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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

NASA's initiative to develop education through astronomy (IDEA)

We describe a progressive program in science education called the Initiative to Develop Education through Astronomy (IDEA). IDEA represents a commitment by the Astrophysics Division of NASA Headquarters to pre-collegiate and public learning. The program enlists the full participation of research astronomers in taking advantage of the natural appeal of astronomy and the unique features of space astrophysics missions to generate valuable learning experiences and scientifically accurate and educationally effective products for students, teachers and citizens. One of the premier projects is called Flight Opportunities for Science Teacher EnRichment (FOSTER) - a program to fly teachers aboard the Kuiper Airborne Observatory during actual research missions. IDEA is managed by a visiting scientist with extensive educational background (each of the authors have served in this role), and the program is unique within NASA science divisions for having a full time scientist devoted to education. IDEA recognizes that the rapidly shifting social and political landscape has caused a fundamental change in how science is expected to contribute to society. It is in the enlightened self-interest of all research scientists to respond to the challenge of connecting forefront research to basic educational needs. IDEA is exploring the avenues needed to facilitate these connections, including supplementing research grants for educational purposes.

Bennett, Jeffrey O.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Space-Based Astronomy: An Educator Guide with Activities for Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education

If you go to the country, far from city lights, you can see about 3,000 stars on a clear night. If your eyes were bigger, you could see many more stars. With a pair of binoculars, an optical device that effectively enlarges the pupil of your eye by about 30 times, the number of stars you can see increases to the tens of thousands. With a medium-sized telescope with a light-collecting mirror 30 centimeters in diameter, you can see hundreds of thousands of stars. With a large observatory telescope, millions of stars become visible. This curriculum guide uses hands-on activities to help students and teachers understand the significance of space-based astronomy--astronomical observations made from outer space. It is not intended to serve as a curriculum. Instead, teachers should select activities from this guide that support and extend existing study. The guide contains few of the traditional activities found in many astronomy guides such as constellation studies, lunar phases, and planetary orbits. It tells, rather, the story of why it is important to observe celestial objects from outer space and how to study the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Teachers are encouraged to adapt these activities for the particular needs of their students. When selected activities from this guide are used in conjunction with traditional astronomy curricula, students benefit from a more complete experience.

Vogt, Gregory L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Science and engineering for space - Technologies from Space 88

This paper highlights technology development for space exploration. It draws on the proceedings of Space 88, Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Space, which includes 125 papers providing in-depth discussions of space policy, extraterrestrial basing, space stations and orbiting structures. In the space station and orbiting structures (orbital facilities) section, papers discuss the engineering, construction, and operations of orbiting space systems. Papers in the extraterrestrial basing section deal with the engineering, construction, and operations challenges faced in development of bases and operations on extraterrestrial bodies. The special interest (interacting disciplines) section provides a discussion of challenges facing us in meeting needs for space power, life support, human factors, astronomy, education, and management.

Johnson, Stewart W.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Policy opportunities

Recommendations are given regarding National Science Foundation (NSF) astronomy programs and the NASA Space Astrophysics program. The role of ground based astronomy is reviewed. The role of National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO) in ground-based night-time astronomical research is discussed. An enhanced Explored Program, costs and management of small and moderate space programs, the role of astrophysics within NASA's space exploration initiative, suborbital and airborne astronomical research, the problems of the Hubble Space Telescope, and astronomy education are discussed. Also covered are policy issues related to the role of science advisory committees, international cooperation and competition, archiving and distribution of astronomical data, and multi-wavelength observations of variable sources.

Mccray, Richard↗
NASA NTRS2000

Education and Public Outreach

This Annual Report is a summary of nearly 400 Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) products and activities developed or carried out in FY2000 under NASA's Office of Space Science (OSS) E/PO program. It includes products and activities developed by OSS missions and research programs, innovative space science concepts developed under the Initiative to Develop Education through Astronomy and Space Science (IDEAS) Program, projects initiated under the Minority University Education and Research Partnership Initiative in Space Science, and a number of additional comprehensive or special purpose programs managed by OSS at NASA Headquarters. Taking into account the fact that many of the activities reported involve multiple events that took place in a variety of venues, the total number of E/PO events reported for FY2000 is over 1,500, with events having taken place in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, one US Territory (Guam), and four foreign nations (Australia, Canada, Mexico, and Peru).

