From Huffington Post: Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Marks 26th Anniversary
On January, 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after lifting off from launch pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The shocking accident - broadcast live on television - claimed the lives of all seven crew members, including Christa McAuliffe, a Concord, N.H. school teacher who had been selected to inaugurate NASA's highly publicized Teacher In Space Project
Later that day, President Reagan returned to the airwaves to console a grieving nation. He reserved a few words specifically for the schoolchildren who had been watching.
"I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen," he said. "It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them."
The shuttle program was grounded for almost three years following the accident. During that time investigators worked to pinpoint and correct the causes of the explosion - notably a failed "O-ring" gasket in the shuttle's booster rockets that allowed superheated gases to ignite fuel inside an external tank.
Twenty-six years have passed since Challenger disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, and the shuttle program itself is now history. But those who watched the disaster can never forget seeing the shuttle's elegant arc abruptly give way to twisted white contrails and falling debris. And even now few events loom as large in the nation's space lore.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Lego man in space moves the Web
From YahooNews: Lego man in space moves the Web
Two teens from Toronto successfully launched a Lego figure into near space -- and launched a storm of interest on the Web.
Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad, 17-year-old classmates at Agincourt Collegiate Institute, took four months, many Saturdays, and $400 to carry a Lego figurine and four cameras miles above the earth, a project that the two did for fun, not for class.
"We didn't really believe we could do it until we did," Ho told the Toronto Star.
You can see the video they made, using the stunning photos of the Lego man 78,000 feet off the ground, here.
The clip of the Lego man in near space has gone viral, with 570,000 views and counting. Searches on Yahoo! for "lego man in space" have soared 325% in just one day.
The high school students, both seniors, were inspired by a video of a similar project undertaken by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The DIY contraption included a GPS locator so the students could track the weather balloon (a professional-grade one they purchased online) once it landed. Using a website that calculates a weather balloon's landing position based on coordinates and variables like wind speed, the two waited to launch the object until the timing was right for a Canadian landing.
The video shows the two-inch high LEGO man holding a Canadian flag flying high above Earth and the clouds, until the tilt of the earth's axis can be seen. And then the balloon pops, sending the Lego guy back to the ground in a mere 32 minutes.
Ho and Muhammad may still be walking on air with all the accolades they've received for their successful project. The teens have been offered cameras from Canon and asked to speak at an engineering competitions, and they've been given funds to cover the cost of the project. Even Lego sent its congratulations.
Not bad for two kids who haven't even found out yet where they're going to college.
Two teens from Toronto successfully launched a Lego figure into near space -- and launched a storm of interest on the Web.
Mathew Ho and Asad Muhammad, 17-year-old classmates at Agincourt Collegiate Institute, took four months, many Saturdays, and $400 to carry a Lego figurine and four cameras miles above the earth, a project that the two did for fun, not for class.
"We didn't really believe we could do it until we did," Ho told the Toronto Star.
You can see the video they made, using the stunning photos of the Lego man 78,000 feet off the ground, here.
The clip of the Lego man in near space has gone viral, with 570,000 views and counting. Searches on Yahoo! for "lego man in space" have soared 325% in just one day.
The high school students, both seniors, were inspired by a video of a similar project undertaken by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The DIY contraption included a GPS locator so the students could track the weather balloon (a professional-grade one they purchased online) once it landed. Using a website that calculates a weather balloon's landing position based on coordinates and variables like wind speed, the two waited to launch the object until the timing was right for a Canadian landing.
The video shows the two-inch high LEGO man holding a Canadian flag flying high above Earth and the clouds, until the tilt of the earth's axis can be seen. And then the balloon pops, sending the Lego guy back to the ground in a mere 32 minutes.
Ho and Muhammad may still be walking on air with all the accolades they've received for their successful project. The teens have been offered cameras from Canon and asked to speak at an engineering competitions, and they've been given funds to cover the cost of the project. Even Lego sent its congratulations.
Not bad for two kids who haven't even found out yet where they're going to college.
GOP candidates clash over US space exploration future
Fox News: GOP candidates clash over US space exploration future
Newt Gingrich defended his ambitious spaceflight goals against attacks from the other three contenders for the Republican presidential nomination during Thursday night's debate in Florida.
Gingrich said his plan to establish a manned moon base by 2020 would help reassert American dominance in space, spur the growth of a vibrant commercial spaceflight sector and encourage kids to study science, engineering and math.
