March 3, 2011
="" alt="Knight Head" border="0" class="imported"> Read John Denton's Knights Insider | ="" alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" class="imported">Follow us on Twitter | ="" alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" class="imported">Get social with the Knights on Facebook
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Members of the UCF spirit squad attended the Discovery Space Shuttle launch at the end of Februrary where they took part in a digital web cast session educating grade school students tuning in from as far away as Brazil on the importance of pursing a college degree.
Rachel Power, a digital education specialist and Joshua Santora, a UCF co-op student working for NASA, interviewed UCF cheerleader Nick Fitzpatrick moments before the iconic take off.
"It was amazing to be a part of history, while communicating with students via computer. I wanted them to feel as close to the action as I was," explained Fitzpatrick. In addition, the three cheerleaders and Knightro witnessed the launch from three miles away which is the closest location that NASA permits guests.
"You could literally feel the ground rumbling beneath your feet. I am going to tell my children about this experience," laughed team member Danielle Walden.
Meanwhile, outside of NASA, thousands of spectators armed with cameras lined the streets, bridges and beaches of Cape Canaveral to watch the shuttle shoot into orbit. Although the launch is set to be the second to last for the NASA shuttle program, Kennedy Space Center will remain in operation. Not only was it an exciting and memorable day for the spirit squad, it was a successful launch for the Discovery shuttle as well as the NASA program.