NASA Invites 150 Lucky Twitter Followers To Final Space Shuttle Launch

Stephanie L. Schierholz

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Alicia Durand

Sesame Street

WASHINGTON -- The final launch of the space shuttle program is scheduled for 11:26 a.m. EDT on July 8, and NASA has invited 150 followers of the agency's Twitter account to be there. People selected will have a behind-the-scenes perspective from the press site at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA randomly selected the participants from more than 5,500 online registrants during a 24-hour opportunity on June 1-2. Attendees represent 44 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K.

Tweetup participants are coming from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

They will share their experiences with their more than 1.5 million combined followers through the social networking site Twitter. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on July 7, NASA will broadcast a portion of the Tweetup when participants get to talk with Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for Space Operations, astronaut Mike Massimino and Angie Brewer, space shuttle Atlantis' flow director at Kennedy.

Joining them will be a special celebrity guest, Sesame Street's Elmo. Sesame Street will be at Kennedy to film Elmo, as he learns about space exploration at NASA.

To watch the broadcast, visit http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasatelevision.

Participants also will tour Kennedy; make an up close visit to the launch pad, and wave at Atlantis' crew members on their drive to the launch pad. The Tweetup culminates with the shuttle's lift off.

Reporters credentialed to cover the launch also may cover the NASA Tweetup at Kennedy's press site. Reporters interested in interviewing Tweetup attendees in advance should contact Stephanie Schierholz at 202-358-1100 or stephanie.schierholz@nasa.gov.

This is the fifth time NASA has invited Twitter followers to experience a space shuttle launch. Previously, groups attended lift offs of Atlantis' STS-129 and STS-132 missions, Discovery's STS-133 mission, and Endeavour's STS-134 mission.

To follow the Tweetup participants on Twitter, as they experience the prelaunch events and shuttle liftoff, follow the #NASATweetup hashtag and the list of attendees at http://twitter.com/nasatweetup/sts-135-launch.

All four of Atlantis' crew members are posting updates to Twitter. You can follow Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim at http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Ferg , http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Doug , http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Sandy , and http://www.twitter.com/Astro_Rex.

To connect with NASA on Twitter and other social networking sites, visit http://www.nasa.gov/connect.

For more information about space shuttle Atlantis' STS-135 mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle.

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Is Our Education System Holding Us Back?

Host Ajay Gupta discusses flaws within the US Education system and how technology can help fix them with Arvin Vohra, author of ‘The Equation for Excellence’

Innovations in business and personal technology are occurring faster than we can comprehend or keep up with. Everyone claims that innovation is critical for thriving business and a growing economy. As the business landscape become more and more digital, we need to understand how to be innovative in this new ecosystem and how to use technology to innovate in all areas of business, from sales and marketing to product development and customer service.

This week, we speak with education expert, founder of Arvin Vohra Education, and author of The Equation for Excellence, Arvin Vohra, about the flaws within education system and what is needed to fix them.

There have been countless accusations by the press lately that the US education system is not properly serving its students and the nation as a whole. These accusations are being heard and echoed in corporate America, on college and university campuses, and perhaps most telling, in living rooms across the country.

?          What has gone wrong in US Education system?

?          Why are so many people abandoning a college career?

?          How is it that the US outspends the world on education while still ranking so low?

?          Most importantly, how do we remedy these shortcomings?

This week on Technology Today, we look at these questions and ask how technology can foster greater educational innovation to help the country's schools regain their place as the best in the world.

Join Us! We’re now on the BlogTalkRadio network. Technology Today continues to air on Thursdays at 4PM and we still take calls, texts, emails from our listeners. Our new call-in number is (323) 410-0032. Our new show page is http://www.blogtalkradio.com/technologytoday.

Please contact Sandra Schwartzman at (301) 230 – 0045 x 100 or sschwartzman@rmr.com with any questions or if you’d like to be connected to the Host of Technology Today, Ajay Gupta.

