BURCH FELLOW 2012 DOCUMENTING THE AFRICAN SPACE RESEARCH PROGRAM IN UGANDA

It is hard to put into words to help fi nish the fi rst plane. I also how much Uganda taught me stayed in Jinja, a much smaller city about myself, a completely foreign east of Kampala where eight of the culture, and how relationships, members were living and working economics, and society as a whole on the glider at a local unused CHARLIE HARRIS operate outside of the only home runway. Class of 2014 I had ever known. My Burch I got to know the members of Raleigh, NC Fellowship last summer showed me the ASRP very well through weekly individuals in developing countries meetings, watching them work, and ome people without a space program can share hanging out with them outside of the same technological dreams as the program. They still have a long say that countries that have photographed way to go before completing the Severy sunset galaxies, sent rovers to Mars, and engineering aspects necessary to is more beautiful put men on the moon. make their projects fl y safely. While in Africa. I found My goal was to create a I found this to be disappointing, I Charlie Harris that entirely true documentary fi lm about the was still able to spend lots of time as I sat alone one evening African Space Research Program capturing their passions, methods, My experiences during my on a paddle board in the (ASRP) in Uganda. I found living and motivations on fi lm. The group Burch Fellowship exposed me in Uganda to be an educational was uniquely driven by a thirst for to a whole new culture, but middle of the great Nile knowledge and a desire to protect also sharpened the focus of my River thousands of miles humanity’s posterity amidst other academic pursuits and potential from home and watched a demanding issues that currently career. I was able to take the bright red sun sink slowly face Uganda. knowledge I collected in Uganda below the horizon. In that At this stage, it is hard to tell and create a fi lm about the ASRP moment I genuinely realized if the work of the African Space and its goals, motivations, and the true size of the world, the Research Program will someday progress. This was the longest and signifi cance of international evolve into a legitimate space most intense video project I had program for Uganda. I am proud ever worked on, but it taught me so communication, and the to say the group is very confi dent much more about production than magnitude of what human and amazing experience. For and believes success is their only I could ever have imagined and beings have accomplished most of my trip, I stayed in option. The group is composed of enhanced my interest in storytelling and have left to accomplish. Kampala, the bustling capital of dedicated individuals who are just and documentary fi lm. I now an absolutely beautiful nation. I now getting the long-promised also know that I want to pursue CONTINUED visited the ASRP headquarters government aid they need. Very scientifi c policy and education so I located in the backyard of the recently, the program created a may spread my passion for space group’s founder, Chris Nsamba. small probe and weather balloon to students in the U.S. and beyond. ASRP is comprised of a group of they plan to send beyond Earth’s I believe the global perception of men and women of all ages who atmosphere with cameras and even humanity’s dependence on space have interests in astronomy, space a live mouse inside. They have technology will become clearer science, and space exploration. been visited by the Vice President to the world as efforts like ASRP I loved exchanging news about of Uganda several times and have continue on the continent of Africa outer space with them, and was also presented their projects and and other less developed areas of able to use some of my knowledge interests to the country’s Prime the globe. from studying astronomy at Minister. Uganda UNC to teach them a little about In addition to all I learned planets, orbits, and satellites. The about the space research program, ASRP group members have an the people, and the culture of unfi nished high-altitude plane at Uganda, I also got to experience their headquarters. There, they the country’s amazing beauty. also held astronomy nights with Citizens proudly know Uganda as donated telescopes and weekly the “Pearl of Africa” for its precious meetings to discuss fi nances and wilderness and wildlife. My friends Kampala space-related news from around introduced me to the beautiful, the world. Because of their limited green, mountainous eastern part of budget, the group was pursuing a the country and the breathtaking smaller glider project in hopes that savannahs of Uganda’s famous its success would attract donations national parks.