A Smurf in space?
A Smurf in space?
Sounds like a new movie but it actually was a unique science project for many Lehman Intermediate seventh- and eighth-grade students with science teacher Joseph Fluhr.
"I had always been interested in space since I was a little kid and had dreams of becoming an astronaut," he said.
"My parents had gotten me a little astronaut Smurf and space shuttle. I used to put him in the shuttle and run him around. He was my favorite toy. As I got older, my toys got bigger, and I joined a high-powered rocket club. I would strap the Smurf in with duct tape and he took thousands of rides into the sky."
Years after the tiny Smurf's maiden voyage into the sky, he got the opportunity to travel further into space than Fluhr ever could imagine.
"I got into the hobby of space memorabilia. I'm on a VIP mailing list for a company in Germany and they sent a letter saying they have developed an association with a Russian cosmonaut and he can take something with him on his next mission to the International Space Station," said Fluhr. "I said, how about my Smurf?"
That's when the long process began.
While the original agreement was to send only a flat item, such as a photograph or letter, to space, it was agreed upon sending the Smurf.
Fluhr said he sent the Smurf on Nov. 12, 2011, along with a photograph of all the students in a collage.
"I kept my fingers crossed," Fluhr said.
The journey wasn't without some interesting issues and roadblocks.
The Smurf was seized by German customs agents, detained for a short time and then released.
Eventually it got to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.
They then placed him in the personal belongings pack, Fluhr said.
"The launch was originally slated for March 30, 2012, but they had an accident during a test. May 15, 2012, is when they launched to the International Space Station."
The Smurf was traveling with two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut.
He was in space for a total of 125 days. While at the Space Station, photos were taken of the Smurf and the photo collage of the students.
"We got him back a few weeks ago. The thing that blows me away is that this small object went (into space) and it came back delivered into my mailbox," said Fluhr. "There were so many people involved"» And they took the time to take pictures on the (space station) observation deck."
The science project became a topic of discussion in other Lehman Intermediate classrooms.
Math, English and social studies teachers brought the details of the project into their classes to expand the students' knowledge of the process.
Kids in the school are aware of how rare this opportunity was and had great things to say.
"Last year, when I was in seventh grade, Mr. Fluhr sent the Smurf to Russia. When I started eighth grade, it was still gone," said eighth-grader Kristyn Walker. "I thought it was cool. It's not every day your average science teacher gets to send a Smurf to space."
It will be tough for Fluhr to follow this project.
"Getting your kids' pictures to space is big. I can't imagine outdoing this," he said. "Maybe one day I can arrange a flight to the moon or Mars or beyond."
Fluhr said many adults who grew up watching the Smurfs TV show and reading the books might find this project a great ending to the old story about the Smurf wanting to be an astronaut.
"The original Astrosmurf book and Smurfs cartoon episode had a Smurf dreaming of going to the stars," Fluhr said.
"That Smurf built a rocket but it never was able to fly. Because he was so heartbroken, the other Smurfs had to trick him into believing his rocket worked and he went to space, even though it never left the ground.
"They moved the spacecraft to an extinct volcano and dressed up as aliens. My Astrosmurf actually did get to space."