About Technology Today

Technology Today is the #1 rated technology talk show on Internet radio for a rapidly growing worldwide audience of people who are curious about technology and who need an interactive information channel that can help them make sense of how innovations in business and personal technologies are shaping our lives. Created and hosted by cybersecurity authority Ajay Gupta, Technology Today also offers tech-driven sponsors an uncommon branding platform that delivers precision-targeted messages to a self-selected, self-perpetuating community of predisposed enthusiasts who are open to innovation and, therefore, new ways of thinking and doing.  Unlike traditional talk radio programs, Technology Today creates an online community in which listeners, guests and sponsors can come to know the issues, people and organizations driving development and deployment of technologies that are changing lives and shaping the future. Technology Today air Live on Thursdays at 4pm Eastern, is available on the BlogTalkRadio network.  For more information on Technology Today please visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/technologytoday, or follow the show through Facebook, Twitter or the show's blog.

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NASA'S 2011 Innovations In Global Climate Change Education Awards

Sonja Alexander                    

Headquarters, Washington

 

Amy Johnson

Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.

WASHINGTON -- NASA has awarded $7.2 million in cooperative agreements to 14 minority-serving organizations across the United States to enhance learning through the use of the agency's Earth Science resources. The selected organizations include colleges, universities, nonprofit groups and a community college.

The winning proposals illustrated innovative approaches using NASA content to support elementary, secondary and undergraduate teaching and learning. There is a particular emphasis on engaging students using NASA Earth observation data, Earth system models, as well as providing climate-related research experiences for teachers and undergraduate students.

These grants support NASA's goal of engaging students in the critical disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and inspiring the next generation of explorers.

The 14 proposals will fund organizations in the District of Columbia and in California, Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. The awards have a two and one half-year period of performance and range in value from about $230,000 to $825,000.

The cooperative agreements are part NASA's Minority University Research and Education Program. For a list of selected organizations and projects' descriptions, click on "Selected Proposals" and look for "2011 Innovations in Global Climate Change Education" at http://nspires.nasaprs.com.

For information about NASA's education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

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CNO Addresses STEM Forum, Cites Advances, Need for Continued Effort

By Geoff Fein, Office of Naval Research Corporate Communications

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (NNS) -- The Chief of Naval Operations addressed attendees of the Office of Naval Research's (ONR) Naval Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Forum June 16, the last day of the two-day conference held in Alexandria, Va.

Adm. Gary Roughead said that while the Navy has made great strides in recognizing the need to actively promote STEM education awareness, there is more work to be done.

"Now, we need to be clear-eyed about what it will take over time to realize the naval STEM workforce goals the [Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus] discussed yesterday," Roughead said.

On June 15, Mabus outlined the Navy's plan to double STEM funding, from the current $54 million, on initiatives that included an effort to inspire, engage and educate students; employ, develop and retain naval STEM professionals and collaborate across the service and with other organizations to maximize the benefit to the Navy and Marine Corps.

In addition to the secretary's proposal, Rear Adm. Nevin Carr, chief of naval research, detailed a new $8 million STEM Grand Challenge seeking ideas aimed at boosting K-12 educational performance in the sciences, on the conference's opening day.

During his address, Roughead also acknowledged a new summer STEM academy led by Temple University to be held on the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The program, set to open this summer, will leverage naval engineering and medical experts to be mentors for junior high and high school students considering more advanced STEM pursuits.

While the CNO acknowledged other STEM efforts underway across the service, he said more could be done.

"There is room for wider participation, for more coordination between our various initiatives, for new partnerships, and for better methods to assess what types of outreach really build the interest we aim to achieve," Roughead said.

Attendees praised the Navy for gathering the diverse cross-section of leaders to collaborate on ways to kindle a national interest in STEM.

Jennifer Hsu, partnerships and operations director of Iridescent, a nonprofit organization that has developed learning centers and programs to reach youth in under-represented communities, said the forum was the perfect size to enable networking opportunities and keep the focus on STEM.

The forum showed "an incredible amount of foresight and investment by ONR," Hsu said.

"The conference has been highly successful," said Dr. Mariano R. Sto. Domingo, a research associate and program coordinator in the department of psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "They were able to gather individuals with the influence and know-how, and that's very important."

