Students at Deltona High School in Volusia County watched as NASA astronaut and school alumnus Luke Delaney launched to the International Space Station Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station about 50 miles away.
The school proclaimed Thursday “Luke Delaney Day” and had students packed in the media center to watch a live feed of the mission. The watch party included dozens of students and faculty, space-themed decor, and snacks like Moon Pies.
On display was a yearbook with pictures of Delaney on the school’s baseball team along with pictures of the now astronaut in his blue flight.
As the countdown reached 0 – and the rocket began to leave the pad – cheers erupted from the room.
Zayed Ahmed, a 10th grader, said seeing a Deltona alumnus launch at his school is inspiring, and not something you see every day.
“I just think that to know that someone that came from my school is able to go and live up to a dream that hundreds, maybe even thousands or millions didn't even get to unfortunately live to see is something that I would say is astronomical,” Ahmed said.
Jennifer Lupica is the school's Cambridge Coordinator and she teaches psychology. As an educator, she said seeing her students watch Delaney’s mission kick off helps reinvigorate that idea that a career in space is possible.
“We wonder, do we make a difference?” she said. “Are we doing something? Then we see a student who has achieved so much, and we're like, we know that you need the education, and by golly, we were able to provide that for you, that's so awesome. It just really kind of inspires us to keep going and to keep teaching and helping as many students as we can.”
Delaney, a first-time space flier, is one of two NASA astronauts on the mission. He’s joined by a Canadian astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut.
Deltona High’s principal, Christina Lapnow, was the one who decided this day would be named after Delaney. She said celebrating their hometown hero at school was a fun experience for everyone. She said for the students, she hopes it inspires them.
“I mean it's not every day that you have an astronaut go to space that is an alumni,” Delaney said. “So, it's just such an exciting thing, and it truly embodies all the things that we love as Americans. You know, exploration and science, and the belief that you really can accomplish anything, and so that's the beauty about today.”