However, the other three candidates onstage with Gingrich in Jacksonville — former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Texas congressman Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum — generally dismissed the onetime Speaker of the House's bold space proposals as too expensive and too impractical.
NASA's current space exploration plan under President Barack Obama is focused on sending astronauts to an asteroid by 2025 and toward a Mars landing in the 2030s. This deep space exploration plan follows NASA's space shuttle program, which retired in 2011 after 30 years of spaceflight. NASA plans to rely on private American spacecraft to ferry astronauts and cargo to and from low-Earth orbit while focusing on its deep space missions.
The four GOP presidential hopefuls discussed NASA, human spaceflight and America's space policy for nearly 12 minutes during the heated debate, the last one before Floridians vote in the Republican primary on Tuesday (Jan. 31). Here's a sampling of what the candidates said.
Romney (asked by debate moderator Wolf Blitzer if Gingrich's moon colony goal is too expensive): That's an enormous expense, and right now I want to be spending money here. Of course, the Space Coast has been badly hurt, and I believe in a very vibrant and strong space program.
To define the mission for our space program, I'd like to bring in the top professors that relate to space areas, of physics, top people from industry, because I want to make sure what we're doing in space translates into commercial products. I want to bring in our top military experts on space needs, and finally, of course, people from the administration, if I have an administration.
I'd like to come together and talk about different options, and the cost … I believe in a manned space program; I'd like to see whether they believe in the same thing. I'm not looking for a colony on the moon. I think the cost of that would be in the hundreds of billions, if not trillions. I'd rather be rebuilding housing here in the U.S.
Gingrich: (on how he'd achieve his moon colony goal while keeping taxes low): You start with a question: Do you really believe NASA in its current form is the most effective way of leveraging investment in space? We now have a bureaucracy sitting there which has managed to mismanage the program so well that, in fact, we have no lift vehicle …
I believe by the use of prizes, by the use of incentives, by opening up the spaceport so that it's available on a ready basis for commercial flight, by using common sense — for example, the Atlas 5 could easily be fixed into a man-capable vehicle so you didn't have to rely on a Russian launch or a Chinese launch —there are many things you can do to leverage accelerating the development of space.
Lindbergh flew to Paris for a $25,000 prize. If we had a handful of serious prizes, you'd see an extraordinary number of people out there trying to get to the moon first in order to build that. And I'd like to have an American on the moon before the Chinese get there. [Photos of NASA's Apollo Moon Missions]
Santorum: One of the big problems we have in our country today is that young people are not getting involved in math and science and not dreaming big dreams. And so NASA, or the space program, or space, is important. NASA is one component of that. Our space defense is another area, I think both of which are very, very important.
I agree that we need to bring good minds in the private sector much more involved in NASA than the government bureaucracy we have. But let's just be honest. We're on a $1.2 trillion deficit right now. We're borrowing 40 cents of every dollar. And to go out there and promise new programs and big ideas, that's a great thing to maybe get votes. But it's not a responsible thing when you have to go out and say that we have to start cutting programs, not talking about how to grow them…
Those are things that sound good and maybe make big promises to people, but we've got to be responsible in the way we allocate our resources.
Paul: I don't think we should go to the moon. I think we maybe should send some politicians up there…
The amount of money we spend on space, the only part that I would vote for is for national defense purposes. Not to explore the moon and go to Mars — I think that's fantastic, I love those ideas, but I also don't like the idea of building government-business partnerships.
If we had a healthy economy and had more Bill Gateses and more Warren Buffetts, the money would be there. It should be privatized. And the people who work in the industry, if you had that — there would be jobs in aerospace.
I just think that we don't need a bigger, newer program… I mean, health care or something else deserves a lot more priority than going to the moon. So I would be very reluctant. But space technology should be followed up to some degree for national defense purposes, but not just for the fun of it, and, you know, for scientific purposes. [Top 10 Space Weapons]
Gingrich: It is really important to go back and look at what John F. Kennedy said in May of 1961. When he said we will go to the moon in this decade, no American had orbited the Earth. The technology didn't exist. And a generation of young people went into science and engineering and technology, and they were tremendously excited, and they had a future.
I actually agree with Dr. Paul. The program I envision would probably end up being 90 percent private sector. But it would be based on a desire to change the government rules and change the government regulations to get NASA out of the business of trying to run rockets, and to create a system where it's easy for private-sector people to be engaged.