Domingo said the STEM conference gave him hope for his 9-year-old daughter who has an interest in engineering. He said the schools are not designed to encourage her interest.

"I am hopeful things will be more accessible."

Nathan Hagen, who works in material sciences for Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock and was a speaker on the forum's student panel, said "It's good to see so many programs dedicated to [furthering STEM awareness]."

About the Office of Naval Research

The Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

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Students And Educators Attending NASA's Rocket University

Sonja Alexander               

Headquarters, Washington                                    

 

Keith Koehler

Wallops Flight Facility, Va.

Chris Koehler

Colorado Space Grant Consortium, Boulder

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia will become Rocket University June 18 - 25

as nearly 125 high school educators and university students and instructors spend the week learning about rocketry and conducting science experiments in space.

During the week NASA will conduct the fourth annual RockOn! workshop for university level participants and the Wallops Rocket Academy for Teachers and Students (WRATS) for high schoolteachers.

Joyce Winterton, senior advisor for education and leadership development at Wallops, said "This week will provide opportunities for students and educators to gain hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering and math and expand our educational pipeline to bring students into STEM careers."

RockOn!, conducted with the Colorado and Virginia and Space Grant Consortia, is designed to provide participants an introductory session in building small experiments that can be launched on sounding rockets.

The nearly 30 participants will build standardized experiments that will fly on a NASA Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket set to launch between 6 and 10 a.m. EDT on June 23. The 35-foot-tall rocket is expected to fly to an altitude of 75 miles. After launch and payload recovery, the participants will conduct preliminary data analysis and discuss their results.

In addition to the nine workshop-built experiments, eight custom-built, self-contained experiments also will fly on the rocket inside a payload canister known as RockSat-C. These experiments were developed at universities that previously had participated in a RockOn! workshop.

University participants in RockSat-X who are flying four custom-built experiments in July from Wallops also will be in attendance. These universities had previously participated in RockSat-C.

The inaugural WRATS program will give high school teachers a technical flight experience to reinforce STEM concepts they teach in their classrooms. During the week, 20 teachers from 13 states will learn about the dynamics of rocketry and the science gained from suborbital sounding rockets. They also will attend the NASA sounding rocket launch on June 23.

The Teaching From Space office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is partnering with the Wallops Flight Facility on the WRATS program. The program continues NASA's investment in the nation's education programs by supporting the goal of attracting and retaining students in STEM disciplines critical to future space exploration.

For more information about the WRATS programs, visit http://education.wff.nasa.gov.

The RockOn! workshop is supported by the NASA Sounding Rocket Program, NASA's Office of Education and NASA's National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program in partnership with the Colorado and Virginia Space Grant Consortia.       

                       

For more information on RockOn! and RockSat, visit http://spacegrant.colorado.edu/rockon.

For more information about NASA's education programs visit

http://www.nasa.gov/education.

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New York Students Will Call Space Station Astronaut

Sonja Alexander

Headquarters, Washington                                    

 

Rachel Kraft

Johnson Space Center, Houston

WASHINGTON -- Students in Otsego County, N.Y., will make a special call to the International Space Station and Expedition 28 Flight Engineer Ron Garan on Friday, June 17.

The event, which includes a video link with Garan, will be broadcast live on NASA Television at 11:05 a.m. EDT. Fifth through eighth grade students from the Oneonta City School district will ask Garan questions about how the space station plays a pivotal role in expanding human understanding of the Earth and space.

The State University of New York's (SUNY) Oneonta campus, located at 108 Ravine Parkway, will host the event. To attend, journalists must contact Hal Legg at legghs@oneonta.edu by 3 p.m., June 16.

Garan received his undergraduate degree from SUNY Oneonta in 1982. The university expects 1,000 participants from several school districts and the Oneonta Job Corps Academy.

Garan previously spoke with many of the students in February through NASA's Digital Learning Network about the benefits of studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and his first spaceflight.

The in-flight education downlink is part of a series with educational organizations in the U.S. and abroad to improve teaching and learning in STEM subjects. It is an integral component of Teaching From Space, an agency education program that promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of space and NASA's human spaceflight program.

