Children's Museum Mars Rover Finalist / Annual Science Fair / Princeton Plasma Lab

March 28th, in attendance at our Annual Science Fair was Adia Bulawa. 1 of the 9 finalists in NASA's "Name the New Mars Rover Contest". Museum Director Brown presented her with Proclamations from Congressman Arcuri and NYS Senator Griffo. An 8 yr-old second grader, Adia chose the name "Amelia," after the famous aviator Amelia Earhart, the first woman to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, who was lost while crossing the Pacific in 1937 during the final leg of flight around the world. The nine finalists have an opportunity to send a special message to the future to be placed on a chip carried by the Mars Science Laboratory rover. Votes were submitted from all over the world with Adia the only NYS entry! Her winning essay and "live voting" for Amelia took place online and out of our museum. We're excited they saw our Press Release on the contest, downloaded the form from our website, and out of 9,000 entries, became a finalist!).

Children's Museum to take part in NASA's Invite: "Students to Name New Mars Rover"

November 18, 2008 - WASHINGTON, D.C. -- NASA is looking for the right stuff, or in this case, the right name for the next Mars rover. NASA, in cooperation with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures' movie WALL-E from Pixar Animation Studios, will conduct a naming contest for its car-sized Mars Science Laboratory rover that is scheduled for launch in 2009.

The contest began Tuesday, Nov. 18, and was open to students 5 to 18 years old who attend a U.S. school and are enrolled in the current academic year. To enter the contest, students submitted essays explaining why their suggested name for the rover should be chosen. Essays had to be received by Jan. 25, 2009. Information about the contest was available at The Children’s Museum. Student essay’s ccould be turned in at the museum’s front desk.

In March 2009, the public will have an opportunity to rank nine finalist names via the Internet as additional input for judges to consider during the selection process. NASA will announce the winning rover name in April 2009. Disney will provide prizes to students submitting winning essays, including a trip to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., where the rover is under construction. The grand prize winner will have an opportunity to place a signature on the spacecraft and take part in the history of space exploration.

For more information, download the contest entry form, contact The Children’s Museum Executive Director Marlene B. Brown at 315-724-6129 (museum) or 315-853-1318 (home office) or email Director Brown. The Children’s Museum is the only children’s museum in the country to be adopted by NASA and the Office of Science. Their many exhibits are on our fourth floor.

Thursday, February 19th & Friday, February 20th - during Winter Break week - Princeton Plasma Lab's John DeLooper was once again at our Children's Museum where he demonstrated an interactive "Plasma Toys" exhibit.

June 10th & 11th, come see our newest NASA Exhibits which will be outside & housed on our 4th floor! Unveiling of exhibits, Press Conference, and Reception being held from 10:30am to 12:30pm on Fri., June 10th at the Children's Museum.

Saturday, April 2, 2005, we held our Annual Science & Technology Fair. Kids entered tech and science exhibits; interacted with NASA Glenn & Rocketdyne Power & MV Astronomy Society interactive exhibits, met and astronaut and got autographed pictures! More info here.

Monday, August 9, 2004 from 10:30am to 11:30am, the Children's Museum held an "Out of This World" NASA event! Children, families, and visitors viewed an interactive space exhibit with presentations by Congressman Sherry Boehlert, Chairman of the House Science Committee, and Fomer Astronaut Mike McCulley, CEO of United Space Alliance. Kids of all ages got autographed pictures and NASA pins and interact with the exhibits! From 12:00pm to 1:30pm, the Children's Museum celebrated our "Cyber eClub NY1 Rotary Charter Party"! Introduced by Boehlert, the keynote"The Vision for Space Exploration" was delivered by McCulley. View more here.

March 27, 2004 Space Science Event at the museum included our 1st Annual CM Science Fair with kids projects; Lutheran Care Active Day participants joined children in building Space Lego exhibits; Congressman Sherry Boehlert, NASA Lead Mars Scientist Dr. Jim Garvin, and Astronaut Ken Cockrell unveiled our newest NASA exhibit, a Mars Rover.