Sakimoto, Philip↗
NASA NTRS1997

Using the Web to Bring Space Science and Technology Down To Earth

At JPL, the World-Wide Web has become an invaluable educational outreach mechanism. In the area of space flight mission operations, for example, we have been able to make publicly accessible two workbooks found to be of much wider interest than their original internal training purposes would have suggested.

astronomy educational material↗
NASA NTRS1996

Distribution to the Astronomy Community of the Compressed Digitized Sky Survey

The Space Telescope Science Institute has compressed an all-sky collection of ground-based images and has printed the data on a two volume, 102 CD-ROM disc set. The first part of the survey (containing images of the southern sky) was published in May 1994. The second volume (containing images of the northern sky) was published in January 1995. Software which manages the image retrieval is included with each volume. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is handling the distribution of the lOx compressed data and has sold 310 sets as of October 1996. ASP is also handling the distribution of the recently published 100x version of the northern sky survey which is publicly available at a low cost. The target markets for the 100x compressed data set are the amateur astronomy community, educational institutions, and the general public. During the next year, we plan to publish the first version of a photometric calibration database which will allow users of the compressed sky survey to determine the brightness of stars in the images.

Postman, Marc↗
NASA NTRS1998

The Sun in Time

Using a grant from NASA's Initiative to Develop Education through Astronomy and Space Science (IDEAS) program, we have developed an inter-disciplinary curriculum for middle-school students which targets both history and astronomy. Our curriculum explores the attitudes and techniques of ancient spiritual leaders, specifically those of the Maya and Inca cultures, who observed and tried to control the Sun. We wish students to understand the probable importance of astronomical observations to these ancient peoples. In addition, using the experience of an archaeologist, we show how modern techniques of viewing the Earth through satellite imagery, has allowed the re-discovery of ancient sites where solar observations and attempted manipulation of the universe took place. To contrast ancient observations of the Sun with modern ones, we use the experience of a solar astronomer and bring to the classroom up-to-date information about solar astronomy and the impact of solar activity on the Earth's environment. In this presentation, we will present fragments of our curriculum as well as results from pre- and post-tests given to participating groups of students. Finally, we will discuss comments from local middle-school teachers who were asked to evaluate our curriculum.

Adams, Mitzi L.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Sun in Time

Leveraging funds from NASA's Initiative to Develop Education through Astronomy and Space Science (IDEAS) program, we combined the expertise of an archaeoastronomer, a solar scientist, and a teacher to trace humankind's view of the Sun and how that has changed, from the time of Stonehenge in about 1800 B.C.E., to the time of the Maya in 700 C.E., up to the modem era. Our program was aimed at middle-school students in an attempt to explain not only how science is done today, but how science has evolved from the observations of ancient societies. From these varied cultures, we touched on methods of observing the Sun, ideas of the composition of the Sun, and the relationship of the Sun to everyday life. Further, using the von Braun Astronomical Society's Planetarium in Huntsville, Alabama as a test-bed for the program, we illustrated concepts such as solstices, equinoxes, and local noon with approximately 800 eighth grade students from the local area. Our presentation to SEPA will include a description of NASA's IDEAS program and how to go about partnering with a NASA astronomer, some slides from our planetarium program and web-site, and some hands-on activities.

Adams, Mitzi L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Eratosthenes and Us, It Just Keeps Going and Going and Going...

We decided to duplicate Eratosthenes' measurement of the size of the Earth. Here we relate our experience the second time we did the project in 1998. This year was unique in that we were funded by a NASA IDEAS (Initiative to Develop Education through Astronomy and Space Science) grant to support curriculum development and a teachers' workshop.

