SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Hundreds of excited kids got to meet a real astronaut and dream about a career in space at a science fair in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood on Sunday.

The NASA-run Reachout for the Rainbow Science Festival included a remote controlled rover, a hovercraft powered by leaf blowers and a space shuttle simulator.

KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:

12-year-old Jamal Gage of East Palo Alto was impressed enough to consider changing his career path, from video game designer to astronaut.

"I think it's really cool. I've been on a field trip to NASA before, but now with this fair. That's just awesome!" he said.

Simon "Pete" Worden, director of the NASA-Ames Research Center, said the space agency is trying to reach kids in underserved communities.

"These kids are really pumped. When you're 5, 6, 7 years old, you look at this and say, I want to do that," Worden said. "Sometimes, just looking at a display or talking to somebody, you just see them light up. They go back and they have a whole different attitude about school and studying and about their future."

The 10th annual event was held at the Bayview Opera House.

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