Feb. '04 Princeton Plasma Lab brought us a Jacob's Ladder exhibit. Aug. '03, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center brought us a Space Theatre Lab. Feb. '03 Boehlert helped Museum Director Brown honor the Columbia crew and our extended NASA family. After the ceremony, visitors viewed exhibits & signed our Book of Condolences to SST Columbia crew, their families & our NASA friends. Read OD coverage & NASA's Message to Youth.

U. S. Dept. of Energy's Science Office was at CM Feb. 17th, '03 w/ Hands On Science programs. NASA's Starship 2040 was here March 27th-30th. Aug. '02 Congressman Boehlert brought NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe & a Mars Rover exhibit to the Children's Museum. View more pictures at Space Science.

At a visit to the Children's Museum in August of 2002, Congressman Sherwood Boehlert, Chairman of the House Science Committee and NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe announced that NASA had adopted the Children's Museum and established a long term relationship with both exhibits and educational materials. In December of 2002, Congressman Boehlert and Dr. Ray Orbach, Director of the Department of Energy's Office of Science, announced that the DOE's OS had also adopted the Children's Museum, the first time, Dr. Orbach said, that they had adopted a children's museum. Our 4th floor's Grand Opening took place on Friday, Dec. 6, 2002 with dignitaries, guests, elected officials, corporate sponsors, the media, and the board of directors. Included were Congressman Boehlert, Dr. Orbach, Scientists from Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in CA, Fermi National Accelerator Lab in IL, and Princeton Plasma Physics Lab in NJ.

The Congressman, Director O'Keefe, and Dr. Orbach announced NASA & DOE's Office of Science have adopted the Children's Museum in Utica, NY! Exhibits unveiled included NASA, DOE, Airplane, Fire & Police Dept's, Flags, Stamps, our airplane, 4th Floor Charter members plaque. Our 4th floor is open to the public four times a day for a half hour each time, and for field trip space science programs booked. If interested in volunteering as guides, email Museum Director. View our beginnings, view an awesome panaromic picture of the world from space, and track the International Space Station's orbit.

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July 13, 2005 Executive Director's Memo: "God Speed, Discovery"

I thought I'd share something that was sent to me. Written by a former Shuttle flight director, it's a good piece to keep in mind.
From: N. W. (Wayne) HALE JR.
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2005 1:50 PM
Subject: Flight Prep

Last fall, NASA gathered many of the leading explorers of our day, not just astronauts but explorers of the deep oceans, mountaineers, those who make scientific expeditions into deep caves, others who seek scientific knowledge in volcanoes and other dangerous places. One of the panel discussions centered on risk and safety. It is a cliché in our business that "safety is the most important thing". One of the panel members - well acquainted with dangerous activities - observed that "in exploration, the most important thing is - to go."
Sitting on the ground is perfectly safe. Keeping a ship in the harbor is perfectly safe. But in our business - sorry to break the myth - the most important thing is not safety. The most important thing is - to go.
The most inspiring feat of exploration in the annals of polar history was the 1914 Shackleton expedition which attempted the first crossing of the Antarctic continent. Shackleton recruited his team with the following advertisement in the London newspapers: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success."
Safe return doubtful. Where would that be on our hazard assessment 5x5 matrix? The expedition was not ultimately successful, and there was precious little honor and recognition, at least at first; the good news is they did all return safely.
Today, do we have the values and fortitude to be explorers? To be a successful explorer requires willingness to take on risk. To insist on no risk, or minimum risk, or even achieving a perfect understanding of the risk crush any hope of success.
A year ago, on the first anniversary of the loss of Columbia, General Howell reminded many of us of the great sacrifice our friends had made. He told us it would be a shame if we let their sacrifice go for nothing . It would be a shame to quit now. It would be a shame if we stopped exploring because we have become too fearful of the risks that they knew were worth taking.
Recently, I heard Dr. Jon Clark speak to a group of students about his wife. He quoted a poem that she wrote some years ago in a letter to a college friend. As we face decisions in the days ahead, remember the words of Laurel Clark, Columbia crewmember:
"To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing our true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try at all is to risk failure.
But to risk we must,
Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The man, the woman, who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing."

