explained further, “One of the hazards of space is the presence of high-speed particles. The particles can be the size of a grain of sand, have a mass that is only a fraction of a gram, and can travel at speeds ranging up to many kilometers per second. The near-Earth space environment has a problem of space debris such as paint chips and metal objects from old rocket boosters and satellites. Being struck by one of these objects is dangerous to our valuable assets in space, including astronauts. Satellites and spacesuits have to be designed with materials that are resistant to impacts.

“To protect satellites and astronauts, engineers have to provide some sort of armor. Our STEM project at AMOS was to show the students how to protect their satellite from impact. The materials we used were fish weight or rock, hard-boiled eggs, tissue paper, foil, paper and tape. The operation was as follows: a team of students wrapped their egg (the satellite) with the materials provided to see how it fared in a space debris environment. They named their satellite (egg) and tested against heavy space debris. The team with the best design using the materials provided with minimal cracks or dents, won!” Other Lahaina Intermediate students offered comments about student day. Jaylee Vieira said, “It was fun to learn about the different degrees of STEM education needed for jobs in the space industry.”

Weston Chapin agreed: “Student Day at AMOS made me want to learn how to figure things out and work with others to learn more, especially about lasers and mirrors.”

Jace Mangaong added, “What a day! I really enjoyed hearing Scott Altman tell about his experiences in space. He showed photos about what it was like, and it was so interesting to learn how he ate in space, worked with his team, and much more.”

Cindy Koyama, sixth grade counselor at Lahaina Intermediate, concluded, “Space Exploration Student Day was amazing! I love how the students were motivated and inspired. There were many interactive, hands-on activities available that wowed the students — experiences that we could not bring to the classroom. It was just a remarkable opportunity! As an educator, I made many STEM connections with different organizations to bring learning materials into the classroom.

“The professionals at AMOS were most kind to the students and answered all their questions, including where they went to school and what kind of studies and degrees are needed for a space industry career. They gave them inspiration to do better in school and to have a focus. I was as inspired as the students. I even wondered, is it too late for me to become an astronaut? Space Exploration Student Day was terrific. The MEDB team has quite an organization!”