{"id":650110,"date":"2024-04-19T09:13:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T13:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=650110"},"modified":"2024-04-19T10:12:59","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T14:12:59","slug":"students-celebrate-rockets-environment-at-nasas-kennedy-space-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/earth\/earth-day\/students-celebrate-rockets-environment-at-nasas-kennedy-space-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Students Celebrate Rockets, Environment at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1038&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1038\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1038&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1.2); transform-origin: 92% 29%; object-position: 92% 29%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1038&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1920w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=300&h=162&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=768&h=415&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=1024&h=554&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=1536&h=830&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=400&h=216&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=600&h=324&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=900&h=487&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0138~large.jpg?w=1200&h=649&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Students from Andrew Jackson Middle School in Titusville, Florida, participate in an environmentally focused Earth Day briefing on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, inside the news auditorium at the agency\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The panelists from left to right are Messod Bendayan, NASA Communications; Kelly McCarthy, NASA\u2019s Office of STEM Engagement, Bob Kline, Kennedy\u2019s Environmental Assurance Branch; Spencer Davis, Kennedy\u2019s Exploration Ground Systems; Kim King-Wrenn, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. <\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Kim Shiflett<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>At NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/kennedy\/kennedy-space-center-sustainability\/\">sustainability<\/a> and preservation efforts here on Earth are as much of a priority as rocket launches, spacecraft, and the exploration of worlds beyond our own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In celebration of Earth Day 2024, nearly 100 students from Andrew Jackson Middle School in Titusville, Florida, and a virtual audience of students across the country, attended NASA\u2019s Next Gen STEM Earth Day panel at the NASA News Center\u2019s John Holliman Auditorium and press site \u201cbullpen.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On hand were NASA environmental and educational experts who discussed Kennedy\u2019s unique role balancing space launch technology and protected habitat, the center\u2019s new electric vehicle charging stations, and NASA\u2019s Earthrise educational initiative that aims to increase science, technology, engineering, and mathematics literacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bob Kline, acting chief of Kennedy\u2019s Environmental Assurance Branch, helped students learn about the importance of protecting the habitat that is refuge to more than 1,500 species of plants and animals. NASA Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Canaveral National Seashore, which encompass over 140,000 acres of land, waters, and protected habitats.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBecause we\u2019re a wildlife refuge, it\u2019s easy to think the launches would impact the wildlife, but it\u2019s mostly the buildings that might get impacted by wildlife trying to live on them,\u201d said Kline. \u201cDuring renovations we\u2019ve had to do special things to protect bats and other birds who live in roofs or under bridges. Everything we do, we\u2019re very mindful of the animals, whether they\u2019re endangered or not. We care about them deeply.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Panelist Kim King-Wrenn, a park ranger from Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, echoed Kline\u2019s message. She told students that the spaceport is one of the most biologically diverse places in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Home to everything from the Florida scrub jay to endangered green sea turtles, King-Wrenn classifies Kennedy as the goldilocks of climate zones.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRight here is where the northern temperate zone and the southern, subtropical zones come together,\u201d King-Wrenn said. \u201cThe more habitat diversity there is, the more diverse homes there are for more kinds of animals.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Students like 7th grader Zoe Oderman were fascinated by the coexistence of nature and technology across the spaceport. \u201cThe Vehicle Assembly Building was awesome, but I love that the beaches at Kennedy Space Center give turtles a place to lay their eggs, because other places in the area don\u2019t,\u201d Oderman said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kennedy employee Spencer Davis discussed the installation of 56 electric vehicle charging stations during his time at the NASA Transportation Office on center. The new infrastructure helps support a fleet of electric government vehicles including the all-electric crew transport vehicles that will take Artemis astronauts from their crew quarters to the launch pad.  <\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1.1); transform-origin: 50% 42%; object-position: 50% 42%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1280&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1920w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=300&h=200&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 300w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=768&h=512&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=1024&h=683&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=1536&h=1024&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1536w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=400&h=267&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=600&h=400&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=900&h=600&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 900w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087\/KSC-20240402-PH-KLS02_0087~large.jpg?w=1200&h=800&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Students from Andrew Jackson Middle School in Titusville, Florida, pose for a photo with one of the Artemis crew transportation vehicles in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. As part of NASA\u2019s NextGen STEM project, the students joined others from across the country who participated virtually for an environmentally focused Earth Day briefing held inside Kennedy\u2019s news auditorium to discuss how technology and science coexist with nature at the spaceport. <\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Kim Shiflett<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Later this summer, Davis and his team will be honored at the White House for these efforts to facilitate a future of zero carbon emission government vehicles and help save taxpayer money.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe big takeaway here is in order to charge up and drive one of Kennedy\u2019s Chevrolet Bolts 100 miles, it only costs $2.80,\u201d Davis said. \u201cThat\u2019s basically the price of a soft drink.