SPACE TO LEARN CLASS HELPS LAUNCH LOVE OF SCIENCE.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - From the outside, Room 220 at La Mesa Junior High is just a pale blue door. But a peek inside reveals a dark, glowing atmosphere pierced by the bright lights of a spacecraft control pod, operated by two young women in blue NASA jumpsuits.

Eighth-grade science, like space technology, has come a long way.

While a team of Liz Virnelson's students designs computer-generated International Space Stations in their version of NASA's Houston control center, another team commands the spacecraft - an elaborate console re- creation that allows the teams to converse via video and audio systems.

``Right now I'm the commander, but I'm going to go out on a moon walk in a little while, and I want to be the first person to yodel in space,'' said Marie Wise-Hawkins, 13, whose image is being watched by classmates in the next room while she navigates through space's vacuum.

The pilot, Courtney Hill, is the current moonwalker, dressed in a full spacesuit and special moon boots that actually bounce as she ventures out onto the moon's surface.

The attention to detail is impressive: Before Hill can take her walk, a doctor takes her blood pressure and vitals. The doctor charts the statistics and reports them to the craft's commander and mission specialist, who in turn relay the information to mission control.

``They totally love this,'' said Virnelson, who, with the help of parents and donations, created the full spacecraft console and technology system four years ago. ``It really gets them thinking, and it gives meaning to why we study astronomy.''

Virnelson oversees four ``launches'' per semester, requiring 38 students for each launch. And for those in the capsule control room, the landing simulator - donated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - gives them the closest experience to landing an actual spacecraft.

The interactive software simulates pitch, roll and speed - all viewed in real time by the young pilot's classmates.

``It's so funny because sometimes when one of the kids is landing and rolls to one side or the other, you watch the class and their heads sway to one side with the screen,'' Virnelson said.

She rotates the students so they get a hands-on grasp of all the elements required for a successful space mission, from the ground up.

Trent Vigil, a 13-year-old air space engineer, was busy assembling an International Space Station with special computer software. Careful to ensure the proper construction, he scrolled the menu of pieces - devices designed by Japanese, Russian and American space programs.

``I've used solar panels, a U.S. shuttle and a Russian escape vehicle here,'' Vigil said. ``About 75 percent of this station consists of Russian parts. And I can pull up this map of the world and change the (station's) orbit.''

As the rest of the class watches their peers on a monitor, Virnelson, using an audio system, alerts the capsule controllers of approaching meteorites.

At her command, the astronauts get busy redirecting the capsule's path, careful to avoid those pesky asteroid showers.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) From left, Elizabeth Britt, Courtney Hill and Marie Wise-Hawkins talk to mission control from the simulated shuttle cockpit.

(2) Marie Wise-Hawkins picks up moon rocks during a simulated moon walk Friday during a lesson on space travel.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News