A Wyandot Middle School student asked retired U.S. astronaut Col. Charles Precourt to describe some of the sights he witnessed during his four space shuttle missions.
Precourt told the student and his classmates of watching a shooting star pass below him.
He spoke of the vast darkness of space, and how the sun appears as little more than a small dot in the distance.
And then he described his first view of Earth.
“Earth is glowing from the inside,” Precourt said. “... Looking out the window at Earth for the first time is incredible.”
Precourt and U.S. Sen. Gary Peters visited with Wyandot sixth-graders Friday to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
And, Peters said, “Who better than an astronaut?” to drive home the point.
“Today’s students are the highly skilled workforce of Michigan’s future,” said Peters, a Bloomfield Township Democrat elected in November to his first term in the U.S. Senate.
“We must ensure they are prepared to fill the high-tech jobs that will keep out country globally competitive. Advancements in science and engineering are essential to growing our economy and securing our economic competitiveness for decades to come.”