Amelia Phillips and Anna Allen stand next to a clock counting down the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor at Cape Canaveral, Fla. The girls, students at Home Street Middle School, were invited to the launch by local astrophysicist Tony Phillips. Photos by Tony Phillips

Register Staff
2-20-2010

Two local girls got the chance of a lifetime when they were invited to see the latest launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Amelia Phillips and Anna Allen, both in eighth grade at Home Street Middle School were invited to the interstellar event by local teacher and astrophysicist Tony Phillips
Phillips teaches a before-school quantum mechanics/physics class to the middle schoolers. He also writes the Web site www.spaceweather.com.
Early in February Phillips took his daughter and Allen to Cape Canaveral, and after a day’s delay due to weather, the three viewed the Space Shuttle Endeavor launch in the early morning hours of Monday, Feb. 8. This was the last nightime launch ever for the program.
They also watched the Solar Dynamics Observatory launch on Thursday, Feb. 11. The solar lab went up, according to the girls, “flying through a sun dog and creating a spectacular ripple effect across the sky.”
According to NASA’s Web site, this is mission STS-130 for the Endeavour that will deliver a third connecting module  – the Tranquility node – to the International Space Station and a seven-windowed cupola to be used as a control room for robotics. It is the 32nd mission to the space station.
“I think it’s really cool that not only were three local residents present for these historic launches, but that we have a local scientist who is so immersed in covering news about the sun and space,” said Katherine Allen, Anna’s mother.
She added that Phillips offers “an incredible and unique opportunity” for the 13 kids who get up early everyday to take his class. Allen noted that the class has helped Anna “immeasurably in her regular math and science classes.”