For NASA TV information and schedules, visit http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For information about NASA's education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

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Students Build Space Habitats at NASA's Johnson Space Center

J.D. Harrington / Michael Braukus

Headquarters, Washington                               

 

Lynnette Madison

Johnson Space Center, Houston

HOUSTON -- University students are helping NASA develop potential habitats for future space missions. Three teams from across the country will visit NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston during June to show off the inflatable space lofts they've designed and built for the inaugural eXploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge.

One of the habitats will be chosen to participate in NASA's annual Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert-RATS) field test in September, where it will be tested as part of a simulated astronaut mission to an asteroid. The winning team will receive $10,000 to offset costs associated with its participation.

The three university teams will each spend one week in Houston setting up their habitat for judging. News media representatives are invited to see the student innovations from 2 to 4 p.m. CDT during the next three Thursdays. The schedule is:

-- June 9: Oklahoma State University, Stillwater

-- June 16: University of Maryland, College Park

-- June 23: University of Wisconsin, Madison

To RSVP for any of these opportunities, reporters must contact Lynnette Madison at lynnette.b.madison@nasa.gov by 5 p.m. on each preceding Wednesday.

In June 2010, NASA invited university teams to submit inflatable loft concepts for the X-Hab Challenge. Three competing universities were chosen, and those teams received $48,000 of seed funding to assist with their projects.

The competition is designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines, which in turn will help develop the next generation of innovators and explorers. It could also result in new concepts and solutions that NASA could apply to later exploration habitats.

X-Hab is sponsored by NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate and the Innovative Partnerships Office in the Office of the Chief Technologist at agency headquarters in Washington. For more information about the X-Hab competition, and for updates about the designs of each school, visit http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs/xhab_challenge.html.

For more information about D-RATS, visit http://www.nasa.gov/desertrats.

Updates about the activities will also be available via Twitter at https://twitter.com/DESERT_RATS.

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NASA Announces Lunabotics Mining Competition Winners

Ann Marie Trotta

Headquarters, Washington

 

Tracy Young

Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Thirty-six teams of undergraduate and graduate students from around the globe tested their robot designs in a challenge at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida from May 26-28.

During the competition, teams remotely controlled excavators, called lunabots, to determine which could collect the most simulated lunar soil during a specified timeframe. The first place mining competition team was Laurentian University in Ontario, Canada. The Joe Kosmo Award for Excellence winner was the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.

Winners in other competition categories are:

-- On-Site Mining Award Winners: University of North Dakota and West Virginia University

-- Judges Innovation Design Award: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz.

-- Arizona Communications Efficiency Award: Laurentian University

-- Team Spirit Award: University of Alabama

-- Slide Presentation Award: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.

-- Outreach Project Award: Montana Tech, University of Montana

-- Systems Engineering Paper Award: John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark.

The competition is designed to engage and retain students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines critical to NASA missions.

For more information about the competition, visit http://www.nasa.gov/lunabotics.

For information on NASA's education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

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Studying Hard in School Opens Doors, Stresses Astronaut

By Lt. Jennifer Cragg, Submarine Group 2 Public Affairs Officer

GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- More than 1,100 students and teachers from 12 area high schools were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at Robert E. Fitch High School to learn from a former submariner and veteran of three NASA space shuttle flights, May 26.

Capt. Stephen G. Bowen, NASA astronaut, a native of Cohasset, Mass., stressed the importance of education, particularly in science and math, which help to expand the number of career choices, especially in his own life during the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) event.

"A lesson learned for me was if you study hard in school and do well in a lot of classes, you have more choices," said Bowen. "There are many other places I could have gone, but I chose to go to the U.S. Naval Academy. By the time I got out of the Naval Academy … I chose to go into submarine force."

Bowen graduated from Cohasset High School, Cohasset, Mass. He earned a degree in electrical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a degree in ocean engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In July 2000, he was selected to be a mission specialist for the Space Shuttle Program, becoming the first submarine officer selected by NASA.

"He is unique. He is the only submariner to be accepted for the astronaut career track," said retired Navy Cmdr. Tony Quatroche, a former New London Submarine Base and Submarine School executive officer, who currently teaches math at Robert E. Fitch High School.

