Educational
LOFTS IN SPACE: NASA CHALLENGES COLLEGE STUDENTS TO DESIGN INFLATABLE SPACE HABITATS WASHINGTON -- NASA is challenging college students to design concepts for inflatable habitat lofts for the next generation of space explorers. The winning concepts may be applied to the exploration habitats of the future. The X-Hab Academic Innovation Competition is a university-level challenge designed to encourage further studies in spaceflight-related engineering and architecture disciplines. This design competition requires undergraduate students to explore NASA's work to develop space habitats, while also helping the agency gather new and innovative ideas to complement its current research and development. Students will design, manufacture and assemble an inflatable loft that will be integrated into NASA's operational hard-shell prototype lab unit. The competition winner will participate in a demonstration of the submitted design during the 2011 Desert Research and Technology Studies, or a similar field test next summer. NASA's Exploration Mission Directorate and the Office of the Chief Technologist's Innovative Partnerships Program are sponsoring this new technology challenge. NASA is dedicated to supporting research that enables sustained and affordable human and robotic exploration.
This educational competition contributes to the agency's efforts to train and develop a highly skilled scientific, engineering and technical workforce for the future. For information about competition registration and requirements, visit: http://www.spacegrant.org/xhab For more information about NASA's Exploration efforts, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration Celebrate World Space Week with Space Port Indaina in October 2010 Join educators and space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2010. This international event commemorates the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957. During World Space Week, teachers are encouraged to use space-themed activities. Space Port Indiana will have links and special kits for Space Week celebration. Check back here or contact SPI for information for your classroom. email us at ContactUs@SpacePortIndiana.com. World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 50 nations. Last year, President Obama joined the celebration by hosting a Star Party at the White House.
Become a MESSENGER Educator Fellow The MESSENGER Educator Fellowship Program seeks 30 educators to become the next MESSENGER Educator Fellows. The Fellows are volunteers who bring the excitement of the MESSENGER mission to classrooms nationwide by conducting teacher training workshops. These workshops introduce educators to materials related to the MESSENGER mission to Mercury. Fellows will attend an all-expense-paid, five-day workshop in Washington, D.C., in July 2010. Fellows will also receive materials needed to conduct workshops and an annual allowance to cover workshop expenses. Applications are due April 10, 2010. For more information about the MESSENGER Educator Fellowship Program and how to apply, visit http://messenger-education.org/teachers/ao.php. Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Harri Vanhala at HarriVanhala@ncesse.org.
Applications Available for 2010 NSTI Faculty Fellowship Program
The NASA Science and Technology Institute announces a new summer faculty fellowship program. This fellowship program targets full-time, early career, STEM faculty from minority institutions in the United States. Faculty Fellows will engage in a ten-week research experience with scientists and engineers at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. Additionally, the fellowship recipients will receive professional development training and a stipend to cover housing, travel and living expenses. A primary goal of the fellowship program is to strengthen the relationship between NASA and the minority higher education community. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must return to their home institutions in a teaching/research capacity for at least one year after the fellowship. Applications are due April 1, 2010. For more information, visit http://www.uncfsp.org/NSTI-FFP. Please direct any questions about this opportunity to program manager Natalie Gore at natalie.gore@uncfsp.org. Boy Scout Troops can earn badges at Space Port Indiana™ If your Boy Scout Troop would like to earn a badge through programs at Space Port Indiana™, please let us know. In many cases we already have the programming in place to satisfy the badge requirements. Just contact us and let us know what badge your Scouts are earning and we'll create the program you need if we don't have it already. Rocket Launches, Environment, Astronomy are all possible. Costs range from $5.00-$10.00 per student for the activity. Space Port Indiana™ & Bartholomew County Library Present Planetarium Shows Bartholomew County Library and Space Port Indiana, Inc. are partnering on a series of workshops and planetarium shows January through March 2010. The series also involves NASA, the American Library Association and others presenting information about Astronomy and Science. This is the first opportunity for the Library and SPI to formally work together; however, Space Port Indiana™ did help the LIbrary secure the "Visions of the Universe" exhibit from NASA earlier this year. Current Planetarium dates are January 15th 7:00 pm, February 5th and 19th 7:00 pm and March 12th 7:00 pm. The Planetairum is located in the subterrainian level of the Columbus East High School in Columbus Indiana. Admission is free, however, seating is limited to 50 and there is only one show each date. Please register to attend the show with the Library using the link below. Entrance is at doors marked "A" and free parking is available. No photography is allowed during the show and shows start promptly at 7:00 pm. Both parking and entrance are off Marr Rd. Admission is first come first served. Workshops are also planned for January through March 2010. You can also visit www.barth.lib.in.us for more details.
