HUNTSVILLE, Ala. () Blake Parker, a NASA engineer returned Wednesday to the campus where his space exploration dreams began to provide a special gift for UAHs Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR).

voyager and ibex models

The 2013 UAH graduate hand-made two spacecraft models with just a few materials, one being the Interstellar Boundary Explorer or IBEX and the Voyager which provided scientists with vital knowledge about our solar system.

Parkers donation is much more than research products thatll be put on display for students. Its more about showing them they too can dream big while aiming for the stars in an inspirational node by someone who started in the same CSPAR program current 蹤獲絢app students are participating in.

Its great having an actual physical representation of the thing youre working on and being able to get the idea like what does this thing actually look like, Parker said. Itll give them an idea of what theyre working toward and being like this is that instrument and where its related to the others on the actual spacecraft itself.

UAHs CSPAR program Director Gary Zank says it means the world to see former students like Parker coming back to show students they too are able.

The time, the effort that he spends building these kind of spacecrafts he probably does realize it but for students and even for people like me who spent their lifetime working on these kinds of missions, having something tangible to attach your hat to your mental vision is tremendously beneficial, Zank said. Id like to thank Blake for making all of that possible with these models.

Life as an engineer has provided Parker with a platform to live out his dream and now hes showing others they too can have a career in space exploration that has no limits.

It feels really great just getting to show where the possibilities can go, its possible if you work hard enough, then you can make it, Parker told News 19.

Parkers scale model spacecraft joins another model spacecraft he donated in 2020 thats now on display at UAHs Cramer Research Hall.

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