Capt. Paul Kelleher, commanding officer, Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory along with Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board and EASTCONN helped to arrange Bowen's visit. Also attending the STEM event was fellow U.S. Navy Academy classmate, Capt. William Merz, commanding officer, COMSUBDEVRON Twelve.

Bowen reflected on working in the "world's greatest job," and his thoughts on being chosen for the astronaut program.

"You feel very lucky to be chosen," said Bowen. "Of those that apply and qualify only about .8 percent gets selected," said Bowen.

During his visit Bowen discussed both his career track in the submarine force and the astronaut program, stressing the importance of the teamwork aspect of flying in space.

"STS-132 was the first mission in over a decade where every single crew member had flown in space previously," said Bowen. "Based on that, we chose to emphasize the team effort required while in space."

The Eastern Connecticut high schools participating included: Robert E. Fitch High School, Bacon Academy, East Lyme High School, Ellis Technical High School, Ledyard High School, Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Norwich Free Academy, Old Saybrook High School, Stonington High School, Windham High School, Woodstock Academy, and Valley Regional High School.

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Naval Postgraduate School Welcomes Top Students for 'Mathletics' Contest

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Leonardo Carrillo

MONTEREY, Calif. (NNS) -- The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) opened its doors to hundreds of county math whizzes when the university hosted the 43rd Annual Monterey County Mathletics Competition, May 14.

Mathletics is an annual contest established to promote excellence in mathematics, and to recognize the achievements of local students and their schools. Coordinated by the Monterey County Office of Education, the event is made possible by donations and volunteers from the primary sponsoring schools, the mathematics department at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and NPS.

The contest, open to Monterey County students from grades 5-12, brought more than 350 area youth onto campus as each school's team is allowed up to three students per test. The grand prize for the event was a $1,000 Richard Morgantini Scholarship, awarded this year to Matthew Ryan, a senior at York School for placing first among high school seniors in the advanced calculus test.

Dr. David Nickles, NPS' Director of Research Communications and Outreach, played a lead role in bringing the event to NPS, and was already well versed in the competition.

"I've been a big fan of Mathletics for 12 years dating back to my days as Science/Math Coordinator for the Monterey County Office of Education," he said. "At that time, we held Mathletics at Hartnell College and it was evident from the enthusiasm of the kids that participated back then, as well as today, that for them, math was fun."

Nickles added that recognizing the fun in math is a primary goal of the competition, but the value in the annual event is far than just fun and games.

"Mathematics courses, especially algebra, are generally considered the gatekeepers to kids taking advanced science in high school, and in their later pursuit of science, engineering or technology careers while in college," Nickles said.

"Mathletics is a comprehensive mathematics competition designed to promote excellence in math and recognize the mathematics achievements of individual students and their schools. Becoming 'Mathletes' encourages children to practice mathematics. Not only will they enjoy and not fear learning to abstract, but [they] will compete better in school and be acknowledged among their peers by showcasing their skill in answering challenging mathematical problems during the contest," Nickles said.

This year marked the first time the competition was held at NPS, and as a special treat the school had one of its astronaut faculty members address the contestants. Jim Newman, former NASA astronaut and NPS professor of Space Systems, thrilled the young 'mathletes' with stories of his missions to space and the importance of mathematics in the space program.

When asked what it took to become an astronaut, Newman stressed the importance of education. "It's not easy to get to be an astronaut," he said. "But I worked really hard and actually built on my math, so be very proud that you're learning math, it's going to be very good for you in whatever you do in life."

The focus of Newman's presentation showcased advances in space exploration and the vastness of space. He showed an image taken by the Hubble Telescope focused on a tiny area of space and said that just in that small area they had discovered thousands of galaxies and stars. He said that there were galaxies everywhere you look in space.

The NPS astronaut then went on to test the students with a math problem of his own. "If the space shuttle traveled 17,500 mph, or about 5 miles per second, how many sunsets and sunrises would the astronauts inside see in a 24-hour period," asked Newman. After a brief moment of calculation, a few mathletes responded correctly, "32."