Space Port Indiana, Inc. and Indiana University Purdue University-Columbus Create National Centre for Future Space Exploration Columbus, Indiana~~Space Port Indiana, Inc. (SPI) along with Purdue College of Technology-Columbus (PCoT), are officially announcing the formation of the National Centre for Future Space Exploration to be located in Columbus, Indiana. The Partnership between Purdue and Space Port Indiana, Inc. has been growing over the last two years with a number of collaborative events and activities. The Purdue College of Technology-Columbus has worked with Space Port Indiana, Inc. and supported INSpace ™ Camps, workshops and been instrumental in working on educational offerings that will support the new national network of space ports. PCoT Director Jack Head has been working with Space Port President Brian Tanner for many months and is a member of SPI's Advisory Board. In a press release dated November 23rd, 2009, the Commercial Space Flight Federation in Washington, DC, (www.commercialspaceflight.org) announced the formation of the Space Ports Council, of which Space Port Indiana, Inc. is a member. Mr. Brian Tanner, President/Chairman of Space Port Indiana, Inc. has been meeting and working with other space ports in the United States and encouraging a national association so that adequate policy and safety can be implemented as Americans venture into space as part of commercial and private space flight. "The ultimate goal is to insure safety and success for all private citizens and commercial entities that wish to use space to improve our lives as Americans" Tanner said. Private space flight begins in 2014, and now that NASA has contracted with Space X and United Launch Alliance (ULA) for private space services, the speed at which space will become part of the fabric of American lives has accelerated. The new National Centre for Future Space Exploration will be a pipeline for Hoosiers, and Americans in the region, to gain skills and employment in an industry that will require ground operations, tracking, telemetry, payload integration, environmental services and a host of other skills. Tanner says " Although there will be a continued need for engineers, the advent of new technologies will spawn a need for technicians and specialists with certifications or licenses. The devices like Wii™, XBox™ and touch screen TVs have transitioned into personal space craft and unmanned systems making those operations seem very familiar to newly trained professionals in our industry." The curriculum offered by the Centre will support the needs of industry including OEMs, airports, DHS, FEMA, and military agencies. So far, 10 space ports are under development in the United States and another 9 are being built internationally. Space Port Indiana, Inc. has met with almost all of the international space ports and is hoping to develop concrete international relationships with them in coming months. Sweden has already expressed its desire to engage as well as Japan. Space port America in New Mexico has been engaging with Space Port Indiana, Inc. in order to create a network wide set of educational activities that will highlight the collaboration and unique experiences that students and re-trained workers can be exposed to in the future. Additional information will be available on the Space Port Indiana, Inc. website (www.spaceportindiana.com) and by contacting Space Port Indiana, inc. at 765 606 1512.
"Life is a race between education and catastrophe"...H.G. Wells Space Port Indiana, Inc. continues to build on the number of students that interact with advanced learning modules and unique science, technology engineering and math (STEM) classes. As part of our mission, we're building a competitive workforce that can meet the needs of high tech employers. While we know that not all students will pick a career in aerospace or space exploration, we know that many Hoosier employers need the skills that are used in our industry. With this in mind, SPI™ will reach over 12,000 students in 2010. Our workshops and classroom experiences build on topics covering a broad range of disciplines. So bring your advanced physics students or your newbies in earth sciences and we'll imerse them in fun, challenging and unique curriculum. SPI™ follows the State of Indiana's science standards, as well as those of our neighboring states.
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Space Port Indiana™, along with Bob Kasting of East High School in Columbus, Indiana, marked the opening of the Noblitt Planetarium with packed shows. The program introduced the public to the new rennovation of the Planetarium and a view of the May sky. The Planetarium opening coincides with the Year of Astonomy celebrated in 2009. The Year of Astronomy marks the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's landing on the Lunar Surface and the 400th anniversary of Galileo's telescope. QMIX 107.3 was on hand along with East Side Community Center. SPI has agreed to staff the Planetarium during the 2009-2010 school year and present both educational and entertaining programming. It is important that students get the science and math exposure in an environment where the subject matter can make sense. "It's easy to talk about astronomical events and deep space, says Brian Tanner, but to look at it realistically and create a hypothesis about space as an environment is even better." SPI will host additional programs this summer and the Planetarium will also be a part of the Summer Camps with SPI. More information about Space Port Camps is available on this website, including enrollment forms and payment options.
Space Port Indiana has reached out to elementary schools, high schools and college throughout Indiana and in the region so that students can engage in a non-traditional classroom. As part of our outreach, we are working with the Purdue College of Technology in Columbus to create an aerospace certification program. This program will help train a new workforce to meet the needs of space ports and launch facilities. SPI, along with other ports, seek to emply a workforce that understands airspace management, FAA mandates, payload integration, operational evaluation and many other skille vital to a successful management of high altitude applications. If your school, or organization would like to visit SPI or have us launch or teach at your location, please give us a call. We can offer a host of opportunities and price ranges to accomodate your budget and curriculum. We can create "Train the Trainer" curriculums as well. In fact, in 2009, we will begin to add lesson modules that are "Inquiry based" so that teachers can take advanced science to a new levl in their own classroom. And don't worry...we'll be offering training sessions for teachers so that they can take the lessons back to the classroom and get the most from them. |
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"The programs at SpacePort are about so much
Space Port Indiana™ offers a variety of activities for K-12, college and adult students who want to further their education in science technology, engineering or mathematics. SPI offers summer camps, workshops (youth and adult), and other special activities that are designed to give the student a hands on experience and unique perspective.
