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CUBES IN SPACE UPDATES: WAITING FOR LIFT OFF

Katie Botha • August 18, 2023

EVENING UPDATE FROM MR. TLUSTY: MON. AUG. 14, 2023

Tomorrow morning’s launch is scrubbed for weather delays. NASA has scheduled a weather update tomorrow afternoon to determine a go for launch Wednesday. They did say the weather for Wednesday also does not look good, but they like Thursday’s forecast. I will keep folks updated!

MORNING UPDATE FROM MR. TLUSTY: WED. AUG. 16, 2023

Launch scrubbed again. The first rocket went off, but had a problem, mission failure. They need to figure out the problem before launching our rocket. These are pictures from this morning. I am heading to NASA’s Visitors Center now as our kids have some project materials on display.

AFTERNOON UPDATE FROM MR. TLUSTY: WED. AUG. 16, 2023

One of the two rockets launched today, but there was a problem with the first rocket’s second stage, so they decided not to launch rocket two, which is our rocket. However, I just heard that NASA has decided that we are a go for launch tomorrow morning, 06:00. (That’s in the morning) since our rocket has a different second stage.

Our student Cubes in Space Expo posters are now exhibited at the NASA Wallops Visitor Center. Saint Mary’s is represented by three different displays! I had the privilege of being on-site today talking to visitors about our wonderful students, their experiments and our school’s participation in the Cubes in Space program.

UPDATE FROM MR. TLUSTY: THURS. AUG. 17, 2023

It took a while and many attempts, but we finally made it to space today !

There were not a lot of people around today for the launch. I will let everyone know when we get the experiment back as I was not able to get it today after splashdown.

UPDATE FROM MR. TLUSTY: FRI. AUG. 18, 2023

Yesterday’s rocket launch reached an altitude of over 100 miles which is really high for this rocket!

The rocket splashes down about 50 miles or so off shore in the Atlantic. NASA contracts a crab boat to go out to collect the rocket and bring it back to shore. Check out the video below from the dock.

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By Katie Botha • October 31, 2024

Faithful Citizenship Resources In anticipation of Election Day on November 5, the Virginia Catholic Conference has prepared voter education resources to help Catholics confidently vote with an informed conscience. Those resources can be found on the Catholic Diocese of Richmond's website . School Day Reminders This year, Election Day is a regular school day with a regular bell schedule at Saint Mary's Catholic School. In prior years, it has coincided with Parent-Teacher Conferences resulting in a day-off for students; however, that is not the case this school year. Many of our students across all grade levels are aware of the importance of Election Day. We anticipate the days leading up to Election Day and those following it will provide topics of conversation that students may choose to engage in both inside and outside the classroom. If necessary, our teachers may offer age-appropriate explanations of the day's events and results. As family members, we encourage you to guide your children as they navigate their thoughts and feelings over the coming weeks and months.