After the competition, there was an awards ceremony in King Auditorium, filled by the hundreds of participants and their family members.

"It's really a great opportunity to see all of you here today, with the idea of math in mind," said Dr. Philip Durkee, NPS Professor of Meteorology, and Interim Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "Math is such an important part of science and engineering, it is really the language of science and engineering and it is what allows us to do such amazing things in those fields."

Durkee noted that there are many examples of NPS students moving on to achieve great things – like becoming astronauts and inventors – and he attributed a great part of those accomplishments to mathematics. He stated that math was a great part of just about anything that goes on in the world.

"Continue to work hard on your math," concluded Durkee. "And continue to look for ways that you can use it to really do amazing things as you go through school and on to the work force as you will at some point."

Nancy Kotowski, Monterey County superintendent of schools, hailed NPS as one of the premier institutions for science and technology in the world, and congratulated the young mathletes for their start in the field of mathematics.

"How wonderful for all of the students to be able to begin here at the Naval Postgraduate School," said Katowski. "To begin your work for what you're going to be in your future."

She echoed the importance of math, stating that it was an essential skill and ability that is going to be needed for success in the 21st century.

"I know that you have interests in a wide array of areas," said Kotowski, "But Mathematics is going to be a fundamental base for all that you're going to do in the future."

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Italian Astronauts Receive VIP Call

Mission Specialist Roberto Vittori joined Expedition 27 Flight Engineer and fellow Italian Paolo Nespoli for a special call from Giorgio Napolitano, the President of the Italian Republic. The call took place from Rome at 9:31 a.m. EDT.

Earlier, Commander Mark Kelly and Mission Specialist Mike Fincke spoke with about 400 students from Mesa Verde Elementary School in Tucson, Ariz. Replays of the event will air on NASA TV at 5 a.m., 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.

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GTMO Students Learn Chemistry

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Leona Mynes, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- Students at the Department of Defense Dependent School (DoDDS), W. T. Sampson High School aboard Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, completed a field trip as part of their hydrocarbon and fossil fuel studies, May 11.

Thirteen high school students enrolled in the W. T. Sampson High School chemistry course visited the Fleet Industrial Supply Center–Jacksonville's (FISC-J) jet propulsion (JP-5) testing laboratory at NS Guantanamo Bay's Leeward Air Field.

Students learned how and why JP-5, a yellow, kerosene-based fuel, is used for aviation-capable ships that port in Guantanamo Bay.

"JP-5 is used for these ships because it has a high flash point; about 140 degrees," said Brian McGouey, a FISC-J's fuels department contracting officer's representative, who helped coordinate the field trip. "That way, aircraft carriers and other ships have a reduced risk of fires at sea. The high flash point is fire protection."

During the laboratory presentation, students were shown how JP-5 is tested using a combined contaminated fuel detector (CCFD), which calculates microbiological, sedimentary and water contamination of fuel in parts per million and milligrams per liter.

"If too much microbiological, sedimentary and water contamination is in the fuel, it can clog up the jet engine and cause false readings on gauges in the jet," said McGouey. "The jet can ultimately crash because of fuel contamination."

The presence of the JP-5 laboratory ensures there is a zero-percent chance of contaminated fuel reaching a jet engine, said Terry Taykawski, leeward foreman for the leeward fuel farm aboard NS Guantanamo Bay, who conducted the presentation during the field trip.

Taykawski showcased the laboratory's special equipment, such as a refractometer, flash point indicator and the CCFD.

Students were able to see and learn about the equipment in a safe environment aboard NS Guantanamo Bay, allowing each student the chance to gain a real-world perspective on what they learn while in the classroom, said Sharon Rinehart, W. T. Sampson High School chemistry teacher.

"Going on field trips, and things being accessible to children can be challenging here," said Rinehart. "But at the same time, these children get to go on field trips that many children back in the [continental U.S.] may not get to do. We're lucky to have experts that the children wouldn't normally have access to."

Rinehart said she wanted to foster an environment of learning in and out of her classroom, and asked for this field trip though NS Guantanamo Bay's supply department.

