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Otis student completes Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center program
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Dalton Steinert of Otis, child of, Darrin and Krista Steinert, graduated from Space 401 of Kansas Adventures in Outer Space (KAOS) June 11 at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. Dalton will be entering 10th grade at Otis High School this fall.

Developed by Cosmosphere staff, KAOS is a nationally-recognized camp that teaches campers teamwork, leadership, and problem solving skills. The camp motivates students to pursue careers in science and aerospace-related industries.

Before attending Space 401, campers must have completed KAOS Space 101, Space 201 and Space 301, also offered by the Cosmosphere. The knowledge gained from the prior camps helps prepare campers for the challenges faced during this time.

KAOS Space 401 campers spend five days at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. They visit Space Florida where they work in teams to build a payload for a weather balloon. They launch and track the balloon, which can reach altitudes of more than 80,000 feet.

Space 401 campers also tour Kennedy Space Center and visit the Rocket Garden, Early Spaceflight Exploration Center, and Florida Space Authority. In a private tour, campers see the launch pads at Cape Canaveral used for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spaceflights.

They also get a program briefing on future spaceflight programs. The trip includes a visit to the Astronaut Hall of Fame and time at Cocoa Beach.

This is just one of the Cosmospheres educational camps. For more information about this or other camps, call the education coordinator at 800.397.0330, ext. 323, or visit www.cosmo.org. The Cosmosphere is located at 1100 N. Plum, Hutchinson, Kan.

The Cosmosphere offers camp programs for students as young as those going into second grade, and on through high school age. Camps are available for adults, including some for intergenerational learning that grandparents or parents as young as 40 can attend with their children or grandchildren. Camp experiences are also offered for groups, including schools who want a program designed just for them, and corporate team building. The Cosmosphere also has programs designed specifically for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Webelos.

The Cosmospheres Kansas Adventures in Outer Space (KAOS) (formerly the Future Astronaut Training Program) has five levels. Space 101 and 201 are held at the Cosmosphere and nearby areas; Space 301 is held at the Cosmosphere for two days and then at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for two days; and Space 401 is held at Kennedy Space Center in Florida for all five days; Space 501 is open to all ages, including adults, and focuses on visits to commercial space facilities in California. For more information call 800-397-0330, ext. 323.

The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to Honoring the Past and Inspiring the Future of Space Exploration. Educating people from around the globe, the Cosmosphere boasts the Hall of Space museum, the most significant collection of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world; the Justice Planetarium, a dome-shaped classroom where attendants learn about astronomy; Dr. Goddards Lab, a live demonstration of early rocket technology; the Carey IMAX Dome Theater, one of the first ones built in the world; and a multitude of special events and programs.