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The students also learned about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/stem-content\/earthrise\/\">Earthrise<\/a> from panelist Kelly McCarthy, program specialist with NASA\u2019s Office of STEM Engagement at the agency\u2019s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The NASA education initiative provides educators with access to monthly collections of resources aimed at increasing STEM literacy and understanding the importance of protecting our home planet.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEarthrise is a really good way to find out the most relevant and useful solutions-based resources that exist right now,\u201d McCarthy said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides offering their expertise on sustainable practices as well as words of encouragement to the future stewards of our planet, the panelists inspired students to pursue STEM careers, including at Kennedy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou can do anything you want to do out here, and if you really apply yourself you can get into any field,\u201d Davis told the students. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to step outside the box. Don\u2019t be afraid to do something completely different, even if it\u2019s scary. Take every opportunity and seize the moment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event was coordinated through the Next Gen STEM project in NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/learning-resources\/stem-engagement\/\">Office of STEM Engagement<\/a>, which reaches students in schools and informal classrooms across the county.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>View NASA\u2019s Next Gen STEM Earth Day Student Briefing here:<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"width-full maxw-full margin-left-auto margin-right-auto hds-media-align-inline hds-module wp-block-nasa-blocks-video\"><div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper width-full maxw-full flex-column\"><div class=\"hds-video-container width-full embed-container\"><video title=\"ksc-20240402-vp-cdc01-0001-earth-day-2024-student-briefing-m5469-1-low-res-for-captions\" id=\"nasa-plus-7ycgr\" class=\"video-js video-player vjs-fluid width-full\" data-setup='{\"controls\":true,\"preload\":\"auto\",\"plugins\":{\"mux\":{\"debug\":false,\"data\":{\"env_key\":\"91nns8oppqdfqc44lgo4b1gni\",\"player_name\":\"www.nasa.gov Player\",\"video_name\":\"ksc-20240402-vp-cdc01-0001-earth-day-2024-student-briefing-m5469-1-low-res-for-captions\"}}}}'  ><source src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/ksc-20240402-vp-cdc01-0001-earth-day-2024-student-briefing-m5469-1-low-res-for-captions.mp4\" type=\"video\/mp4\"><p class=\"vjs-no-js\">To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/videojs.com\/html5-video-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supports HTML5 video<\/a><\/p><track label=\"English\" kind=\"subtitles\" srclang=\"en\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/ksc-20240402-vp-cdc01-0001-earth-day-2024-student-briefing-m5469-1-low-res-for-captions-en-us.vtt?emrc=1a87fe\" default \/><\/video><\/div><\/div><div class=\"hds-media-caption hds-caption padding-y-2\"><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center, sustainability and preservation efforts here on Earth are as much of a priority as rocket launches, spacecraft, and the exploration of worlds beyond our own. In celebration of Earth Day 2024, nearly 100 students from Andrew Jackson Middle School in Titusville, Florida, and a virtual audience of students across the [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":650256,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11357,2862,2847,12690],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[3917],"coauthors":[8387,13052,13110],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Students Celebrate Rockets, Environment at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/earth\/earth-day\/students-celebrate-rockets-environment-at-nasas-kennedy-space-center\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/earth\/earth-day\/students-celebrate-rockets-environment-at-nasas-kennedy-space-center\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/ksc-20240402-ph-kls02-0138orig.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/ksc-20240402-ph-kls02-0138orig.jpg"},"articleSection":"Earth","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jason Costa"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamie Groh"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Elyna N. Niles-Carnes"}],"creator":["Jason Costa","Jamie Groh","Elyna N. Niles-Carnes"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["NASA Centers & Facilities","Kennedy Space Center","Sustainability at Kennedy Space Center","Earth Day","STEM Engagement at NASA"],"dateCreated":"2024-04-19T13:13:00Z","datePublished":"2024-04-19T13:13:00Z","dateModified":"2024-04-19T14:12:59Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Students Celebrate Rockets, Environment at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/earth\/earth-day\/students-celebrate-rockets-environment-at-nasas-kennedy-space-center\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/ksc-20240402-ph-kls02-0138orig.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2024-04-19T13:13:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Earth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities,Kennedy Space Center,Sustainability at Kennedy Space Center,Earth Day,STEM Engagement at NASA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Jason Costa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Jamie Groh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Elyna N. Niles-Carnes\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":4,"time_ago":"2 months","featured_image":{"id":650256,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/ksc-20240402-ph-kls02-0138orig.jpg","title":"Earth Day at KSC","alt":"","caption":"As part of NASA\u2019s NextGen STEM project, students from Andrew Jackson Middle School in Titusville, Florida, participate in an environmentally focused Earth Day briefing on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, inside the news auditorium at the agency\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Along with the students participating in person, middle school students from across the country participated virtually to discuss how technology and science coexist with nature at Kennedy with panel participants. The panelists from left to right are Messod Bendayan, NASA Communications; Kelly McCarthy, NASA\u2019s Office of STEM Engagement, Bob Kline, Kennedy\u2019s Environmental Assurance Branch; Spencer Davis, Kennedy\u2019s Exploration Ground Systems; Kim King-Wrenn, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650110"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=650110"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":650398,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650110\/revisions\/650398"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/650256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=650110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=650110"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=650110"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=650110"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=650110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}