I want to see us move from one launch occasionally to six or seven launches a day… I do not want to be the country that, having gotten to the moon first, turned around and said, "It doesn't really matter. Let the Chinese dominate space. What do we care?" I think that is a path of national decline, and I am for America being a great country, not a country in decline.
Romney: I spent 25 years in business. If I had a business executive come to me and say they wanted to spend a few hundred billion dollars to put a colony on the moon, I'd say, "You're fired."
The idea that corporate America wants to go off to the moon and build a colony there — it may be a big idea, but it's not a good idea.
Look, this idea of going state to state and promising what people want to hear — promising billions, hundreds of billions of dollars to make people happy — that's what got us into the trouble we're in now. We've got to say no to this kind of spending.
Newt Gingrich defended his ambitious spaceflight goals against attacks from the other three contenders for the Republican presidential nomination during Thursday night's debate in Florida.
Gingrich said his plan to establish a manned moon base by 2020 would help reassert American dominance in space, spur the growth of a vibrant commercial spaceflight sector and encourage kids to study science, engineering and math.
However, the other three candidates onstage with Gingrich in Jacksonville — former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Texas congressman Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum — generally dismissed the onetime Speaker of the House's bold space proposals as too expensive and too impractical.
NASA's current space exploration plan under President Barack Obama is focused on sending astronauts to an asteroid by 2025 and toward a Mars landing in the 2030s. This deep space exploration plan follows NASA's space shuttle program, which retired in 2011 after 30 years of spaceflight. NASA plans to rely on private American spacecraft to ferry astronauts and cargo to and from low-Earth orbit while focusing on its deep space missions.
The four GOP presidential hopefuls discussed NASA, human spaceflight and America's space policy for nearly 12 minutes during the heated debate, the last one before Floridians vote in the Republican primary on Tuesday (Jan. 31). Here's a sampling of what the candidates said.
Romney (asked by debate moderator Wolf Blitzer if Gingrich's moon colony goal is too expensive): That's an enormous expense, and right now I want to be spending money here. Of course, the Space Coast has been badly hurt, and I believe in a very vibrant and strong space program.
To define the mission for our space program, I'd like to bring in the top professors that relate to space areas, of physics, top people from industry, because I want to make sure what we're doing in space translates into commercial products. I want to bring in our top military experts on space needs, and finally, of course, people from the administration, if I have an administration.
I'd like to come together and talk about different options, and the cost … I believe in a manned space program; I'd like to see whether they believe in the same thing. I'm not looking for a colony on the moon. I think the cost of that would be in the hundreds of billions, if not trillions. I'd rather be rebuilding housing here in the U.S.
Gingrich: (on how he'd achieve his moon colony goal while keeping taxes low): You start with a question: Do you really believe NASA in its current form is the most effective way of leveraging investment in space? We now have a bureaucracy sitting there which has managed to mismanage the program so well that, in fact, we have no lift vehicle …
I believe by the use of prizes, by the use of incentives, by opening up the spaceport so that it's available on a ready basis for commercial flight, by using common sense — for example, the Atlas 5 could easily be fixed into a man-capable vehicle so you didn't have to rely on a Russian launch or a Chinese launch —there are many things you can do to leverage accelerating the development of space.
Lindbergh flew to Paris for a $25,000 prize. If we had a handful of serious prizes, you'd see an extraordinary number of people out there trying to get to the moon first in order to build that. And I'd like to have an American on the moon before the Chinese get there. [Photos of NASA's Apollo Moon Missions]
Santorum: One of the big problems we have in our country today is that young people are not getting involved in math and science and not dreaming big dreams. And so NASA, or the space program, or space, is important. NASA is one component of that. Our space defense is another area, I think both of which are very, very important.
I agree that we need to bring good minds in the private sector much more involved in NASA than the government bureaucracy we have. But let's just be honest. We're on a $1.2 trillion deficit right now. We're borrowing 40 cents of every dollar. And to go out there and promise new programs and big ideas, that's a great thing to maybe get votes. But it's not a responsible thing when you have to go out and say that we have to start cutting programs, not talking about how to grow them…
Those are things that sound good and maybe make big promises to people, but we've got to be responsible in the way we allocate our resources.
