Kids Planning Own Space Mission in Virginia
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: NASA has a bit of a problem with the Mars Rover Spirit. It's been trying to clear away the air bags that cushioned the rover when it landed on the red planet. This is NASA animation of Spirit, not the real thing. Sections of the air bags are partially blocking the ramp the golf cart sized robot needs to roll off the lander. NASA says it's still working on the problem. In essence, it's caught in a pothole of air bags. In the meantime, in Roanoke, Virginia, some students have already completed a space mission of their own. Heidi Coy of CNN affiliate WSLS has more details for you.</s>HEIDI COY, WSLS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Students' minds are more than a million miles away, and in this class, that's right where teacher Kim Low (ph) wants them.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In this medical station, she has some sheep.</s>COY: They're planning a mission into space. First, students in Lucy Addison's Middle School's aerospace program build models of what their space equipment could look like.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: We can make something like the Mars rover.</s>COY: They go through their pre-flight physicals, then it's time to suit up and take their places.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: This is mission control in there. We're conducting it.</s>COY (on camera): Unlike regular course work, these students actually get to take what they learn in the class and use it hands-on. Today, they're manning a mission to Mars.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: So this is mission specialist</s>COY (voice-over): The red planet has been the focus of many of their classes lately. They're watching their lessons come to life as images come in from the land rover Spirit.</s>ERIKA WITT, YOUNG ASTRONAUTS CLUB PRESIDENT: I've been watching CNN a lot and reading the newspaper articles. Just recently I was in the library reading up, following up on an article.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: mission control, this is Endeavor.</s>WITT: It takes you to a different place and you're like oh, wow, I want to go there, I want to see what Mars looks like and put your feet in the actual soil of Mars.</s>COY: In their model space station, they're coming close. For this mission, seventh grader Isaac Jones is flying the shuttle.</s>ISAAC JONES, YOUNG ASTRONAUTS CLUB VICE PRESIDENT: This is like my second mission.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How's the flying going?</s>JONES: It's going good.</s>COY: Isaac, like many of his classmates, is eager to learn more about Mars. He's already forming his own theories, based on what he's learned.</s>JONES: I believe that humans can really live on Mars. I believe that it was life on Mars at one point because everything that they say about Mars, you believe it more.</s>COY: They're hoping one of their future flights really will be out of this world. In Roanoke, Heidi Coy, News Channel 10.