BLAST OFF!

Owen smiles bravely on the launchpad.

Today, we launched a kid into space.* After testing our rocket and launch tower on a few unmanned missions (with some cinder blocks sitting in for the astronaut), we sent this week's tiniest tinkerer into the great unknown.

Enjoying a moment of Enjoying a moment of "zero gravity", as his personal harness pulls him up off the spaceship floor.

He made it back just fine.

The launch was all orchestrated by an extremely elaborate control panel: two huge slanted decks full of keyboards, switches, knobs and LEDs, beneath two giant overhead monitors with actual projection showing our ship moving through space. 

Orin and August at the control panel.

We also completed spacesuits and jetpacks, several extra-terrestrial rovers, and a Tinkering School first: a cart that successfully used our 12V drills as motors. It carried a few kids clear across the cork floor!

Augy in the space suit.

Miles, James and Rhone pulled off a drill-powered rover that could actually drive an adult across the cork floor. They were stoked.

Fitz tests a moon rover. Note the door!

Our Mission to Outer Space was marked by great teamwork on display from our very young crew. Kids made real efforts to help one another out. One moment from Wednesday stands out:

Two veteran tinkerers were working on a lunar rover, and noticed a first-timer taking interest. The vets warmly invited the first-timer to join in, but the first timer said,

"I don't know how to build a lunar rover." The veteran didn't miss a beat:

"Neither do we. C'mon, we'll figure it out together."

Thanks for a great week!

Ida on the bandsaw--such focus!

Sean Murray