By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON — NASA shuttle astronaut Dr. Janet Kavandi was in Hutchinson to talk to students about STEM research and how time in the classroom can lead to a better future. Kavandi was part of a presentation to students from the Magnet School at Allen and McCandless Elementary at the Cosmosphere on Thursday.
“We are now trying to get kids to understand that they have many opportunities in their future if they stay focused in school and set high goals for themselves,” Kavandi said. “And if they study, especially the sciences, engineering, IT, all of those kinds of fields, they can help us build these spacecraft.”
The space race is still growing within the United States as commercial space flight is becoming more common. Kavandi says while it is in some way a competition, it is still one group working for a common goal.
“NASA is essentially turning over low earth orbit as the international space station is today to commercial companies,” Kavandi said. “So when we deorbit the international space station we already have another commercial space station that can accept commercial partners.”
Kavandi says she is very excited about the NASA Artemis program that will send astronauts back to the moon and said now is the time to get students excited about the space program again noting that it is up to parents and teachers to make that happen.
“I think one of the most important things is for parents to ensure that their kids know that they have opportunities,” Kavandi said. “My dad was wonderful about letting me know that I could do anything I wanted.”
Kavandi is currently President of Sierra Space, a Colorado-based company building a space vehicle for future commercial flight.