Soaring Into Creativity – Space Shuttle Replica Blake
Sponsored by the Emmaus Arts Commission
Emmaus, PA (July 13, 2009) --- The Space Shuttle Blake is a unique mobile simulator and was the creative brainchild of Emmaus Arts Commission President Bob Boehmer. Modeled after the NASA Challenger Space Shuttle this half scale replica, Blake is carrying the 1959 Emmaus Time Capsule from the past through the present and into the future.
Co-Commander on the Soaring Into Creativity Mission is honored guest Astronaut Terry Hart. Professor Hart lived in the Lehigh Valley during his college years at Lehigh University and was a Mission Specialist on Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984.
The Blake Shuttle had its inception with Boehmer’s application to NASA’s Teacher in Space Mission. Over the course of 6 -1/2½ years and with the aid of many corporate sponsors, a scrapped Marine Corps bus was transformed into a state-of-the-art space classroom on wheels. In 1995 The Blake received an honorary commission in Washington D.C. Over 4,000 students per year visit the Blake. Parkland students as well as children from other school districts in Grades K, 3, 5, and 7 visit the Blake and participate in interactive, hands-on missions that are correlated to PA Standards and the science curriculum for those grade levels. The Blake has also been driven to other locations, including Penn State, Lehigh, and Kutztown Universities.
As the sponsor of Blake, Emmaus Arts Commission members are wearing a unique “mission patch” T-Shirt designed by Jeff Shubzda. The patch shows the inspiration that science and technology has on creativity!
Blake will be landing at the Emmaus Community Park after the 2009 Emmaus Anniversary Celebration Parade where visitors may tour the Shuttle. Members of the Emmaus Arts Committee will be providing hands-on out of this world outer space art related activities … helping the kids to SOAR INTO CREATIVITY! For more information on the Emmaus Arts Commission and the creative events they sponsor, folks can visit http://www.emmausarts.org/.