Paul: I don't think we should go to the moon. I think we maybe should send some politicians up there…
The amount of money we spend on space, the only part that I would vote for is for national defense purposes. Not to explore the moon and go to Mars — I think that's fantastic, I love those ideas, but I also don't like the idea of building government-business partnerships.
If we had a healthy economy and had more Bill Gateses and more Warren Buffetts, the money would be there. It should be privatized. And the people who work in the industry, if you had that — there would be jobs in aerospace.
I just think that we don't need a bigger, newer program… I mean, health care or something else deserves a lot more priority than going to the moon. So I would be very reluctant. But space technology should be followed up to some degree for national defense purposes, but not just for the fun of it, and, you know, for scientific purposes. [Top 10 Space Weapons]
Gingrich: It is really important to go back and look at what John F. Kennedy said in May of 1961. When he said we will go to the moon in this decade, no American had orbited the Earth. The technology didn't exist. And a generation of young people went into science and engineering and technology, and they were tremendously excited, and they had a future.
I actually agree with Dr. Paul. The program I envision would probably end up being 90 percent private sector. But it would be based on a desire to change the government rules and change the government regulations to get NASA out of the business of trying to run rockets, and to create a system where it's easy for private-sector people to be engaged.
I want to see us move from one launch occasionally to six or seven launches a day… I do not want to be the country that, having gotten to the moon first, turned around and said, "It doesn't really matter. Let the Chinese dominate space. What do we care?" I think that is a path of national decline, and I am for America being a great country, not a country in decline.
Romney: I spent 25 years in business. If I had a business executive come to me and say they wanted to spend a few hundred billion dollars to put a colony on the moon, I'd say, "You're fired."
The idea that corporate America wants to go off to the moon and build a colony there — it may be a big idea, but it's not a good idea.
Look, this idea of going state to state and promising what people want to hear — promising billions, hundreds of billions of dollars to make people happy — that's what got us into the trouble we're in now. We've got to say no to this kind of spending.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Science-Fiction Authors Agree: Newt's Moon Idea Isn't So Crazy
From the Atlantic: Science-Fiction Authors Agree: Newt's Moon Idea Isn't So Crazy
Yesterday, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich turned heads when he announced his plan to establish a permanent moon base by the year 2020. Gingrich's critics were swift to attack the practicality of his plan, as well as point out that he was pandering to America's wounded sense of virility stemming from the faltering of our own space program. And yet Newt might not be completely crazy. In fact, a number of science-fiction writers would likely agree that there are more benefits of lunar colonization than just positive polling numbers among Star Trek fans.
Perhaps the most complete and detailed portrait of lunar society can be found in Robert Heinlein's 1966 novel, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. The premise: In 2075, the moon, once a prison colony and depository for political dissidents, has become a thriving frontier society with roughly several million inhabitants living in "pressures" beneath the surface. According to the book, the moon's many attractive assets include:
1. Water and agriculture
In The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, the moon's primary commercial activity revolves around water harvested from ice buried deep beneath the surface. That same water is used in massive underground farms whose products is shipped back down to Earth (It's worth noting that shipping things back to Earth is far easier than shipping things from Earth, since escape velocity is only 2.38 km/s compared to Earth's 11.186 km/s). However, it's this very practice that leads to lunar revolt after the colonists decide they want a cut of the profits and an end to the draining of their natural resources. Best to draw up a contract first.
2. The fountain of youth
According to Heinlein, the moon's comparatively low gravity could help extend life indefinitely by alleviating stress on the heart, bones, and organs. Many of Luna City's residents are well over 100 = but are mistaken for 30-somethings by visiting tourists. The only downside is that once your heart gets used pumping blood at low gravity, returning to earth becomes a dangerous proposition.
3. Open marriage
Perhaps what really caught Newt's eye are lunar society's marriage practices (he did once speculate about what it would be like to have sex in space). Because of its origins as a prison colony, the male/female ratio is generously skewed towards men roughly 2:1. As a result, lunar women are given the reigns to take multiple husbands and form complex group marriages, though Newt may not be comfortable being just one in a stable of husbands.
At the very least it's a more worthwhile enterprise than building an electrified fence across the border with Mexico.
Yesterday, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich turned heads when he announced his plan to establish a permanent moon base by the year 2020. Gingrich's critics were swift to attack the practicality of his plan, as well as point out that he was pandering to America's wounded sense of virility stemming from the faltering of our own space program. And yet Newt might not be completely crazy. In fact, a number of science-fiction writers would likely agree that there are more benefits of lunar colonization than just positive polling numbers among Star Trek fans.
