NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

By: Jim Hodges

Lucie Podhorna walked from the Lunar Habitat in Building 1148 and decided it wasn't for her.

"Maybe five days," she responded to a query about how long she thought she could live in the habitat. The prospect of doing so on the moon was even more daunting and definitely not in her plans.

The Czech Republic has a long history of space involvement, but eight high school students, ages 17 and 18, and three teachers visiting NASA Langley from the Gymnazium Vherske Hradiste on Monday were more interested in seeing how Americans work and play than in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education.

A group of Czech students and teachers visiting Poquoson High School toured the National Transonic Facility and Lunar Habitat on Monday. Credit: NASA/Sean Smith

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"Maybe biology," said Sarka Gabrielova, who has limited scientific interest. She wants to be a psychologist because "I want to help people."

Kristyna Suchankova nodded. She wants to be a lawyer.

Still, they were fascinated by Bill Bissett's demonstration of the properties of liquid nitrogen at the National Transonic Facility.

"It picks up dirt, so if you need to clean up your room, you can do it fast," he said, and they laughed.

The laughter became a bit more nervous when they were offered cheese crackers with liquid nitrogen poured onto them. Each bit crackers and then laughed harder when they saw each other's breath smoking.

When Bissett talked about "pitch, roll" with airplane models in the NTF, Petr Kolarik understood. He flies gliders back home and wants to be a commercial pilot someday.

The students are part of a cultural exchange program with Poquoson High School, and they will be in the area for 12 days. The trip was escorted by Gwen Wheatle of the Strategic Relationships Office.

Langley is only one of the places they'll visit here.

"We will be going to Jamestown and Williamsburg and Washington," Eliska Nesrstova said.

They know U.S. history, having studied it in school, where they also are required to learn English and at least one other foreign language, usually German because of that country's proximity to the Czech Republic. Public education in the Czech Republic is 13 years.

They also understand the calendar. "It is new history," Podhorna said of some of the places they are visiting on their trip.

Buildings dating back to the 1600s and 1700s are new history to students from a town with a city center that dates back to 1257, and to buildings nearby that go back to the ninth century A.D.

But new is important to them. The students said they enjoyed American movies.

"Woody Allen," said Podhoma, citing his recent film, "Vicky Christina Barcelona" as one she particularly liked.

Between trips, they will sit in on classes at Poquoson and attend the Islanders' football game against Tabb High School on Friday night.

As for Monday, there probably were no engineers recruited, but there was fascination at some of the things done at NASA.

"It's all interesting," more than one of the students said.

Much of new history is when you're 17 years old.


 
NASA Langley Research Center
Managing Editor: Jim Hodges
Executive Editor and Responsible NASA Official: H. Keith Henry
Editor and Curator: Denise Lineberry