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Sea Scouting

Spacecraft recovery test for the Artemis 1 mission.
Spacecraft recovery test for the Artemis 1 mission.

From its word roots, the term astronaut means ‘star sailor’ but NASA needs sailors in Earth’s waters as well.  As seen in the image above, ships are sometimes used in the recovery of spacecraft.   But NASA also transports rocket components, e.g., for the Space Launch System, by sea, as seen in the image below of its barge Pegasus.

Tugboat pulling the barge Pegasus.
Tugboat pulling the barge Pegasus.

In contrast to the barge, the James Webb Space Telescope was shipped for launch to French Guiana via a freighter as explained at How to Ship the World’s Largest Space Telescope 5,800 Miles Across the Ocean.

Meanwhile, some astronauts train for space exploration by living and working in an underwater simulation through the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) project.

While Sea Scouting can help prepare Scouts to take NASA to new destinations, that is perhaps especially true through the STEM Nova Awards where the modules relate to a variety of NASA’s careers and missions as shown in the graphic below.

STEM Nova Award Modules & NASA Careers.
STEM Nova Award Modules & NASA Careers.

Sea Scouts considering a next step toward NASA careers may want to consider participation in one or more of the agency’s internship programs.

NASA Links:
•    
Advanced Composite Solar Sail System
•    Careers
•    How to Ship the World’s Largest Space Telescope 5,800 Miles Across the Ocean
•    Internship Programs
•    NASA’s Barge Pegasus
•    NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO)
•    Sailing with NASA

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