Congratulations to our winner, Emra Zuna!
Kennedy Space Center Recap from Our Winner
Walking into the JFK Space center, we were greeted by five towering rockets—all gleaming and pointing towards the expansive blue sky. ‘United States’ is emblazoned on each one. Despite current events, I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud of being here, being part of America and a country that values exploration and pushing the boundaries of deep space. And to think that these rockets are only part of the equation. Their one job is to thrust the space vehicle, or ‘shuttle’ as it’s known in the vernacular, past Earth’s atmosphere. The Atlantis shuttle, which transports the astronauts and equipment on over 30 missions, sits on display as the main attraction at the Atlantis Exhibit. Though it looks weathered, it’s unbelievable to think how much engineering and work went into every square inch of the shuttle. The shuttle is covered in silica tiles that resist fire upon re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere. Like J.O.Creighton, our resident astronaut said, 40-50 of the tiles would have to be replaced with each journey there and back from space. Even though the shuttle is magnificently large, the astronauts don’t live there while in space. They actually reside in the ISS- the International Space Station.
I’m grateful to REI Systems for allowing my partner and me to learn and enjoy the rich US history of space exploration at the Kennedy Space Center. Happy 30th Anniversary REI Systems!