Romani, Paul↗
NASA NTRS1991

Benefits to the nation from astronomy and astrophysics

It is argued that astronomy makes unexpectantly large contributions to formal and informal science education, given the small number of research astronomers. Technology transfer and spin-offs from astronomy have important applications in medicine, industry, defence, environmental monitoring, and consumer products. Astronomy provides unusually promising opportunities for international cooperation. Other sciences benefit from synergistic interactions with astronomy. A review is given of astronomy education and teacher training. The role of astronomy in medicine, industry, defence, energy technology, the environment, and everyday life is reviewed.

Trimble, Virginia↗
NASA NTRS1995

Airborne Astronomy Symposium on the Galactic Ecosystem: From Gas to Stars to Dust, volume 73

This symposium was organized to review the science related to NASA's Airborne Astronomy Program on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO). The theme selected, 'The Galactic Ecosystem: From Gas to Stars to Dust,' was considered to capture the underlying commonality of much of the research discussed. The 8 sessions were as follows: The Interstellar Medium; The Life Cycle of the ISM in Other Galaxies; Star and Planetary System Formation; Our Planetary System: The Solar System; The Enrichment of the Interstellar Medium; The Galactic Center: A Unique Region of the Galactic Ecosystem; Instrumentation for Airborne Astronomy; KAO History and Education; and Missions and the Future of Infrared Astronomy.

Haas, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRS2010

The Radio JOVE Project - Shoestring Radio Astronomy

Radio JOVE is an education and outreach project intended to give students and other interested individuals hands-on experience in learning radio astronomy. They can do this through building a radio telescope from a relatively inexpensive kit that includes the parts for a receiver and an antenna as well as software for a computer chart recorder emulator (Radio Skypipe) and other reference materials

Thieman, J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The NASA airborne astronomy program - A perspective on its contributions to science, technology, and education

The publication records from NASA's airborne observatories are examined to evaluate the contribution of the airborne astronomy program to technological development and scientific/educational progress. The breadth and continuity of program is detailed with reference to its publication history, discipline representation, literature citations, and to the ability of such a program to address nonrecurring and unexpected astronomical phenomena. Community involvement in the airborne-observation program is described in terms of the number of participants, institutional affiliation, and geographic distribution. The program utilizes instruments including heterodyne and grating spectrometers, high-speed photometers, and Fabry-Perot spectrometers with wide total spectral ranges, resolutions, and numbers of channels. The potential of the program for both astronomical training and further scientific, theoretical, and applied development is underscored.

Larson, Harold P.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Workshop on High Energy Astrophysical for Amateur Astronomers

Amateur astronomers are, in general, an enthusiastic and dynamic group of individuals who can help greatly in astronomy public outreach and education programs. In the U.S., they outnumber professional astronomers by over a factor of ten. Over eighty amateur astronomers from all over the U.S. and abroad attended a unique workshop in Huntsville, Alabama in April of this year. Most attendees were provided with travel grants under the condition that they disseminate knowledge gained at the workshop to civic groups, astronomy clubs and science teacher groups in their home communities. Twelve lecturers were given over two days, primarily by active high-energy researchers from NASA-MSFC and NASA-GSFC. Funding for the workshop was provided by a variety of NASA-sponsored projects, offices within OSS and private funding sources. The workshop attendees were selected by the AAVSO, which also administered the funding for the workshop. This high-leverage educational and public outreach program was deemed to be highly successful and bodes well for similar, future workshops. Many of the participants have already begun to give public talks on HEA and GRBs.

Fishman, Gerald J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Education Programs Demonstrations

Reports from the session on Education Programs Demonstration include:Hands-On Activities for Exploring the Solar System in K-14; Formal Education and Informal Settings;Making Earth and Space Science and Exploration Accessible; New Thematic Solar System Exploration Products for Scientists and Educators Engaging Students of All Ages with Research-related Activities: Using the Levers of Museum Reach and Media Attention to Current Events; Astronomy Village: Use of Planetary Images in Educational Multimedia; ACUMEN: Astronomy Classes Unleashed: Meaningful Experiences for Neophytes; Unusual Guidebook to Terrestrial Field Work Studies: Microenvironmental Studies by Landers on Planetary Surfaces (New Atlas in the Series of the Solar System Notebooks on E tv s University, Hungary); and The NASA ADS: Searching, Linking and More.

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