Minneapolis youth ‘boldly goes’ to space camp Published Oct. 19, 2005 By By Cristina Oxtra 934th Services Squadron MINNEAPOLIS -- Going to camp this summer has proven to be a memorable experience for one youth here. Carissa Ott, 15, is the daughter of Tech. Sgt. Greg Ott of the 27th Aerial Port Squadron, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Air Reserve Station, and his wife, Becky. She was one of several youths across the Air Force who received a scholarship to attend Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. Carissa is the first person from Air Force Reserve Command’s 934th Airlift Wing to be selected for the week-long camp. “It was a great opportunity,” she said. “It was definitely worth it. The information I learned was amazing, and I met so many interesting people.” The scholarship Carissa received was offered by the Air Force Family Member Programs. The 934th Services Squadron oversees the 934th AW’s program. Each year, the squadron advertises the scholarship, accepts applications, conducts interviews with applicants and nominates the wing’s best applicant. Carissa, who is passionate about astronomy, returned from space camp Aug. 5. She flew to Alabama on her own, the first time she has flown on a commercial airline by herself. She also met and befriended youths from other bases. In addition, Carissa enjoyed the camp schedule, which was packed with activities that included listening to fascinating speakers and seeing first-hand some of the training that astronauts go through. One of her most memorable activities was taking a spin on the G-force accelerator. “I did about five Gs, and it was pretty cool,” Carissa said. “You feel immense pressure. You can’t move even your hands. It was kind of scary at first, feeling immobilized. I thought I’d get sick since I sometimes get motion sickness, but I didn’t.” But her most unforgettable memory of space camp is when she and her fellow campers participated in a six-hour simulated shuttle launch. Carissa was the “cap comm,” the person at the mock mission control room tasked with communicating with the astronauts in a shuttle. “We had all kinds of problems and anomalies to deal with,” she said. “It was really hard. “I had to relay problems that were happening with the crew to the people at mission control while they were dealing with other problems of their own. It was frustrating, but it was fun. I learned to have patience and think outside the box.” Carissa said she also gained a greater respect for astronauts. “I was stressed in the flight simulator alone. … They have to learn so much more and perform under pressure. It’s amazing,” she said. Carissa was particularly impressed when she learned that the commander of the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery voyage in July was a woman, retired Air Force Col. Eileen Collins. Colonel Collins became an astronaut in July 1991 and retired from the Air Force in January 2005. During her career, she logged more than 6,280 hours in 30 different types of aircraft and was the first woman to command a shuttle mission, STS-93 Columbia, July 23-27, 1999. “That’s great,” she said. “It shows that it’s not just the men who can take it. Women can be just as tough.” Carissa and her parents encourage other youths to apply for the scholarship next year. “It was an awesome experience for her,” said Sergeant Ott. “I would highly recommend it to other parents and their children.” Carissa’s younger sister, Megan, 14, and younger brother, David, 12, applied for the scholarship along with Carissa this year, but they were not selected. After hearing Carissa’s camp stories, they plan to apply again next year. Even youngest sibling, Ben, 7, is just waiting until he is old enough to apply for the program. Carissa is not sure yet whether she wants to be an astronaut one day. “I don’t know if I can do it,” she said, “but I know I do want to join the Air Force and be a pilot.” Carissa said she wants to take to the skies first and see how she does before she tries to reach for the stars.