Careers in Aerospace
Career Expert: Paul Branch
11:00am & 12:30pm
Mr. Paul Branch served for 4 years in the United States Marine Corps as an aviation radar systems technician. He then went on to complete his Bachelor’s degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and was hired in 1981 by the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, as an air traffic control specialist, serving initially at Albuquerque Center (ARTCC). Mr. Branch served in various capacities as an air traffic controller over a 33-year career, culminating in his position as National Traffic Management Officer at the Air Traffic Control System Command Center. Mr. Branch, a native Texan, now resides on a ranch in Blanco County, which he shares with his wife, Pepper, of 42+ years, plus a bunch of dogs, a flock of sheep, and a coop full of chickens!
Hands-on Activities
Stations run continuously from 10am-2pm
Constellation Tubes
Who says you can’t bring the stars indoors? At this station you will craft your own “telescope” and constellation pattern to help you do some indoor “star-gazing.”
Moon Craters
Ever wonder why our moon’s surface looks the way it does? Come find out as you simulate a rock impacting the surface of the moon and observe ejecta patterns.
Pocket Sun Clocks
Create a small paper sundial to indicate time based on the position of the sun in the sky.
Learning Labs
K-2 -Planets in Motion, 10:30am, lasts 45 minutes
Can you name the order of the planets in our solar system, beginning with the planet closest to the Sun? Do you know the inner planets, outer planets and what heavenly bodies separate them? Do planets move in space? Join us to discover the answers to these questions and much more as you create a solar system model to take home with you!
3-5 - Bubble Blasted Rockets, 11:30am, lasts one hour
Learn about the driving power that pushes rockets up into space! Work with your aerospace engineering team to design a rocket and use a substitute fuel to launch your rocket. See how high your team’s rocket can fly!
6-12 - Payload Challenge, 1pm, lasts one hour
Rocket lift systems somehow defy gravitational pull. Work with your aerospace engineering team to create the best balloon rocket lift that can deliver the largest payload to the ceiling!