Ronan fifth grader wins trip to Florida to learn about space careers
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Building bigger, better rockets for astronauts to go to space in is what 11-year-old Tobias Becker of Ronan wants to do when he grows up.
The future rocket scientist traveled to Florida last month to learn more about careers in space as part of the 2024 SpaceKids Global Press Squad. Tobias became a member of the eight-student press squad by submitting a video interview he did of two fellow students, Kember Marengo and Marie Cheff, who’d visited a jet propulsion lab in Pasadena, California.
During his trip with SpaceKids Global, Tobias watched two rocket launches – one for Blue Origin that happened in Texas via livestream and a bonus SpaceX launch that happened while the press squad was touring a United Launch Alliance facility. His group was rushed to the roof to watch the launch of SpaceX rocket that was happening about a mile away. Tobias said seeing a rocket launch so close with his own eyes was a highlight of the trip which overall, “was really fun.”
After watching the Blue Origin launch from a room adjacent to mission control, members of his press squad were able to interview astronauts Sharon and Marc Hagle after they landed.
The Hagles are the first married couple to have gone into space together and have now done so, twice. Sharon Hagle is also the founder of SpaceKids Global - a Florida based, national nonprofit, with the mission to educate and actively engage a national audience of elementary students in STEAM activities.
For the launch Tobias and his group watched, the Hagles breached the threshold the earth’s atmosphere and were weightless in space for about 8 minutes. On this mission, they conducted an experiment for NASA on knot-tying in space.
Once they were back, Tobias said he asked the Hagles how they felt in the rocket while they were going up. Excited, and like they were being pushed down in their seats, was how they described the experience.
Tobias’ dad, Bill Becker, accompanied him on the trip. He was surprised to learn that Blue Origin’s rocket fuel is comprised entirely of water vapor and oxygen. Making rocket launches more eco and budget friendly, he said, is a top priority for Blue Origin who shared that their goal is to lower the cost of an average launch (now $128 million) to $50 million in the next 2-3 years. Getting a space station on the moon from which rockets can then go to Mars is a project the company is also currently working on.
After touring a rocket manufacturing facility, watching launches, visiting the Kennedy Space Station and interviewing astronauts, Tobias is even more determined to continue his space studies.
He plans to pursue a career in engineering by attending either Harvard or Boise State University where he’ll major in rocket science or aeronautic science after high school. Until then, he’ll continue to attend every STEM camp possible and keep his eyes on the night skies. “I just love the stars,” he said.
