Q: A Kansas company is building a test space capsule for NASA. Researchers at Kansas State University will use it to study the health effects of astronauts who will one day travel to Mars. What? Exactly. What’s the name of the Kansas company in Saline County building this mock-up space capsule for NASA?
A: Douglas Welding and Machine Company (in Kipp, Kansas)
Leeroy Douglas is the owner of the Douglas Welding and Machine Company in the unincorporated town of Kipp, in Saline County. He and his crew are building a test space capsule, of mock-up, for NASA. This multi-purpose crew vehicle will be used by researchers at Kansas State University to study the health and physical fitness requirements necessary for astronauts to travel to Mars.
Dr. Carl Ade, assistant professor of exercise physiology in K-State’s Department of Kinesiology, says they’ll likely take the space capsule to nearby Tuttle Creek Lake for testing in the water. One goal is to find out just how physically fit astronauts will have to be in order to open the space capsule’s hatch, deploy a life raft and climb onboard after having spent long periods of time in space (maybe one to two years!), which weakens the human body. It may all sound like science fiction, but Leeroy Douglas says his company is proud to play a small part in helping K-State and NASA eventually send astronauts to Mars and beyond.
Description: Join us every Wednesday morning on Facebook at 10am CST for science-based stories with activities, specimens and more with Colleen, our museum educator! For this week’s Story Book Science, we’ll be reading Green Machine: The Slightly Gross Truth about Turning Your Food Scraps into Green Energy by Rebecca Donnelly. Submitted by: Anne Tangeman KU Natural History Museum
Description: What to Expect: Instructor David Vollbracht will demonstrate oil painting techniques and teach workshop participants how composition, color, and brushwork enhance painting style. Classes held in the Hansen Museum Community Room from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on July 9, 10, & 11, 2020. One morning, David will take the class outdoors for plein air sketching. Back in the classroom, David will guide students in turning these sketches into paintings. On the last day of the workshop, David will critique students’ work. About David: David Vollbracht of Medicine Lodge, KS, is a representational landscape painter of the west. His work reflects the quality of light, nature, and the spirit drawn from the land. David emphasizes the importance of the natural landscape and its beauty in his compositions. He is intrigued by the patterns and shapes found in nature and concentrates on the effects of light on these elements. David’s knowledge has been nurtured by attending the art workshops of Clyde Aspevig and Wayne Wolfe. He is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America and has shown his work at numerous shows. Submitted by: Hannah Danner Dane G. Hansen Museum
Description: Join us every Wednesday morning for stories and science with activities, specimens and more with Colleen, our museum educator! This week we’ll share Redwoods by Jason Chin. Submitted by: Anne Tangeman KU Natural History Museum