"They were very easy to work with and were eager to have us come over," said Rinehart. "This was a really good, unique opportunity for the children to get in a laboratory with field experts."

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ICE announces expanded list of science, technology, engineering, and math degree programs

Qualifies eligible graduates to extend their post-graduate training

WASHINGTON - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today published an expanded list of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degree programs that qualify eligible graduates on student visas for an Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension-an important step forward in the Obama administration's continued commitment to fixing our broken immigration system and expanding access to the nation's pool of talented high skilled graduates in the science and technology fields.

The announcement follows President Obama's recent remarks in El Paso, Texas, where he reiterated his strong support for new policies that embrace talented students from other countries, who enrich the nation by working in science and technology jobs and fueling innovation in their chosen fields here in the United States, as a part of comprehensive reform.

By expanding the list of STEM degrees to include such fields as Neuroscience, Medical Informatics, Pharmaceutics and Drug Design, Mathematics and Computer Science, the Obama administration is helping to address shortages in certain high tech sectors of talented scientists and technology experts-permitting highly skilled foreign graduates who wish to work in their field of study upon graduation and extend their post-graduate training in the United States.

Under the OPT program, foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges and universities are able to remain in the U.S. and receive training through work experience for up to 12 months. Students who graduate with one of the newly-expanded STEM degrees can remain for an additional 17 months on an OPT STEM extension.

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NASA Selects Classroom Teachers For SOFIA Science Flights

Trent J. Perrotto

Headquarters, Washington     

 

Cathy Weselby/Nick Veronico

Ames Research Center/SOFIA Science Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

 

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- NASA has selected six teachers to work with scientists aboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) during research flights in May and June. This is the first team of educators selected to participate in SOFIA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program.

SOFIA is a highly modified Boeing 747SP aircraft fitted with a 100 inch (2.5 meter) diameter telescope. It analyzes infrared light to study the formation of stars and planets; chemistry of interstellar gases; composition of comets, asteroids and planets; and supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies. Infrared observations are optimal for studying low-temperature objects in space such as the raw materials for star and planet formation and for seeing through interstellar dust clouds that block light at visible wavelengths.

"Enabling educators to join SOFIA's scientific research and take that experience back to their schools and communities is a unique opportunity for NASA to enhance science and math education across the country," said John Gagosian, SOFIA program executive at agency headquarters in Washington. "More than 70 teachers flew on NASA's previous flying observatory, the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, from 1991 through 1995, and that program had long-lasting, positive effects on both the teachers and their students."

The six teachers selected for the SOFIA program submitted applications that included plans for taking their training and flight experience back to their classrooms.

The teachers selected are:

-- Marita Beard, Branham High School, San Jose, Calif.

-- Mary Blessing, Herndon High School, Herndon, Va.

-- Cris DeWolf, Chippewa Hills High School, Remus, Mich.

-- Kathleen Joanne Fredette, Desert Willow Intermediate School, Palmdale, Calif.

-- Theresa Paulsen, Mellen School District, Mellen, Wis.

-- Margaret Piper, Lincoln Way High School, Frankfort, Ill.

"We know teachers who participate in science research programs return inspired, and their students' engagement with technical subjects are measurably increased for many years afterward," said Dana Backman, manager of SOFIA's education and outreach programs. "Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors is an outstanding opportunity for NASA to reach out to both new and veteran teachers of science, technology, engineering and math to bring the excitement of real science research into the classroom and the community at large."

NASA's international partners in developing and operating SOFIA, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the German SOFIA Institute (DSI), will fly educators as well. The DLR and DSI plan to announce their first two ambassadors later this month.

SOFIA is a joint program between NASA and DLR in Bonn, Germany. The SOFIA program is managed at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. The aircraft is based at the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif. NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., manages the SOFIA science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association in Columbia, Md., and DSI in Stuttgart, Germany.

NASA will host an online video chat about SOFIA with Project Scientist Pamela Marcum for approximately one hour at 1 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 12. Participants will join a conversation about SOFIA’s first science flights, targets of opportunity, and plans for future flights. Based at Ames Research Center, Marcum is an expert on galaxy evolution and worked on the first extensive ultraviolet imaging of nearby galaxies. For more information on the chat and to participate, visit http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-arc.

