Category Archives: Education

Contests and Games, Education, Living in Space

Winning projects selected in Guardians of the Galaxy Space Station Challenge contest

Winners have been selected in the Guardians of the Galaxy Space Station Challenge student competition mentioned here back in January:

Guardians of the Galaxy Space Station Challenge Winning Projects Selected 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL. (May 22, 2018) – After a robust response from students around the country, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and Marvel Entertainment today announced two winning concepts from the recent Guardians of the Galaxy Space Station Challenge. The challenge was an opportunity for American students ages 13-18 to submit microgravity flight experiment concepts that could be conducted on the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory. The contest focused on Rocket and Groot, characters from the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book franchise. Students were encouraged to develop innovative concepts to be tested in space based on the attributes of these Super Heroes. The two selected flight concepts will become official ISS National Lab investigations, intending to launch to the space station in 2018.

Students with an interest in technology and engineering were encouraged to submit flight concepts through Team Rocket—a Super Hero with strong ties to technological innovation and engineering. Students interested in fundamental biological concepts were encouraged to submit flight proposals under Team Groot—a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy who is the embodiment of genetics and plant biology.

Below is an overview on the two research concepts selected through the challenge.

Team Groot:
Aeroponic Farming in Microgravity
Project Lead: Sarina Kopf
Golden, CO

This experiment seeks to explore an alternative method for watering plants in the absence of gravity. Aeroponic farming utilizes a misting device to deliver water to the plant roots and an air pump to blow excess water off of the roots. In space, aeroponic farming has advantages over other methods of watering plants that are gravity dependent. The project aims to test mister behavior in microgravity. Specifically, how the water behaves immediately after it is ejected from the head of the nozzle, and how moving air affects the water on the roots in the absence of gravity. Too much water is just as bad for plants as too little water, and root rot from over watering can be a problem when growing plants in space. Results from this experiment may have profound implications for both the future of spaceflight and for life on Earth by enabling humans to grow fruits and vegetables in microgravity and eliminate a major obstacle for long-term spaceflight.

Hardware Partner: Space Tango

Team Rocket:
Staying Healthy in Space
Project Lead: Adia Bulawa
Greeneville, TN

Staying healthy in space is extremely important. A broken tooth or a lost filling is painful on Earth, but in space it can be detrimental to an astronaut’s health. This experiment intends to analyze the effectiveness in microgravity of a dental glue that is activated by UV light. The team proposes to treat simulated, broken teeth with the dental glue, expose them to UV light, and observe them onboard the space station. Soldering in microgravity results in weaker bonds due to air bubbles, and the team wonders whether the same will happen with UV activated glue.

Hardware Partner: DreamUp (with hardware integration partner NanoRacks, LLC)

“This challenge created an incredible response from young researchers around our country, which is a testament to the reach and excitement of collaborating with an entity like Marvel Entertainment,” said CASIS Director of Operations and Education Initiatives, Ken Shields. “The two selected investigations provide diverse, fun, and important research concepts, and we thank our partners at Marvel for bringing further awareness to research opportunities available through the International Space Station.”

The winning students will work alongside partners DreamUp (with team member NanoRacks, LLC) and Space Tango, Inc. to help transform their ideas into research questions to be tested on the space station. In the coming months, students will work with these commercial partners and be exposed to space station facilities, hardware development, and the engineering required to ensure successful projects on the orbiting laboratory.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Space Station Challenge is a featured program of Space Station Explorers, a CASIS-led collaborative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) consortium of partners who are committed to developing, promoting, and delivering ISS National Lab-themed educational curriculum, products, and outreach to student explorers. To learn more about Space Station Explorers’ broad range of student opportunities, please visit http://www.spacestationexplorers.org/

To learn more about the ISS U.S. National Laboratory, please visit: www.iss-casis.org

About CASIS: The Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) is the nonprofit organization selected to manage the ISS National Laboratory, with a focus on enabling a new era of space research to improve life on Earth. In this innovative role, CASIS promotes and brokers a diverse range of research in life sciences, physical sciences, remote sensing, technology development, and education.

Since 2011, the ISS National Lab portfolio has included hundreds of novel research projects spanning multiple scientific disciplines, all with the intention of benefitting life on Earth. Working together with NASA, CASIS aims to advance the nation’s leadership in commercial space, pursue groundbreaking science not possible on Earth, and leverage the space station to inspire the next generation.

About the ISS National Laboratory: In 2005, Congress designated the U.S. portion of the International Space Station as the nation’s newest national laboratory to maximize its use for improving life on Earth, promoting collaboration among diverse users, and advancing STEM education. This unique laboratory environment is available for use by other U.S. government agencies and by academic and private institutions, providing access to a permanent microgravity setting, a vantage point in low Earth orbit, and varied environments of space.

About Marvel Entertainment: Marvel, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy-five years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit marvel.com. © 2018 MARVEL

Amateur/Student Satellite, Education, Space Systems

Video: Small satellites from Costa Rico, Kenya & Turkey shot into orbit from the ISS

Last Friday evening (May 11th), CubeSats from Costa Rico, Kenya, and Turkey were deployed into low earth orbits from the Japanese Kibo module on the International Space Station. This video shows a recording of the live webcast of the event. The Irazu (Costa Rica) and 1KUNS-PF（Kenya) satellites can be seen being shot into orbit (with a spring loaded deployer) at around the 35:00 point and UBAKUSAT (Turkey) at around 45:00.

