Three William S. Hart Union High School District teachers got the chance to fly in an aircraft on two NASA missions, conducting research submitted from the world’s leading universities.

Three Hart District teachers flew with scientists from around the world on board NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) aircraft as part of NASA and the SETI Institute’s Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) program.

“Participating in flight week was one of the most exciting and inspiring experiences of my life so far,” said Marisa Heflin from Arroyo Seco Junior High. “I am floored by the operations on SOFIA and how so many different people are able to come together and make it possible to fly almost every weekday in order to conduct all kinds of research. I learned so much and can’t wait to start sharing all my experiences with my students.”

See Related: Three Hart District Teachers Chosen For NASA Flight

Marisa Heflin, Shelley Turski and Stacy Robb-Wade flew through the night over 40,000 feet on the converted 747 aircraft, using one of the most advanced telescopes in the world.

The teachers had spent a week in Palmdale, training in planetary science and astrophysics and working out of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center, according to officials.

“Our immersion week with SOFIA was truly a fabulous experience,” Turski from La Mesa Junior High said. “I learned so much about how astronomy is researched, how the telescope works, and how the sensors are operated. And I see a lot of connections to my classroom in the area of STEM jobs and career pathways that even I never knew about.”

The SOFIA aircraft makes it possible to get astronomical data that is impossible to receive through telescopes on the ground. 

This NASA aircraft flies above 99 percent of the Earth’s water vapor to give researchers their best opportunity to view outer space.

“Observing and learning about everything that has gone into the SOFIA program is truly remarkable,” Robb-Wade from Rio Norte Junior High said. “Being onboard and watching the radiation being generated from a galaxy 1,600 million light years away be detected and collected by SOFIA instruments, then turned into information that will tell us about star formation and galaxy evolution, blows my mind.”

Now that their mission is complete, NASA is set to provide the teachers with a physical science curriculum module created by the SETI Institute to share with their classes and students.

According to previous evaluations of the AAA program, students whose teachers participated in the program have shown higher STEM performance and engagement.

To learn more about the SETI Institute and the AAA program, click here.

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