Science and Learning Can be Fun! Second Life offers all the ingredients at NASA CoLab and the ISM.

Have you always dreamed of visiting the NASA Space Center or watching a shuttle launch? Would you like to have fun and learn something new? Do you have to do some research on pioneers, history of flight or spaceflight? Or do you want a space suit and your name on Mars--all for free?  Well, then NASA CoLab and the International Spaceflight Museum (ISM) in Second Life are the right places for you.

In the true spirit of Neil A. Armstrong, the first man on the Moon, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory / California Institute of Technology created in Second Life the first virtual Library that is acknowledged by the Library of Congress. The library, itself a pioneer, has dedicated the theme of the display on pioneers of flight and science. Among these are the Tuskegee Airmen, the first all African American Fighter Squadron during WW2, the conquest of space by women astronauts / cosmonauts and a detailed display of the Apollo 11 mission with the brave crewmen who risked there lives for a first step on the moon.

The Library has a museum like feeling and is really interactive with meeting minutes, videos and oral history from these pioneers. Archivist Llewellyn had the magnificent idea of an interactive Library in SL and is the Library and Archives Director/Volunteer for for NASA JPL/Caltech.  At the entrance you find a display that allows you to sign up, so your name is included on a NASA Mars mission, carried on a microchip on the Mars vehicle. For sure the chance of a lifetime! And the best is, it is free for SL Residents.  A reading room at the library on the 3rd floor and space vehicles at the outside exhibition area, I couldn't resist to jump into the space shuttle and took some pictures for my Album. Sitting there my friend Mireille and I imagined how a spaceflight would be? We looked into each other´s eyes and the deal was done. "Let´s go and fly a rocket." A short walk to the ISM  brought us to the gigantic Gemini rocket. Now it was too late for any second thoughts. With weak knees, we put on our space suits and i thought how brave these men and women had been. We entered the rocket with our bulky space suits and took our seats for a last check. The countdown went on as we checked the instruments for a last time. Three.., two.., one.. and then the engine fired in a wild roar and pushed us like a gigantic fist into space and zero gravity (well, for an scientist it would be microgravity).

On the Second Life space platform, we inspected some satellite and confirmed that they are all working well. Still full of adrenalin, and inspired by the brave actions, we also decided to to be brave virtual pioneers and proceed with a space jump in honor of all these brave men and women.

Enjoy our video with the first time ever space jump.

Kiko Hunnition from NASA CoLab and ISM in Second Life for iReport CNN

to get there easily:
ISM International Spaceflight Museum
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Spaceport%20Alpha/30/109/23

Project  website at http://slispaceflightmuseum.org

NASA CoLab
http://slurl.com/secondlife/NASA%20CoLab/226/193/32