NASA EXPRESS: Your STEM Connection for May 30, 2019

NASA has a bold vision to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. Numerous international and commercial partners will help us get there quickly and sustainably.

Check out the video below to learn more. #Moon2024

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Start your week with an exciting science lesson and hands-on demonstration. This week’s lesson introduces students to similarities and differences between living on Earth and living in space. Learn about microgravity and how it affects an astronaut’s life on the International Space Station. This session will also feature a demonstration of liquid nitrogen to help with understanding fuel and the density of gas versus a liquid. Get more out of the session with the “Get a Leg Up” hands-on activity.

Join the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University for a free 60-minute webinar. As NASA expands human exploration by visiting the Moon and then Mars, deep space exploration will require innovations in transportation that include the Space Launch System, Orion and Ground Launch Systems. This webinar begins with an overview of NASA’s plans for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and continues with an overview of associated NASA education lessons, videos, fact sheets, printables and training opportunities. Resources covered address National Standards in Science and Mathematics. Online registration is required.

Join the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University for a free 60-minute webinar. This webinar reviews the history of X-planes and NASA aeronautics research while also looking forward to the future of NASA aeronautics innovation. For decades, NASA has been studying aircraft noise in order to reduce noise emissions. Learn about NASA’s newest X-plane, the X-59 QueSST, and the research on quiet supersonic flight. Participants will also get an overview of associated NASA STEM lessons, videos, fact sheets, printables and training opportunities. Online registration is required.

Join the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University for a free 60-minute webinar. Explore the engineering design process as it applies to NASA’s journey to the Moon and on to Mars. This webinar will showcase NASA STEM engineering design challenges that help students understand the process of designing and launching a mission to land on the Moon and Mars. Online registration is required.

Join the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University for a free 60-minute webinar. This summer, NASA plans to conduct the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test. This milestone event will verify flight capabilities of Orion’s Launch Abort System, a key step in fulfilling NASA’s mission to go to the Moon and then on to Mars. Educators will hear from an Orion flight test engineer about the AA-2 test and the critical role played by mass properties in spacecraft design. This webinar will also highlight NASA resources and hands-on activities for engaging your students with Orion and AA-2. The activities discussed in this webinar address Next Generation Science Standards PS1, PS2 and ETS1. Online registration is required.

NASA is seeking qualified peer reviewers to volunteer to externally review NASA TEAM II proposals during fall 2019. A diverse reviewer pool is sought, including but not limited to practicing or retired informal education leadership, managers, educators and evaluators (e.g., K-12; informal; youth groups; public outreach), scientists, engineers, higher education faculty and other experts (including individuals without a current institutional affiliation) with experience or knowledge of activities described in the Announcement NNH19ZHA002N. 

Volunteer at https://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/reviewer/. Although NASA cannot guarantee an invitation to review will result, it thanks you for your consideration and/or referrals. Selected reviewers will be expected to disclose all conflicts of interest, including situations that may give the appearance of bias.

NASA invites the public to send their names to the Red Planet aboard NASA’s Mars 2020 rover! The Mars 2020 mission will launch next summer and land on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. The mission will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet’s climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth and pave the way for human exploration.

The Apollo lunar flights may have ended in 1972, but the Moon has remained of great interest to NASA and scientists worldwide. Learn how the lunar samples returned during the Apollo program dramatically changed our view of the solar system and what we hope to discover as we prepare to the return to the Moon. Watch the session live at https://go.nasa.gov/DEEP. Tweet questions for the presenter using #NASADEEP, or use the chat window next to the media player.

ASTRO CAMP is a series of weeklong summer camps held at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. At ASTRO CAMP, learners in grades 2-10 engage in fun, hands-on educational activities related to NASA’s missions. Students learn the basics of engineering, rocketry and robotics; they end the week with tours of Stennis facilities and a model rocket launch. Camp dates are filling fast! Visit the site to get full details and register.

On July 20, NASA will mark the 50th anniversary of humans first setting foot on the Moon. In recognition of this historic event, NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center is hosting an art competition to encourage students to use the elements of art to explore the role of the Apollo missions in NASA’s advancements in human space exploration. Entries will be judged in four age group categories. Winners will receive prizes, and all contest participants will receive an official NASA Certificate of Participation.

NASA is seeking proposals for the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Aerospace High-Volume Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Cooperative. Eligible proposers include U.S. Minority-Serving Institutions. Selected parties will establish student training and technical internships as well as support new entrepreneurs of aerospace-focused high manufacturing efforts that align with aerospace industry needs. Projects shall use network partnerships.

Join the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University for a free 60-minute webinar. This webinar provides an overview of the Orion spacecraft and NASA’s plans for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. Activity resources, such as activity sheets and engineering challenges, will focus on the Orion spacecraft. The activities shared in this webinar address the Next Generation Science Standards ETS1. Online registration is required.

The Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships program of the Space Studies Board gives students the opportunity to work in civil space research policy in the nation’s capital. The board is the principal advisory group providing independent scientific and programmatic advice to NASA and other government agencies on civil space research and associated ground-based activities. Interns typically undertake one or more short-term research projects to assist with or to enhance ongoing study projects.

Join the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University for a free 60-minute webinar. Have you ever wondered why Mars is red? In this webinar, learn how to explore red rocks on Earth to learn about the Red Planet. Discover how Infiniscope allows you to take a virtual field trip to explore the red rocks of Karijini Gorge in Australia and Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona, Arizona. Learn more about Infiniscope, a virtual space with cutting-edge space exploration experiences that inspire curiosity, excitement, engagement and confidence. Online registration is required.

Join the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University for a free 60-minute webinar. Explore inquiry-based and problem-based learning strategies based on the topics of rockets and space vehicles. Prepare to bring engineering challenges and the adventures of space travel to your students in the classroom. NASA educational websites introduced will provide educators with new curriculum ideas to assist in reaching the Common Core and NGSS standards for STEM. Online registration is required.

Students taking part in the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Program’s (GLOBE) Mission Mosquito project submitted science fair projects related to mosquitoes, and we’ll share a few. Students will describe their research and a few lessons learned. As warmer weather keeps it buzzing, let’s talk about how to keep the excitement going over the summer. We have a few ideas to share and would love to hear yours. Webinar registration is required – http://bit.ly/Buzz-GO8.

Join the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University for a free 60-minute webinar. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is the next phase in space transportation, enabling industry to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. Learn about the companies, the vehicles, the crew and the STEM classroom resources related to the Commercial Crew Program. Online registration is required.

The National Assessment Governing Board is leading updates to the Mathematics and Reading Assessment Frameworks for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card. The frameworks guide development of assessments and define the knowledge and skills students need in each subject area. The updated draft of the Mathematics Framework is ready for public feedback. Educators are encouraged to review the draft and provide recommendations for improvement by June 7. See https://www.naepframeworkupdate.org/.

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education announce Mission 14 to the International Space Station, a community engagement initiative in STEM. In each participating community, one proposed student experiment is selected to fly in low-Earth orbit on the space station. For pre-college grades 5-12, each community is expected to engage at least 300 students in real microgravity experiment design and proposal writing. For an undergraduate community, it is expected that at least 30 students will be engaged. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than June 17.

NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi has announced collaboration opportunities for organizations interested in hosting “2019 ASTRO CAMP in the Community” events this summer. ASTRO CAMP engages learners in grades 2-10 with fun, hands-on educational activities related to NASA’s missions. ASTRO CAMP provides collaborators professional development, the 2019 ASTRO CAMP Facilitators Guide, activity supply lists, online resources, NASA completion certificates and the support of education specialists (as needed). Visit the site for details on collaborator requirements and inquiry details.

NASA is seeking proposals for the NASA Research Announcement: NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions. Eligible proposers include U.S. nonprofit science museums, planetariums, youth-serving organizations and libraries. Selected parties will offer inquiry- or experiential-based opportunities that include NASA education and research and directly align with major NASA missions related to space exploration. Projects shall use network partnerships.The NASA Office of STEM Engagement has posted new information for its 2019 NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Announcement Number NNH19ZHA002N, on NSPIRES.

NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society invite professional and aspiring filmmakers to share their works using actual NASA imagery. The “CineSpace” competition will accept all genres, including narrative, documentary, comedy, drama, animation and others, up to 10 minutes long. Entries must use at least 10 percent publicly available NASA imagery. Entries will be judged on creativity, innovation and attention to detail. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three submissions, as well as two special category films: 1) the best documentary film and 2) the film that best exhibits human presence in space.

The Museum of Flight in Seattle is the only West Coast stop for a new exhibition featuring the Apollo 11 command module Columbia—the only part of the Apollo 11 spacecraft to return intact to Earth. The exhibit features dozens of artifacts, including astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s extravehicular visor and gloves, a star chart and more. The family-friendly exhibit also features an immersive launch pad entrance, iconic audio from mission control and interactives like a lunar lander video game and a virtual 3D tour of Columbia’s interior.

Use your smartphone to explore how Earth’s rotation affects surface gravity at different latitudes. The Earth Rotation Detector project lets you measure the acceleration of gravity at your location and share your data with NASA. Because Earth is rotating, at the equator centrifugal forces will make the local acceleration of gravity a bit weaker than at higher latitudes near the poles. Visit the site for a step-by-step guide on how to participate.