ALKHOBAR — Many children dream of being an astronaut when they grow up, but for children who are legally blind or visually impaired, those dreams may seem impossible to achieve. For the past 18 years, the organizers at Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS) have been helping to make that dream a reality by giving thousands of visually impaired kids from around the world a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

This year from Sept. 22-27, visually impaired students will gather at the US Space and Rocket Center, where they will undergo astronaut and fighter pilot “training” for a week.

“Our goal at Space Camp is to give these kids an even-playing field and to provide them with an unforgettable experience,” said Dan Oates, coordinator of SCIVIS. “It’s amazing to see how much confidence the kids acquire after spending a week here with others who experience similar vision impairments. I’ve found that many kids who return home and to their schools no longer feel that much different from their peers.”

During SCIVIS week, all equipment at the US Space and Rocket Center is modified with Braille transcription, enlarged print, CCTV’s and voice output on selected computers. The equipment is donated by sponsors. At Space Camp, visually impaired kids will experience what it’s like to train as an astronaut and prepare for an actual mission. Activities during the week include:

• Learning to SCUBA dive while changing a battery in a weightless environment;

• Learning how to raise a satellite during a shuttle mission;

• Training in space shuttle, space station and mission control simulators;

• Solving a real-life problem that may interfere with a mission, such as computer failures; and

• Operating specially equipped space station equipment to complete a shuttle launch and landing mission.

In recent years, kids at SCIVIS have been treated to guest speakers, including NASA employees who can share with them what it’s like to put a man on the moon. This year’s featured guest speaker will be Dr. Craig Moore, a space chemist from the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Moore has been blind since birth and works daily at Marshall determining the chemical makeup of stars.

Registration for SCIVIS is available online at www.tsbvi.edu/space. Those interested in attending can sign up until Aug. 31, 2007. Additional information is also available by calling Dan Oates at (001)304-851-5680.