Launch & Learn
Ohio Wesleyan Students Travel to Japan to Study 'Space Exploration': Past, Present, and Future'
Name: Niladri "Nilu" Deb '25
Hometown: Mumbai, India
High School: Dhirubhai Ambani International School
Majors: Physics and Computer Science
Minor: Mathematics
Name: Elijah Lutton '25
Hometown: Carrollton, Ohio
High School: Carrollton High School
Major: Integrated Science for Teachers
Name: Grace Martin '25
Hometown: Westerville, Ohio
High School: Westerville North High School
Majors: Mathematics and Adolescent to Young Adult Education
OWU Connection Experience: Completing the Travel-Learning Course "Space Exploration: Past, Present, and Future" with two weeks of hands-on learning in Japan following a semester in the classroom
Ohio Wesleyan students traveled to Japan in May to visit Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) centers in the Tokyo area and tour JAXA rocket launch facilities near Kagoshima.
Along with Deb, Lutton and Martin, the OWU travelers included Beau Ahrens '26 of New Canaan, Connecticut; Kyleigh Beck '24 of Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania; Willow Brown '27 of Elyria, Ohio; Nicholas Church '24 of Lodi, Ohio; Hannah Green '24 of Deerfield, Illinois; Reece Hawbaker '27 of East Peoria, Illinois; Malcolm Henderson '25 of Columbus, Ohio; Jessica Leahy '27 of Katonah, New York; and Logan Page '24 of Dover, Ohio. They traveled with Robert Harmon, Ph.D., professor of Physics and Astronomy, and Elaine Chun, multimedia technology services manager.
Harmon said the Travel-Learning Course enabled the group to study "the history of space exploration, from pioneering developments in rocketry in the early 20th Century, to the Cold War Space Race to put humans on the Moon between the Soviet Union and the United States, to the modern era in which Russia and the United States no longer have a duopoly in space exploration."
Why This Experience?
Deb: "This course gave me insights and an opportunity to learn about how we travel to space and learn a lot more about space, astronauts, control centers, and a lot more."
It was an awesome opportunity to combine my interests in astronomy with my dream travel location.
Lutton: "Japan has always been at the top of my travel list. When I heard about this trip, I was so glad I had already taken the astronomy requirement so that I could apply. It was an awesome opportunity to combine my interests in astronomy with my dream travel location."
Martin: "I knew that traveling internationally was something that I wanted to do at some point in my life, but … studying abroad for a whole semester was intimidating. This experience was two weeks long, which seemed much more doable, and I would also be among a class of people, multiple of whom I knew. This, combined with the fact that it would be with Dr. Harmon, a professor whom I thoroughly enjoyed having in the classroom, made me want to take this class."
Favorite Moments
Deb: "My favorite moment of the experience was when we visited the first JAXA facility on the outskirts of Tokyo. I really enjoyed the visit to this facility because we learned a lot about astronaut training, rocket launch preparations, and, most importantly, we were able to interact with the team of scientists who were monitoring and communicating with the team of Japanese astronauts on the International Space Station."
Lutton: "There were so many great moments during the trip, but my favorite was probably exploring the Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. They had great exhibits and staff who were willing to do their best to help me understand what was going on. It was awesome to see how they applied this new technology to solve ongoing issues the country struggles with."
Martin: "My favorite moment was waking up early on our last day in Kagoshima to watch the sunrise over the volcano Sakurajima. We all had balconies from our hotel rooms that provided a breathtaking view of the volcano we would be visiting that day. That morning a small group of us met on the balconies to take in the view. It was a great way to end the trip and be reminded of the natural beauty of the place we were visiting."
Lessons Learned
Deb: "We learned a lot about rocket launches and the history of space exploration throughout this trip. During the spring 2024 semester, we met every Friday from 4:10 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., when Dr. Harmon showed us videos and taught us about how space exploration has evolved since the past century, the efforts behind planning rocket launches, and the various purposes for these launches. It was really interesting to tie those ideas with the museum tours where they had model replicas of the rockets/satellites that were launched into space and the puchorpose for each launch. …
"This is somewhat related to one of the aspirations I have – to become an astronaut and travel to space. If I am lucky, hopefully I will be able to travel to space. However, this ties to my future plans as I do intend to do a Ph.D. in Astrophysics in the future, and experiences like this motivate me further to keep track of the latest news on space as well as the latest updates in astronomy."
Lutton: "I had recently been told about opportunities to travel abroad and teach English as a foreign language. One of my biggest concerns with doing this as a career was that I had never traveled to any of the recommended places. Being able to spend two weeks in Japan let me discover that I am definitely interested in pursuing this further.
"I originally anticipated it being more difficult navigating a place where English was only spoken in a limited amount, but I found that communicating was easier than expected, and everyone was very patient and understanding with the struggle this sometimes presented."
Martin: "As stated previously, I had never traveled internationally before this trip. I had never flown on a plane before! This trip allowed me to experience so many new things and has inspired me to want to continue traveling and visiting other places across the globe."
Campus Involvements
Deb: "I am currently the treasurer of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, vice president of the Interfraternity Council, and chair of the Math, Computer Science, and Data Analytics Student Board."
Lutton: "I play in the wind and percussion ensembles and I am also a member of Phi Delta Theta."
Martin: "My main involvements outside of the classroom are participation in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and Percussion Ensemble, being a member of the Student Honors Board (previous chair of the board), grader for the Math Department, and barista at Merrick Cafe."
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
Deb: "OWU provided a great scholarship to me to pursue higher studies as well as a liberal arts education, which allows me to grow in different aspects. Furthermore, the alumni are a great resource, and meeting some of them before committing to OWU helped me decide on my college choice – OWU, of course!"
Lutton: "I actually started out at a larger university and determined that I wanted to be part of a smaller, closer community that OWU provides. I love being closer to my professors and having more active, smaller classes."
Martin: "I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan because of the tight-knit community that would allow me to make real connections with students and professors and the beautiful campus."
Plans After Graduation
Deb: "I aim on hitting the industry as a software developer or electrical engineer, but in the long run I wish to attend graduate school. The Career Connection office at OWU has helped me improve my professional skills and resume, and helped me get in touch with various resources (recruiters, alumni, etc.), which helped me gain some great research opportunities."
Lutton: "My initial plan was to become a high school science teacher right after I graduated. Since I started exploring events at OWU, I have had more opportunities introduced to me, such as going for my master's degree in transplantation and donation sciences or teaching English abroad. I have a lot of thinking to do before I graduate."
Martin: "After graduation, I hope to become a high school math teacher in one of the surrounding school districts. The connections and experiences that I have had and will continue to have in my senior year through the OWU Education Department will help me reach this goal!"