For more information about SOFIA, visit http://www.nasa.gov/sofia.

For information about SOFIA's science missions, visit http://www.sofia.usra.edu and http://www.dlr.de/en/sofia.

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NASA Announces 2011 Aeronautics Scholarship Recipients

Beth Dickey

Headquarters, Washington                                    

WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected 25 graduate and undergraduate students from across the country to receive aeronautics scholarships for the next school year.

NASA selected the students from hundreds of applicants. The Aeronautics Scholarships Program, which is in its fourth year, aids students enrolled in fields related to aeronautics and aviation studies.

"We are proud to welcome these scholars to the NASA family as members of a nationwide team of researchers who are pursuing an ambitious set of aeronautics technology development goals," said Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "We are excited about this opportunity to act as mentors, and we fully expect the students will teach us a few things too. We especially look forward to the fresh ideas they will contribute to our pursuit of solutions for some of the most pressing challenges facing the air transportation system today."

Selected students will have the opportunity to intern with NASA researchers and directly work on projects such as managing air traffic more efficiently; reducing noise, fuel consumption and emissions; and improving safety.

Twenty undergraduate scholarship winners will receive $15,000 per year to cover tuition costs for two years and a $10,000 stipend during a summer internship with NASA. Five graduate scholarship winners will receive approximately $35,000 per year for up to three years and $10,000 stipends for two summer internships. To maintain the scholarship awards, all recipients must continue to meet the academic standards of the universities they attend.

This year's recipients are enrolled at universities in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Texas. To see the 2011 scholarship recipients' names and their schools on an interactive U.S. map, visit http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/aeronautics_scholarships/index.html.

The program annually awards 20 two-year undergraduate scholarships plus summer internships, and five two- or three-year graduate scholarships plus summer internships.

In September, students can apply online for 2012 aeronautics scholarships. Applicants must be citizens of the United States or its territories. The application requirements include information about the students' proposed areas of study.

For more information about aeronautics research at NASA, visit http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov.

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Student Experiments Will Fly Sky High In NASA Weather Balloon

Ann Marie Trotta

Headquarters, Washington                                    

 

Sandra Nagy

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland

CLEVELAND -- Four high school experiments will launch Thursday, May 19, aboard a NASA helium weather balloon that will travel to the stratosphere, a near-space environment 19 to 20 miles above sea level. The high-flying event is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EDT at Wyandot County Airport in Upper Sandusky, Ohio.

The high school student teams that designed the experiments will attend the launch. They are the finalists in NASA's second Balloonsat High-Altitude Flight competition. NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland hosts the national competition, which offers high school students an opportunity to experience an authentic flight mission from start to finish.

To attend the balloon launch, news media representatives should contact Sandra Nagy no later than 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at 216-433-9079 or sandra.l.nagy@nasa.gov. Journalists should confirm the actual launch date, time and location with Glenn's Media Relations Office or by checking the Balloonsat website at http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/balloonsat/Index.html.

The selected teams and experiments are:

-- Charlottesville High School, Charlottesville, Va. "The Effect of Near-Space on Solar Powered Climate Control"

-- Harding University High School, Searcy, Ark. "Measuring Gases in the Atmosphere as a Function of Altitude"

-- Neighborhood After-School Science Association, Ava, N.Y. "Viability of Hydroponic Gardens in Near Space Conditions"

-- North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, N.C. "Variations in Energy Output of Solar Cells at Varying Altitudes Compared to Weight and Cost"

Glenn scientists and engineers will evaluate each of the four teams on active participation during the launch, research presentations and written reports about the final results of their experiments. The winning team will be announced on July 1 on the Balloonsat website. In the fall, Glenn representatives will present an award to the winners at their school.

Balloonsat and similar educational programs help NASA attract and retain students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. These disciplines are critical to the agency's future programs and missions.

The Balloonsat High-Altitude Flight competition is sponsored by Glenn's Educational Programs Office and is funded by the Teaching From Space Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

For more information about NASA's education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

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