NASA astronaut Sandy Magnus paid a special visit to AMIT Midreshet Art and Sciences Jr. and Sr. High School for Girls last week, meeting with the school’s robotics teams, both of which recently advanced to the national round of the FIRST LEGO League competition.
The girls presented the ideas they developed for the robotics competition, which focuses on space this year: a timesaving solution for dealing with the lack of gravity in space and a sophisticated shower to be used in space.
Magnus gave the girls feedback on their ideas and commended them for their in-depth research. She told them how one of the things she missed most in space was a hot shower and that their suggestion for a space shower was excellent.
She also told the students how she became an astronaut, saying it wasn’t easy but that her strong will and determination helped her realize her goal. She encouraged the girls to aim high as well.
Selected to the NASA Astronaut Corps in April 1996, Magnus flew in space on the STS- 112 shuttle mission in 2002, and on the final shuttle flight, STS-135, in 2011. In addition, she flew to the International Space Station on STS-126 in November 2008, served as flight engineer and science officer on Expedition 18, and returned home on STS-119 after four and a half months on board.
“We believe in our students’ ability to fulfill any dream and, with G-d’s help, to become Israel’s next astronauts if they want to,” said Liat Wagshal, the Modi’in school’s principal.