"God Speed, Discovery" - Children's Museum Executive Director Marlene B. Brown

"From Giant Leaps to Baby Steps" - NY Times article by former Astronaut Eugene Kranz

Take a look at the beginning of our renovation & the process that brought us to this opening. View our special 4th Floor Charter sponsors. View our historic building pictures! Track the International Space Station. To pictures * To top * To text

It takes a community to make a vision a reality.
The following helped make our 4th floor opening a reality:

National Aeronautic & Space Administration & Director Sean O'Keefe
Dept. of Energy's Office of Science & Director Dr. Raymond Orbach
Congressman Sherwood Boehlert
Rig-All (Patty & Rusty Williams)
NYS Senator Ray Meier
Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito
County Executive Ralph Eannace
The Community Foundation
Ted Kibiuk & his airplane
Scott Madonia & Madonia Electric
Pacemaker Millar * Gauthier Fabricationg
Roger Sinnott * Zangrilli Engineering
Bernie Coffey & I.B.E.W. # 43
NY Power Authority * Earl Lewis
Oxford Medical Imaging * Job Ready
Oneida Indian Nation & Chuck Fougnier
Hannaford's (New Hartford) * The Fountainhead Group
Mauro's Glass * Fred Collis & Sons * H. F. Brandeles Co.
Ricardo Rosero & MVCC's Carpentry Class
Mark Waldrop & MVCC's Escoffier Club
Senator James Donovan Memorial Fund
Dr. Theodore & Malva Max * Dr. Joel Amidon
Bill Steppe & The GE Elfun's
The Hartford * Earle Reed & ECR
Joseph Flihan & Co. * Lincoln Davies
J-K Lumber * McQuade & Bannigan
Joe Fraccola & the USPS * Indium Corp
Chris Destito & The Beeches
F. X. Matt's * Bremer & Bullock
Bronson Contractors * SCI Plywood
The Burns Agency * Mayor Tim Julian
Deputy Chief Dick Stemmer & the UPD
Assistant Chief Russell Brooks & the UFD
OC Sheriff Dan Middaugh & UnderSheriff Peter Paravati
The Utica OD * Regent Broadcasting * Herkimer Telegram
MV Business Journal * WKTV Channel 4 * WUTR Channel 20
Metzler Printing * Classified * Mirage * Carleton Boone
The Board of Directors * The CM Staff

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Exhibits provided the Children's Museum from DOE & NASA

"Plasma Display Toys" - shows students what "plasma" is by lighting a fluorescent light bulb without a perceived power supply, provided by Princeton University Physics Laboratory in New Jersey.

NASA exhibits provided by Glenn Research Center in Ohio.
A 1:15 scale Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia * A 1:3 scale Lunar Lander Module * A 1:3 scale Mercury Capsule * A 1:3 scale Gemini Capsule

NASA exhibits provided by Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama. A NASA Space Theatre.

"Magnetic Levitation Technology", a neat activity featuring a small maglev car, a short track, ring magnets, a pole, poster and activities, provided by Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island.

"Kaleidoscope Chemistry", become chromatographers - study the science of how color is used in the process of analyzing mixtures of chemical substances, provided by Ames Laboratory in Iowa.

"Gravity Accelerator", explore the relationship between velocity and energy, by racing a ball as it rolls around a "gravity accelerator" track, provided by Fermi National Laboratory in Illinois.

"Electromagnet Stands", add power to metal wrapped in copper wire + "Tangram Activity" used to demonstrate data analysis/problem solving, provided by Jefferson Laboratory in Virginia.

"Science Display and Toys", scintillation detectors and electronics commonly used in high energy particle physics experiments, provided by Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in California.

View International Space Station & Picture of Earth from Space

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The Children's Museum of History, Living History, Science & Technology
311 Main Street, Utica, NY 13501
Tel: 315-724-6129 * Web: www.museum4kids.net

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