Dantè Djokovic soars to new heights
Friday, January 03, 2014 | 3:08 PM 4 Comments
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Dantè Djokovic at Apollo Astronaut Space Academy (AASA) in Orlando, Florida.
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KINGSTON, Jamaica – Under a month ago, 25-year-old legal clerk Dantè Djokovic had never left the island. He now holds the title of Jamaica’s first "astronaut".
Kingston-born Djokovic was selected to represent Jamaica in the three-day Apollo Astronaut Space Academy (AASA) in Orlando, Florida. He was one of 100 Facebook winners representing over 60 countries across the world.
He recently returned from a successful stint.
Reflecting on his space camp experience, Djokovic said: “Visiting NASA and seeing the entrance of the Kennedy Space Centre for the first time blew my mind. Walking through the hangar, seeing them fit rockets and shuttles together… watching the launch of a satellite light up the evening sky felt so unreal. It was like starring in 'Men in Black' or 'Transformers',” he said.
The highlight was naturally participating in the training. Extraordinary feats like flying a combat plane, experiencing weightlessness while having 3-4 level of G-force exerted on his body, soaring upside-down over the clouds at 140 knots ( 259.28 KPH) … the stuff of well-executed science fiction is now something he can cross off his bucket list.
“I never saw this as an individual thing. I was really hoping for a chance to go into space and literally take my country to new heights and inspire others to do the same. I’m now looking to Tessanne Chin, NBC’s The Voice winner, as she blazes a new trail for us,” he said.
Friday, January 03, 2014 | 3:08 PM 4 Comments
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Dantè Djokovic at Apollo Astronaut Space Academy (AASA) in Orlando, Florida.
.remove_caption{ display:none; }
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Under a month ago, 25-year-old legal clerk Dantè Djokovic had never left the island. He now holds the title of Jamaica’s first "astronaut".
Kingston-born Djokovic was selected to represent Jamaica in the three-day Apollo Astronaut Space Academy (AASA) in Orlando, Florida. He was one of 100 Facebook winners representing over 60 countries across the world.
He recently returned from a successful stint.
Reflecting on his space camp experience, Djokovic said: “Visiting NASA and seeing the entrance of the Kennedy Space Centre for the first time blew my mind. Walking through the hangar, seeing them fit rockets and shuttles together… watching the launch of a satellite light up the evening sky felt so unreal. It was like starring in 'Men in Black' or 'Transformers',” he said.
The highlight was naturally participating in the training. Extraordinary feats like flying a combat plane, experiencing weightlessness while having 3-4 level of G-force exerted on his body, soaring upside-down over the clouds at 140 knots ( 259.28 KPH) … the stuff of well-executed science fiction is now something he can cross off his bucket list.
“I never saw this as an individual thing. I was really hoping for a chance to go into space and literally take my country to new heights and inspire others to do the same. I’m now looking to Tessanne Chin, NBC’s The Voice winner, as she blazes a new trail for us,” he said.
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