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As the space station commander, she had mere moments to act when a scientist who had narcolepsy collapsed.
And that was only one of the disasters on board.
"The cargo doors wouldn't shut, and when I was flying the space shuttle we landed in the woods," Kieffer said.
Luckily, it was all just a simulation, because Kieffer was at "Space Camp."
Kieffer, a teacher at Octorara Middle School, had the opportunity last week to attend Space Academy for Educators at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.
The program's workshops and simulations were meant to encourage teachers to bring science, technology and engineering into their classrooms in new and exciting ways.
In one workshop they learned about the difficulties of life in space, such as going to the bathroom.
"There was a toilet, and you put a bull's-eye on your butt," Kieffer said.
"You would try to sit down and Velcro would attach so you could see how far off you were — and what a disaster that could be."
Kieffer also took away a few things that will be more applicable to teaching her students.
"We did a unit on how toys react in space," she said, which she wants to bring back to her classroom.
"We watched videos that astronauts reordered in space of, for example, a simple ball in a cup, to see how toys on earth act in space."
Kieffer was able to attend the five-day program thanks to a scholarship from Honeywell Hometown Solutions. Employees from the company donate money so that teachers from all over the world can participate.
Kieffer estimated the scholarship, which covered the cost of travel, room and board, tuition and even her very own space suit, to be around $3,000.
"I saw 'Space Camp,' the movie, when I was little, and I wanted to be an astronaut," she said.
It took her five years to realize she wasn't going to be an astronaut. But Kieffer remained interested in science and decided to become a teacher.
"Going there was like being a kid again," she said.
Kieffer created a Facebook page, where she uploaded photographs throughout the week, to keep in touch with her students.
"They were all ecstatic," she said. "The cool thing is that most of the students (who were looking at her Facebook page) are females. It's good to see them getting involved in science."
Kieffer had other opportunities while at the NASA program, including meeting real astronauts and using a "1/6th machine" which simulates your weight on the moon.
Using the machine, "I felt a little Peter Pan-ish," said Kieffer.
Kieffer now plans to expand her meteorology unit to incorporate planets other than Earth.
But she's most excited about her idea for students to interact with other schools.
"I'm hoping to collaborate with two teachers I met to do our own simulations," she said. "One school can be mission control — they can do experiments together."
"I think they'll just be more excited."
Kieffer reluctantly accepted her diploma at the end of the week.
"I love space science. I could have stayed there for two months."
E-mail: dmartin@lnpnews.com