For more about the backgrounds of the three small satellite projects, see

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Asteroids & Comets, Astronomy, Education

Video: Rubble Piles in the Sky – The Science, Exploration, and Danger of Near-Earth Asteroids

Dr. Michael Busch of the SETI Institute recently gave the following talk in the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series sponsored by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific:  Rubble Piles in the Sky: The Science, Exploration, and Danger of Near-Earth Asteroids –

Near-Earth asteroids are a population of small bodies whose orbits around the Sun cross or come near our planet’s orbit. They turn out to be unusual physical environments: essentially rubble piles. They represent a natural hazard we ignore at our peril, because some of these bodies have the potential to impact Earth. Dr. Busch reviews the near-Earth population, programs to track and characterize near-Earth asteroids, and current efforts to address the danger of asteroid impacts.

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Activism, Education, SpaceCasts

Videos: TMRO Orbit 11.17 – Women working in STEM + Orbit 11.16 – Making Space Accessible via Space Nation

Here is the most recent TMRO.tv live program: Women working in STEM – Orbit 11.17 – TMRO

Holly Griffith, NASA Orion Vehicle Systems Engineer joins us this week to talk women working at NASA and in STEM. 

Recent launches and space news topics covered:

Launches:
Sentinal-3B launches on Russian Rockot
Chinese Long March 11 launches Zhuhai-1 remote sensing satellites

News:
Uranus smells like farts
Bridenstine sworn in as NASA Administrator
Gaia

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Here is the previous TMRO.tv episode: Making Space Accessible via Space Nation – Orbit 11.16 – TMRO

Kalle Vähä-Jaakkola, co-founder of Space Nation joins us to talk Astronaut Training and making space accessible to mere mortals.

Launches and news topics covered:

Launches:
Atlas V launches AFSPC 11
Falcon 9 launches TESS
Proton launches Blagovest No. 12L

News:
Meteorite Diamonds!
New Orbital ATK Rocket
DARKNESS will hunt for planets

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TMRO is viewer supported:

TMRO shows are crowd funded. If you like this episode consider contributing to help us to continue to improve. Head over to http://www.patreon.com/tmro for funding levels, goals and all of our different rewards!

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Contests and Games, Education, Space participation

Participate in “Train Like a Martian Challenge” sponsored by Mars Generation

The Mars Generation is sponsoring a competition and activities event for students and educators called Train Like A Martian Challenge:

Join Us For Our 3rd Annual #TrainLikeAMartian Challenge
May 14-18, 2018

Sign up now and join us for our third annual #TrainLikeAMartian event! We expect that the event will be a blast! Anyone can join including individuals, students, teachers, schools, sports teams, community organizations and anyone who wants to get involved. For educator resources to plan for the event please click here.

What is the #TrainLikeAMartian challenge? The #TrainLikeAMartian Challenge is a week of fun activities that brings awareness to the importance of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) education, space exploration, and physical fitness to students and adults around the world! This is a chance to have fun, spread an important message, and have a opportunity to win some cool space and STEM prizes May 14-18, 2018!

Daily prizes include: TMG magnets, TMG logo patches, TMG stickers, Astronaut Abby patches, TMG coloring books and more! We will hold multiple random drawings of all entries each day of the event May 14-May 18, 2018.

Grand prizes include: 

Arckit A180 The Architectural Model Design Tool (4 lucky winners) $170.00 Value: The Arckit 180 provides everything you need to design and build your own impressive model structures up to 180 sq.m (1,937 sq.ft) to scale, including adhesive sheets to add realistic building finishes. There are no set instructions – just follow your imagination!

Lottie Doll Supreme Play Package (1 lucky winner): 1 Star Gazer doll,1 Muddy Puddles doll, and 1 Wildlife Photography doll, 1 Doll Treehouse, and 1 Astro Adventure Suit.

1 Lottie Doll of Winner’s Choice plus 1 Astro Adventure Suit (3 lucky winners) 

Grand prize drawing will be after the event. Winners will be chosen by random drawing of all entries throughout the event.

Constellation Community Challenge: Our event sponsors:  United Launch Services (ULA), Lottie Dolls, Arckit, Indulge Sweets, Aerojet Rocketdyne and  Classform.com have joined forces to offer a $10,000 matching challenge grant to our community. Please help us earn this $10,000 challenge grant by becoming part of our constellation community by donating today! Every donation up to $10,000 is matched 100%! Donate now here!

All donations through May 18, 2018 will be doubled up to $10,000! Click here for details.

This means we have the potential to raise $20,000 for The Mars Generation programs including sending students who lack financial resources to Space Camp! Donating is not required to participate in the challenge, but for every $25 donated you will receive on entry into the daily and grand prize drawings. Click here to donate.

Want to earn special rewards? Become a fundraiser for The Mars Generation Train Like A Martian challenge for a chance to earn exclusive rewards. Scroll to the bottom fo the page for all fundraising rewards. Fundraising is not required to participate in the challenge.

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Continue to the Train Like A Martian Challenge website for more details about the competition including how to enter…

See also Train Like A Martian Challenge For Classrooms and Schools.