CBS47's Lemor Abrams shows us their incredible experience.
The teacher and student spoke to us from their hotel in Florida.
They're now fast asleep after what they describe as a surreal day.
As Nasa's Maven Spacecraft blasted off into Mars Monday morning, a Clovis
Science teacher and top science student were there for the lift off.
But they felt like they were out of this world.
"It's really surreal...I can't believe I was there to see it...and talk to
the engineers who built it," said Callie.
"We're about four miles away from it...the only thing between us and the
launch is water," said Kendia.
Kendia Herrington is a teacher at Alta Sierra Intermediate and one of a few
teachers in California trained as a Maven Educator Ambassador.
She picked Callie Carbajal...her former student...as her VIP guest.
"My mind was just blown I went and asked my mom...we were just invited to the
Maven launch!," Callie described her reaction to Kendia's request.
Callie is a junior at Buchanan High School....on the robotics team, and she's an "nspire" student for Nasa.
"I really wish they could all just be here...I have so many
friends...especially on the robotics team," she says.
Maven will orbit Mars for a year to test climate change on the red planet.
But Callie and Kendia are coming back to the Valley at the end of the week,
to share their love of earth and space with their community.
"I to classrooms...go talk with other teachers just to show them what's out
there..what's outside of the classroom," said Kendia.