DIXFIELD — When David Buck was notified he had been chosen to attend  Space Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., his family was asleep so he logged on to Facebook and soon had at least 20 messages of congratulations.

He will fly to Alabama June 15 to take part in all kinds of space-related tasks, from interactive flight dynamics, to high performance jet simulations. He’ll even get to be turned upside down in a “space” chair to experience the feelings of no gravity.

His son, eighth-grader Ben, although pleased for his father, wonders if Buck will get motion sickness.

Buck, 44, a seventh grade science teacher at Dirigo Middle School, is one of 185 teachers from around the country who were granted scholarships for an all-expense paid, weeklong trip to the space center.

“It’s all pretty spectacular,” he said.

He thanked science teacher Kristin Chambers from Oxford Hills Middle School in Paris for encouraging him to apply for the space camp scholarship. Chambers, who had been a student teacher under Buck, took part in the space camp also.

“I’m pretty grateful to her,” Buck said.

Buck graduated from Mt. Blue High School in Farmington in 1986 and the University of Maine at Farmington with a bachelor of science degree in social studies secondary education.

Over the years, he discovered that teaching science is an excellent way to get students involved. In the next school year he plans to use what he learns with his students.

“When something excites me, the enthusiasm will rub off on the kids,” he said.

He plans to provide this year’s students with an email address while he is in Alabama so they can keep track of what he is doing.

Buck also took part in Paleo Camp at Montana State University in Bozeman, where he earned a master’s degree, during the summers of 2010 and 2011.

Besides the up-close and personal experiences he expects at Space Camp, he also said a trip to Alabama will knock another state off his list of the 50 he plans to visit.

He’s also looking forward to meeting other teachers.

“It really excites me that I’ll meet people from around the country and the world,” he said. “This shows how education is moving everywhere.”

His wife, Rachel, who is an alternative education teacher at Dirigo High School, and his children Ben and Cate, are supportive of their father’s upcoming adventure.

Just a few days before Buck takes off for Alabama, he’ll guide his seventh -grade students through what has become an annual event at the middle school – the launching of student-made rockets on June 12.

The teachers’ Space Camp is financed by Honeywell, based in Morris Township, N.J.