“May your future be limited only by your dreams.”

It’s a quote attributed to late teacher-astronaut Christa McAuliffe, but it could very well be the modus operandi of another science educator: Lanette Oliver.

A 1989 OU science education graduate and current district elementary science specialist for Judson Independent School District in Texas, Oliver readily admits that she’s an explorer at heart, which is why her new venture as part of the NASA Reduced Gravity Program is putting her well on her way to her far-out dream of space exploration.

“It’s really very exciting. I consider myself an explorer, a traveler anyway. I really try to live fearlessly,” Oliver said.

Courage is no doubt a necessary asset. While Oliver’s mission won’t push her beyond Earth’s atmosphere, it’ll surely feel that way. Her microgravity research mission took place on the NASA C-9 plane, which carries such dubious nicknames as “vomit comet” and the “weightless wonder.” It’s a plane that simulates the “zero-g” environment of space by following a parabolic vertical flight path, which is the same path that would be taken by an object in free fall. Oliver said she “made 19 parabolas” before getting a bit sick.

“The NASA crew was like, ‘Oh, you’re such a trooper,’ because most people, when they get sick, will go to the back of the plane, where there’s a special seat for them. But I just threw up and continued doing the experiment,” Oliver said with a laugh.

Oliver and her fellow flight crew members – four regular crew members and two alternates – were chosen from a limited invitation issued to prior winners of NASA’s Texas Space Grant Consortium Scholarship. Oliver won the grant in 2006, which allowed her to attend space camp.

Oliver’s microgravity research flights were from Jan. 8 through 17 in Houston. Team members had to pass flight physicals and oxygen deprivation tests and spend weekends until the flight preparing the research experiments. The team was charged with trouble shooting, updating, researching, designing, testing and flying experiment components as well as documenting and disseminating all results. Oliver said the team is still processing all of the data, but noted that the experiments were quite successful.

Experiments include the areas of hydroponics, magnetism, Newton’s Laws, and chromatography.

“The reason we picked these four experiments is that they’re the ones Christa McAuliffe would have flown on the Challenger,” Oliver said. “They’re not exactly like that because it has been 23 years and we’re using all the new information. We updated everything, but it’s like a tribute to her.”

These experiments, the “Challenger’s Lost Lessons,” help fulfill McAuliffe’s legacy by offering many teachable moments for educators like Oliver. It’s a rare opportunity and one being embraced by the 600 teachers and approximately 11,000 students whom Oliver oversees – not to mention the many other school districts whose students and teachers will benefit from the lessons of Oliver’s mission. Oliver will be in Oklahoma in March to be recognized by the state Legislature and also to discuss her experiments and research findings in area schools.

Oliver hopes that the experience will put her well on her way to an actual space flight and, perhaps even more, spark students’ interest in becoming astronauts and even inspire future teachers to conduct similar missions. In fact, the idea of being an ambassador of sorts for NASA’s teacher programs is alluring for Oliver, and she has already applied for an opportunity to fly on a shuttle mission.

And would she suit up for a shuttle flight, or even a private suborbital flight, tomorrow, if asked?

“In a heart beat, you bet!”

To read about the Reduced Gravity Flight Team, see pictures and videos, and view lesson plans, log on to www.reducedgravityflightteam.com. (link opens in new window)