nasa
NASA seminar for educators
by Tony on Mar.07, 2013, under education, nasa
Science vs Engineering – what are the differences? On a NASA space science mission both are essential. Join us for “The Challenge of Discovery” on Saturday, April 6, to find out!
This engaging, dynamic workshop is for formal and informal educators in grades 4-12. It’s the third in a series, using the excitement of NASA missions that are exploring the solar system to help teachers convey real-world science and engineering concepts to their students.
This time we delve into the stories behind some amazing NASA missions, from conception to science results. Learn how scientists, engineers, and mission operators collaborate to meet the challenges of complex missions to assure the science goals will be met.
“The Challenge of Discovery” will highlight science and engineering from NASA missions that are in a variety of phases: OSIRIS-REx, an asteroid sample return project that is under development for launch in 2016; MESSENGER, which has been orbiting Mercury for nearly two years and is returning a wealth of images and data; and New Horizons, still en route to Pluto for a 2015 flyby. We will also learn how missions prepare to bring back a sample – where is the best place to grab that asteroid dirt from? – and what happens when those precious samples land back on Earth.
Investigate what it takes to move a fantastic idea from dream to reality. Mission scientists and engineers will discuss their roles and perspectives and how they must communicate well so the science dreams can be achieved within the engineering realities. It will be a very lively workshop with activities to help you teach both science and engineering concepts.
The workshop will be held in four locations:
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, 8:30 am – 2:30 pm PT
- University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ - 8:30 am – 2:30 pm MT
- Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX - 10:30 – 4:30 CT
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, Laurel, MD - 11:30 – 5:30 ET
It will also be available in a webinar form and archived for later viewing.
There is a small charge to cover lunch and snacks
More info: http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/discovery/challenge_of_discovery.asp
math from the news, calculations from the meteor over Chelyabinsk, Russia
by Tony on Mar.01, 2013, under education, math, nasa, outreach ideas
Scientists think that the meteor that lit up skies over Russia originated in the asteroid belt
On Feb. 15, 2013, a small asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia. Estimates put the asteroid at ~17 meters in diameter with a mass of ~11,000 metric tons and traveling ~18 km/sec. This NASA created math activity can be used in classrooms to use a real world headline making event in their math lessons.
NASA Spinoffs you might see this Super Bowl weekend
by Tony on Feb.02, 2013, under nasa
Apollo’s Small Steps Are Giant Leap for Shoe Technology Credit: NASA
Blow rubber molding techniques created for the manufacture of space boots was adopted by Nike in the production of their Air line of athletic shoes. The cushioning inside athletic shoes also has an Apollo pedigree The woven-fiber fabric used now absorbs energy and gives it back to the athlete improving efficiency and reducing fatigue.
How the Skycam works Courtesy: New York Times
As you watch the cable suspended camera flying over the field, you might wonder how it can produce such steady images. Technology developed by NASA to stabilize video of shuttle launch analysis video was adapted for use in those overhead cameras.
Wireless headsets used today by coaches and some players were born are certainly lighter and provide higher quality audio than their predecessors but that technology is based in headsets developed for the Apollo program. You’ll also see that technology in use in taxi, utility and 911 dispatch centers.
Memory foam developed to make aircraft safer in crashes now lines football helmets and pads Credit: NASA
Helmets used by football players and in many other sports are lined with shock absorbing foam developed by NASA researchers for aircraft seats. This open-cell polyurethane silicone plastic foam is better known as “memory foam” which quickly returns to its original shape after compression. It’s also used in shoulder, knee and elbow pads for a variety of sports. You’ve probably also seen it in mattress pads.
That satellite dish hanging off the side of your house is part of a digital direct-broadcast satellite system which was pioneered by NASA. If you find yourself watching the “big game” on a aircraft, train, bus or in the back seat of an minivan equipped with technology that enables mobile reception of satellite television, you’ve got NASA to thank there as well.
Where to See Retired U.S. Spacecraft
by Tony on Oct.12, 2012, under manned spaceflight, nasa
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NASA Image of the Day
Launching Balloons to Study Space Weather
In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists released 20 balloons, each eight stories tall, into the air to help answer an enduring space weather question: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? This NASA-funded mission is called BARREL, for Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses. Each balloon launched by the BARREL team floated for anywhere from three to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere.BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels directly through the Van Allen radiation belts. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites orbiting Earth must travel. Scientists need to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of such space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft.› Read MoreImage Credit: NASA
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