Early Sneak Peak at the IKS Highlander

Hello troops, it’s been a bit quiet on the blog these days, but today I’m breaking radio silence to give you a sneak peak of the IKS Highlander, which is scheduled for launch next Monday, March 23 at Harrison Middle School in Baldwin-Whitehall School District.

Highlander-BridgeHere we see the bridge of the Highlander as seen from its main entry hatch.  The flight control yoke marks the spot where the Pilot sets, accompanied by teammates on either side.   Behind the pilot is a raised level with three groups of other stations, and a final raised platform for the command crew behind them (off the left side of the photo).  To the far right of this photo you’ll see the arched doorway leading to the ship’s Medical Chamber.

Highlander-Bridge-3

Here’s a view from the same point near the entry hatch but looking further left, revealing the command crew platform as well as the desks for the corner stations.  The Highlander is by far our largest simulator—it seats all 17 of our standard crew stations, but it also has two large stations in the back corners that can hold a wide variety of other stations as well.  You can expect to see microscopes, test tubes, robotics kits, or other great hands-on devices and activities housed in these stations.

Highlander-Bridge-2You’ll notice that the bridge still looks a bit bare in these photos.  There are four reasons for this:

  1. The room is huge, period.
  2. The chairs are missing and it’s not full of excited students working together feverishly.
  3. The white ceiling lights are on, which never happens during an actual mission.  During a mission the themed LED light strips create a very immersive ambience.
  4. The student stations are awaiting their metallic paneling.  Currently they are white and bare, but soon they will be donning beautifully textured panels.  Stay tuned for more photos in the coming days showing the Highlander in all its glory.

BSD-STEAM-Lab-2

But that’s not all!  Right next to the Highlander will be a giant STEAM Lab filled with hands-on projects and activities that correspond with the simulator missions.  For example, Baldwin-Whitehall students will get to learn about fish, insects, and the ecosystem firsthand through their adventures in Contaminant, and then they can enter the STEAM Lab and work with tanks full of live fish that they can study, feed, and care for.  The possibilities are endless, so stay tuned for more details as the STEAM Lab develops.

We’re all excited for the IKS Highlander’s big launch on Monday, and we’ll be sure to post all the big news as it occurs.  Until then, Admiral Starblayze over and out.

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