Space Studies considers summer field trip to Russia The Department of Space Studies is considering offering a summer 2009 field trip to Russia. The field trip is aimed at visits to Russian Space Program institutions and facilities. Students will be introduced to the Russian Space Program through lecture videos and selected reading materials prior to the trip. The field trip will include visits to selected Russian space facilities in and around Moscow. Preliminary plans are being made for a 10 to 12 day trip during the latter half of June 2009. Tentative plans include visits to NPO ‘Energia,’ Zvezda-Corporation Museums, Joint Space Missions Control Center at Korolyev, Space Museum and K. Tsiolkowsky House-Museum at Kaluga, and other facilities. There will be opportunities for experiencing the culture of Russia, sight seeing in Moscow at such places as Red Square, as well as other historic places. The preliminary estimated total cost for this trip will be about $4,500 per participant (based on a group of 10). This estimate includes air travel from New York to Moscow and back, local transportation while in Russia, accommodations which include breakfast, and study abroad insurance. Costs of travel for the round trip from the student’s home to New York, and other meals are not included. The possibility of academic credit for this field trip is pending. Further details will be available at a later date. A similar tour took place in the summer of 2006. For more details regarding the 2006 tour, you may refer to the personal blog provided by Michael Gerszewski, one of the participants of the summer 2006 field trip. Go to http://www.antaressol.com/~mgerszew/russia/ Vadim Rygalov, a faculty member in the Department of Space Studies and a native Russian, will lead the tour. Please contact him if you are interested by e-mailing him at vrygalov@space.edu, or calling him at 777-6041. Preliminary student interest is required for continued planning.