"We're going to show the world we can do anything!"

"We're going to show the world we can do anything!"

By John Sharify

SEATTLE - Just like in the real world, the astronaut wannabes -- 8th graders at the Seattle Girls' School --  take questions. Questions from wannabe reporters -- yes, their parents.

"How are you going to perform, and set yourselves apart making a new name for women astronauts?" asked one reporter/parent.

Jazz Brandon had a quick response: "I think us women, we're going to show the world that we can do anything!"

Exactly the point of the Mission to Mars school project. It's to show the girls that anything is possible. And the sky's the limit.

It's time for lift off. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blast off!" the eight girls scream with excitement.

Ravenna Napp Shapiro admits she's, "nervous, yeah." There are video feeds to see the astronauts' every move. Like in the real world.

Lisa Green's job is to communicate with mission control. Kristin McLerran is charge of the health of the astronauts. She was busy taking Regan Bell's blood pressure.

The astronauts found a fair way to decide which student would be in charge of lift off: The game of rock, paper, scissors. Morgan won!

It was a perfect lift off.

"I guess the point is not to die," Lisa Green joked. And the point is to see the possibilities out there.

"I think it's good to explore and go past your boundaries and that's what we're doing," says Jamila Watson.

The Seattle Girls' School has four crews taking the simulated flights to Mars. At the beginning of the year, the girls actually got to fly a small plane--as co-pilots. No 'simulation'. We're talking a real plane, and a real flight. For some of them, it was their first time in a plane.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

KOMO Weather

Icon
Current Temp 50 °F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind : From the Northeast at 9 MPH
Humidity : 66 %
Pressure : 30.14" (1021.4 mb)
More Weather

Traffic

KOMO News Alerts

KOMO News Alerts

Get news alerts delivered to your e-mail or desktop.

Watch ABC Shows

Watch ABC Shows

Watch ABC shows and news online, free!

Video

Video

The latest news video from KOMO.

Mobile

Mobile

KOMO News on the go for your cell phone or PDA.

Podcasts

Podcasts

The latest news and features from KOMO.

Listen Live

Listen Live

Listen to KOMO Radio anytime online.

RSS Feeds

RSS Feeds

Get news and updates as soon as they're published.