Student Space Exploration Day, one of many career awareness programs offered by STEMworks™ to Maui County students, welcomed middle and high schoolers to an exciting day of STEM-inspired (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) space events. Students enjoyed a special live presentation and talk story with astronaut Scott ‘Scooter’ Altman about living and working in space. They also experienced hands-on scientific demonstrations and presentations of advanced technologies by experts in the field.  

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. Recalling his initial rejection from the astronaut program, Altman inspired the keiki to never give up and to always keep trying, as he himself did. 

“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,” he said. “It will be students in this age group, whom I am talking to today, who might be the first ones on Mars!” 

Lori Ann Koyama, Lāhainā Intermediate STEMworks Media Production and Graphics teacher, said, “My students were excited to meet the astronaut and to do the hands-on experiments. This day gets them thinking about future careers that are available to them and they always come away wanting more.” 

Bernadette Detera, engineer, explained what she does. “We showed the students a 3-D visualization of over 34,000 objects in space which we track. We talked about what satellites contribute to our daily lives, for example, GPS navigation, weather prediction, and long-distance communication. These show the importance of humanity’s future in space.” 

Anela Arakawa, 8th grade, Lāhainā Intermediate, noted, “I learned about all the different satellites and how they work and how many objects there are in space. It makes me want to know more, go to college, and get a law degree. Maybe I’ll work in Space Law!” 

Jaysen Acoba, 8th grade, Maui Waena Intermediate School, added, “I’m interested in robotics and what it can do for our society in the future. It’s what I love about Student Space Exploration Day; it’s all so inspiring. I want to go to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a world-renowned research university, and help develop technologies that will create a safer space and a better world.”