A PAPER ROCKET flew over the heads of 9- and 10-year-old kids who jumped and clapped with joy.

It wasn?t recess?it was a demonstration of aerodynamics conducted by two engineers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) at the lobby of the Philippine Science Centrum.

Engineers Adam Gilmore and Sabrina Singh had assumed the role of teachers to some 50 students from Nueve de Pebrero and Plainview Elementary Schools and Victory Christian International School during a two-hour workshop at the science museum in Marikina City on Monday.

Having fun and learning at the same time, the kids, who were in Grades 4 and 5, were taught how to make space rockets from paper, scotch tape and straw.

Gilmore and Singh held the kids in rapt attention by showing them how to make paper rockets, not just fly, but actually take off.

The kids also learned about space shuttles and how astronauts live in space?all part of the Nasa science caravan, which is on a weeklong tour of various schools in the country.

Light up the imagination

The tour, done in collaboration with the Asia Society, was dubbed ?Reaching for the Stars.?

Gilmore, however, thought of it as a way to ?light a spark? in the imagination of Filipino students.

The Nasa engineers already visited Sarangani, Bohol, Iloilo, Manila, Batangas and Legazpi since Aug.18 and had engaged at least 4,000 students in workshops.

?We want to expose these kids to things they have never seen before. We want to light up their imagination so they would know there?s a bigger world out there ... that they can actually do bigger things,? Gilmore told the Inquirer.

Gilmore and Singh believe that everyone?men, women and children, rich or poor, black or white, should have access to education and thus, space exploration.

Frogs in space

?Those who have the aptitude for math and science know it can become a reality for them. There are 16 countries in the ISS (International Space Station) and there?s no reason why the Philippines can?t be one of them,? Singh said.

The students had interesting questions for the Nasa engineers: From the esoteric ?Does the melting fuel of your spacecraft hurt the ozone layer?? to the more practical ?How do you go to the toilet in space??

One boy asked: ?How long does it take to travel in space?five days, a week, maybe??

Gilmore answered: ?Nine minutes,? to which everyone responded with ?Oooooh??

Another child asked how it would feel to be in a space shuttle.

Gilmore said that during takeoff, astronauts would feel their whole body shake. But once they?re far from the Earth, they would no longer feel the gravity.

?One simply leaps to get to the other side of the space shuttle,? he said.

?Have you tried bringing a frog in space? How high can it jump?? a girl interrupted, drawing laughter from her fellow students.

Filipino in space

But a serious question came up after Singh showed pictures of Asian astronauts who had lived in space.

?Is there a Filipino?? asked David Morales, a Grade 4 student of Victory Christian International School.

The Nasa engineers shook their heads.

?There has never been a Filipino in space?? Morales asked in disbelief.

Singh said she was happy someone had asked that question. ?For anyone who asks that question, the dream [of becoming an astronaut] is already a reality?the Filipino now has a presence in space exploration,? she later told the Inquirer.

An American of Indian origin, Singh said India, for example, started with a small program on space exploration, focusing on observing the Earth. But now, India wants to do more.

?With the right timing, the Philippines can also do it. Let this be the generation that makes that wish come true,? she said.

Interns with Nasa

The two engineers said they were both interns when they first joined Nasa.

Gilmore, 33, is now the division chief engineer of Nasa?s space shuttle program responsible for launching and landing space shuttles.

He has a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and received a master?s degree, as well as an MBA from Rice University.

Singh, 30, on the other hand, trains 50 astronauts for the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station missions. An expert on space suits and space walks, she designs future space-walk activities on the moon.

She is a graduate of mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, where she also obtained her master?s degree in bioengineering.

On official leave for the entire tour, Gilmore and Singh were scheduled to fly back to the United States yesterday.

Going to Mars

Before the workshop ended, Singh challenged the students with a puzzle.

?Nasa predicted that we would land on Mars by 2035, which is 25 years from now. So, if somebody like Neil Armstrong, who was between 33 and 40 years old when he walked on the moon, would be sent to Mars, how old would he or she be now??

The children did the math and realized the astronauts would be in their age bracket.

?It?s not going to be me or Adam. It can be any one of you,? Singh said.

According to Gilmore, Nasa has been sending robots to Mars. ?But sending a human being to Mars is a different story because we have to bring somebody there and get him back safely. By 2035, we may have the technology.?

?Who will be the first person to walk on Mars? It doesn?t have to be an American. It can be anybody,? he said.

Be creative

Singh and Gilmore said teachers in the Philippines do not need computers or other high-tech equipment to effectively impart knowledge to their students.

?They should just try to make science and math relevant in daily life,? Gilmore said.

Using just paper and tape, a teacher can demonstrate the concept of aerodynamics, which is usually taught in college, he said. ?You don?t need to invest in computers. You just have to be creative and capture their interest.?

Singh said the best way to learn was not through memorization, but by understanding how this new knowledge could be relevant and meaningful in one?s life.

?Meanwhile, teachers should keep the kids engaged and interested. Their desire to learn will shape their academic careers,? she said.