DAY 1:

​We arrived in Huntsville on 05/July at midnight. There was a nice surprise… We got to spend the night at the Marriott hotel next to the NASA facilities.

DAY 2:

​The next day we walked a few minutes and went to register. This is Habitat 2.

This was the first thing we saw when we reached Hab 2!

​

After some waiting and a snack in Mars Grill I left the students to settle in Habitat 2 and I was sent to the UAH North West dormitory.

DAY 3:

​More people came and at the reception on the ground floor we could get the camper’s packet. That means a backpack, our flight suit, our name tag, a t-shirt and a water flask.

I wondered around the dorm a bit…

Later that day I took the camp’s bus from the campus to NASA to have some lunch. 
Since there was a lot of free time until my ride back to my room I walked around the facilities, which are open for visitors.

Day 4:

The first day of Space Caaaamp! 
I got to meet the rest 13 members of my team (Kiboooooo). We had some ice breaker activities and starting talking about the team's patch.
Then we had the opening ceremony where I presented the Greek students. During that day we had some lectures that ended with explosions! That's just the first day and it's already awesome, cause everyone loves explosions!

Day 5: 

Second day of the Space Camp and everyone is alive. Each team has a different schedule. For this day we had a lecture about going to Mars and the SLS. We also practiced for a mission that simulates traveling to Mars. We also had a session using the the 1/6 Gravity chair. The purpose of this activity is to feel like you are walking on the Moon. Lots of fun!!! In the evening there were a few team building exercises somewhere very close outside the camp. There was a common lecture with all the teams to listen to Homer H. Hickam Jr. the writer of  the "Rocket Boys" which was translated into a movie known as the "October Sky". Cool stuff!

Day 6:

  We had to make a "rocket" that was ejected by pushing it from inside a tube. This was a warm up exercise from he next day. The goal was to ... have a lift off and a parachute deployment.
  We also used the Multi Axis Trainer (MAT). That's a spacial chair rotating around 3 axes. Don't worry! You don't get dizzy. The purpose of this exercise is to get used to understanding which way is up or down, while you are spinning randomly in any direction possible. Very very funny.
  We had a first contact with the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) simulation. The goal of this activity is to perform experiments in orbit, exchange mission specialists while up there and land the Discovery space shuttle, always with the help of the mission control room. I got to land it twice as a warm up for the "real" thing the next day. Given my numerous failures of landing a space shuttle in some simulators at the visitors' center, I was more than happy, but still nervous for the next day.

Day 7: 
Each day at the camp charges you more for the next one!
Today our team split in 2 pairs of 2 teams. In each pair one team had to make a rover safe enough to travel downwards a hill with an egg inside it. But before that, the other team of the pair had to construct a lander that would allow the rover to safely touch the ground from the 1st floor, inside a hula hoop :P The materials were specific and we were on a budget! 
​Disclaimer: No eggs were harmed during this experiment.
We also got to make a wooden rocket that was gonna get launched using gunpowder the next day.
Then the scary part came. Flying and landing Discovery. I was the commander which means that among some other things I had to land that thing.

Day 7:

  First thing after breakfast was the LEO mission. Part of this exercise is to get in trouble while in space! Like always the best method to deal with any kind of problem is to ignore it and move on :P That's why there wad a button to silence the alarm. Well the landing went well. I felt quite relieved knowing that I didn't ruin everyone's efforts.
  Then we moved to a special place to launch our rockets. 
Later we met Ed Buckbee who told us stories about the Mercury astronauts and presented to us his book "The Real Space Cowboys".
  For the next lesson I had to choose among three parallel sessions. I decided to go to the robotics class and I got to control sphero from an android phone. Quite different that raspberry pi!
  The last activity for the day was the making of an ablative heat shield for an egg! Again, we had specific materials to choose from and a budget.
​Disclaimer: No eggs were harmed during this experiment.

Day 7:

  Water activities today! They took us to the second largest lake in Alabama. They because we were not good kids that tied us to a zip line and threw us on the lake!
 Because, still we were not good kids they put us in a "helicopter" and dropped us on the lake. We did that a few times, each one with a slightly complicated/funny scenario until we gave up and swore to never disobey Allie (our leader) again.
  After we dried up, we returned to the camp and again I had to choose among three activities. I decided to go to the second electronics lesson. The goal was to make a simply led lighting. I chose two UV LEDs. Not a quite advanced piece of technology but I can say it was created at NASA and that wouldn't be a lie :P 
  There was a second tour of the "Science in Orbit" exhibition, but this time just with my team :)
  Every Thursday a Biergarten takes place for charity. I like the idea of drinking beer to help the world... After a few pitchers we had the graduation ceremony :D