HOUSTON, TX -
Barrios Technology recently had the opportunity to support the Challenger Learning Center of Colorado (CLCC) in a special way. The Challenger Learning Center program was started in 1986 by family members of the ill-fated Challenger Shuttle Mission. The interactive space science education centers train teachers and their students how to use state-of-the-art technology and space-life simulators to explore space. CLCC, in conjunction with Colorado school districts, operate missions in the Rocky Mountain region to attract students to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). One of these missions is “Rendezvous With a Comet” where students become a team of scientists and engineers acting as astronauts and mission controllers on a daring exploration of comets.

When Barrios Technology learned of this mission, they sent one of their scientists, Tom See, from NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) to Colorado Springs to give a presentation on the Stardust cometary exploration mission to 70 students, in a pre-college program in grades 9 through 11 from Colorado and New Mexico. During his presentation, Tom discussed The Stardust Mission. The mission lasted 7 years, having launched from Cape Canaveral, FL on February 9, 1999, and returned to Earth on January 15, 2006, after traveling nearly 3 billion miles with materials collected from comet Wild-2 (pronounced Vilt-2). Stardust flew by Wild-2 on January 2, 2004 and collected dust samples from the comet’s coma and took detailed pictures of its icy nucleus. The collection capsule was jettisoned from the spacecraft to return the samples to Earth while the spacecraft was placed in a “divert maneuver” to keep it from hitting the Earth.

Tom, Principal Scientist with Barrios, is Manager of NASA’s Astromaterials Research group of the Science Application, Research, and Development Department that supports research efforts within the Astromaterials Research & Exploration Sciences (ARES) Directorate located at JSC. ARES scientists conduct fundamental, peer-reviewed research on astromaterials (i.e., comet samples, meteorites, cosmic dust, solar wind, lunar rocks, etc.) leading to an understanding of the origin, evolution, and composition of the solar system and the search for indicators of primitive biological activity through the study of astrobiology. Tom has been a critical part of the Stardust mission since its inception in 1993.

Ms. Tracey Tomme, Lead Flight Director for the CLCC stated, “We LOVED the visit! The students just couldn't believe you (Barrios) would do this for them (and us). Actually, I am amazed myself. We learned so much and Tom See was perfect. Thank you so much!”

Barrios has been a sponsor of the CLCC since 2005 as one of their community outreach initiatives focusing on STEM programs designed to introduce and inspire our school-age youth in the hard sciences. This past year, the CLCC reached more than 10,000 students and over 1,000 adults and children from various community groups in its nine-state region. Thus, the CLCC plays an important role in ensuring that the Rocky Mountain Region not only has a ready supply of aerospace scientists, engineers and technically skilled workers to keep our economy growing, but also in preparing a technologically literate society that can compete in the global marketplace.

Barrios Technology is an ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 certified technology company with expertise in aerospace engineering, space operations, scientific research, and technology solutions. The company provides services to NASA, Department of Defense agencies, and the aerospace industry.

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For more Barrios Technology news and information contact Barbara Lewis at 281-280-1966