NASA Sponsors Odyssey of the Mind Long-Term Problem – Weird Science

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that offers creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Participants apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. The teams then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state and international levels.

This year’s NASA-sponsored problem requires teams to create and present a performance about a team of scientists on an expedition to uncover the cause of mysterious events. The performance must include a technical representation of the mysterious events, a moving backdrop that helps portray traveling and a team-created device that the scientists use on the expedition.

For more information and to find dates for regional competitions, visit http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please e-mail info@odysseyofthemind.com.

ARISSat-1 Satellite Launched

A satellite with amateur radio capabilities and a student-designed experiment was released into orbit around Earth on Aug. 3, 2011, during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The satellite is transmitting signals containing information that students around the world can access.

ARISSat-1, which stands for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Satellite-1, contains a student-designed experiment and other equipment that students can use to learn more about space and space exploration. The rectangular spacecraft is covered by six solar panels that will charge the batteries in the satellite for about six months as it orbits Earth. Spoken telemetry values, with data such as temperature and battery life, are intended to promote science and mathematics education by encouraging school children to listen to the satellite, track its progress and plot the changes.

The project website provides free downloadable software that can be used to decode the data. In addition to data, the satellite will transmit 24 pre-recorded greetings in 15 different languages — French, Spanish, German, English and Chinese, to name a few.

Check out the ARISSat-1 website at http://arissat1.org/ for information on data transmissions, contests and student activities.

Questions about ARISSat-1 should be directed to teachers@arissat1.org.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP)

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, in partnership with NanoRacks LLC, announces an immediate opportunity for communities across the U.S. to participate in the first Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP, mission to America’s national laboratory in space — the International Space Station. The program is also open to space station partner nations.

Each participating community will be provided an experiment slot in a real microgravity research mini-laboratory scheduled to fly on the space station from March 30 to May 16, 2012. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging 300 to 1,000 students — allows student teams to design real experiments vying for their communities’ reserved experiment slot on the space station. Additional SSEP programming leverages the experiment design competition to engage the community, embracing a Learning Community Model for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education.

SSEP missions on STS-134 (Space Shuttle Endeavour) and STS-135 (Space Shuttle Atlantis) have recently been completed, with 1,027 student team proposals received, and 27 SSEP experiments selected and flown — representing the 27 communities that participated in SSEP on the space shuttle.

Letters of Commitment for this opportunity are due Sept. 15, 2011.

To learn more about this opportunity, visit the SSEP Mission 1 to ISS National Announcement of Opportunity at http://ssep.ncesse.org/2011/07/immediate-historic-opportunity-for-schools-student-spaceflight-experiments-program-mission-1-to-the-international-space-station/.

The SSEP in-orbit research opportunity is enabled through NanoRacks LLC, which is working in partnership with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of using the International Space Station as a national laboratory.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please e-mail SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

NASA Earth Ambassador Training Program – Application Deadline August 17, 2011

Informal educators are invited to apply to the Earth Ambassador Program, part of NASA Climate Days. The program will hold a two-day training workshop at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Md., Oct. 13-14, 2011, with extended training on Oct. 15, for those not attending the ASTC (Association of Science – Technology Centers) Conference.

During the workshop, participants will interact with Earth scientists who are looking at the effect of climate change with respect to their research areas, learn effective ways of communicating global climate change with the public and become familiar with the online resources available to host their own events at their local institutions.

Transportation, lodging and meal per diem will be covered. Applications are due Aug. 17, 2011.

For more information and to apply online, visit http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/NCD_Ambassador_Application.html.

Smart SkiesTM Webinar – August 16, 2011

As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools project is hosting a 60-minute webinar on Aug. 16, 2011, at 4 p.m. EDT. Learn how to use an innovative air traffic control simulator to engage your students as they explore the mathematics involved in the role of an air traffic controller. In the three-plane problem featured in this lesson, the challenge is to change routes and speeds to line up the planes safely, with proper spacing, at a given route intersection.

For more information and to register online, visit https://digitalmedia.wufoo.com/forms/nes-webinar-registration-smart-skies/.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Engineering Design Challenge: Water Filtration Webinar – August 11, 2011

As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools project is hosting a 60-minute webinar on Aug. 11, 2011, at 4 p.m. EDT. Learn how your students can work in teams to design, build, test and measure the performance of a water filtration device, analyze the data collected and use this information to improve their filtration designs. During the webinar, participants will receive an overview of the activity, explore the NASA connection, share tips and tricks for implementing this lesson in the classroom, watch videos of students engaged in the lesson and discuss possible modifications to the activity.

For more information and to register online, visit https://digitalmedia.wufoo.com/forms/nes-webinar-registration-water-filtration/.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

ESMD Senior Design Project Call for Proposals – Oregon Deadline September 1, 2011

This call is for ESMD Senior Design Projects, including Lunabotics Mining Competition Projects. Click on the following link to request NASA’s ESMD Senior Design Projects and funds: https://secure.spacegrant.org/esmdsg/forms/?form=design. Proposals must fit within one of the endorsed ESMD Sr. Design Project topics listed at http://education.ksc.nasa.gov/esmdspacegrant/Sr_Design.htm.

The application due date for the first round of selections is September 1, 2011 (to allow the Oregon Space Grant time to review and endorse proposals) and the recipients will be notified by September 16, 2011. If funding is available, additional application rounds will be conducted.

The factors considered for a project’s approval will include:
•Endorsement by your state based Space Grant office
•Amount requested for each project – not specifically limited but intended to be spread across many projects.
•Number of requests from each state – not specifically limited but intended to be spread across the nation.
•The NASA Technical Expert’s availability.

Funding for these opportunities are provided by the ESMD Space Grant Program at NASA/KSC though the National Space Grant Foundation.

NASA ANNOUNCES NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR CUBESAT SPACE MISSIONS

NASA is seeking proposals for small satellite payloads to fly on rockets planned to launch between 2012 and 2014. These miniature spacecraft, known as CubeSats, could be auxiliary payload on previously planned missions.

CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. The cube-shaped satellites are approximately four inches long, have a volume of about one quart and weigh less than three pounds.

Proposed CubeSat investigations must be consistent with NASA’s Strategic Plan and the Education Strategic Coordination Framework. The research should address aspects of science, exploration, technology development, education or operations.

Applicants must submit proposals electronically by 4:30 p.m. EST on Nov. 14. NASA will select the payloads by Jan. 30, 2012. Selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity. The selected spacecraft will be eligible for flight after final negotiations when a launch opportunity arises. NASA will not provide funding for the development of the small satellites.

NASA recently announced the results from the second round of the CubeSat Launch Initiative. From the first two launch initiatives, 32 payloads made the short-list for launch opportunities in 2011 and 2012. They are eligible for launch pending an appropriate opportunity and final negotiations. The satellites come from 18 states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah and Virginia.

For additional information about NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative program, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/puk9K2 and http://go.nasa.gov/CubeSatOp

For more information about NASA’s Strategic Plan, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/budget
For more information about NASA’s Education Strategic Coordination Framework, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/nRCvjH