Perhaps the most complete and detailed portrait of lunar society can be found in Robert Heinlein's 1966 novel, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. The premise: In 2075, the moon, once a prison colony and depository for political dissidents, has become a thriving frontier society with roughly several million inhabitants living in "pressures" beneath the surface. According to the book, the moon's many attractive assets include:
1. Water and agriculture
In The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, the moon's primary commercial activity revolves around water harvested from ice buried deep beneath the surface. That same water is used in massive underground farms whose products is shipped back down to Earth (It's worth noting that shipping things back to Earth is far easier than shipping things from Earth, since escape velocity is only 2.38 km/s compared to Earth's 11.186 km/s). However, it's this very practice that leads to lunar revolt after the colonists decide they want a cut of the profits and an end to the draining of their natural resources. Best to draw up a contract first.
2. The fountain of youth
According to Heinlein, the moon's comparatively low gravity could help extend life indefinitely by alleviating stress on the heart, bones, and organs. Many of Luna City's residents are well over 100 = but are mistaken for 30-somethings by visiting tourists. The only downside is that once your heart gets used pumping blood at low gravity, returning to earth becomes a dangerous proposition.
3. Open marriage
Perhaps what really caught Newt's eye are lunar society's marriage practices (he did once speculate about what it would be like to have sex in space). Because of its origins as a prison colony, the male/female ratio is generously skewed towards men roughly 2:1. As a result, lunar women are given the reigns to take multiple husbands and form complex group marriages, though Newt may not be comfortable being just one in a stable of husbands.
At the very least it's a more worthwhile enterprise than building an electrified fence across the border with Mexico.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Coalition for Space Exploration Introduces New Leadership for 2012
From Space Ref: Coalition for Space Exploration Introduces New Leadership for 2012
Northrop Grumman's Lon Rains and Ball Aerospace's Mary Engola to guide the Coalition's 2012 endeavors
WASHINGTON, D.C. -The Coalition for Space Exploration (Coalition) today announced veteran aerospace communicators Lon Rains of Northrop Grumman and Mary Engola of Ball Aerospace will lead the Coalition in 2012. Rains and Engola will serve as the new chair and deputy chair, respectively. Each will serve a one-year term, effective January through December 2012.
The Coalition for Space Exploration is a group of space industry businesses and organizations collaborating to ensure that the United States remains the leader in space, science and technology. By reinforcing the value and benefits of space exploration with the nation's leaders, the Coalition intends to build lasting support for a long-term, sustainable, strategic direction for space exploration. Through marketing, communications and outreach efforts, the Coalition highlights the benefits of a robust American space program.
Rains will chair the Coalition this year after serving as deputy chair in 2011. Rains works as the sector director of strategic communications for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Manhattan Beach, Calif. He was a member of the founding staff of Space News and served as that publication's editor for 15 years. He is a recognized space expert and has made appearances on noted television shows, including CNN Prime News, ABC World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News and C-SPAN's Washington Journal. He was the 2009 recipient of the National Space Club's Media Award.
"Now more than ever, the Coalition's mission is fundamentally important to our nation," said Rains. "Our space exploration program is at a critical stage right now. As a Coalition, we intend to advance the dialogue surrounding the importance of space exploration to our country and to our ability to compete and lead on a global level."
Engola, Coalition 2012 deputy chair, has been an active member since the Coalition's inception in 2004. She served as the Coalition's 2008 chair and in 2009 she led the Multimedia & Grassroots subcommittee. She is currently the manager of customer and industry relations at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
"I am honored to serve in the Coalition leadership, because I believe in the Coalition's mission to broaden support for space exploration," said Engola. "As the country reevaluates its economic priorities, the Coalition will strive to ensure space exploration remains a national imperative."
Through effective outreach, the Coalition fosters a national conversation about space exploration among the leadership of member organizations, with other space-related organizations, NASA, legislators and the general public.
About the Coalition for Space Exploration
The Coalition for Space Exploration is a group of space industry businesses and advocacy groups that collaborates to ensure that the United States remains the leader in space, science and technology by reinforcing the value and benefits of space exploration with the public and our nation's leaders, and building lasting support for a long-term, sustainable strategic direction for space exploration.
Northrop Grumman's Lon Rains and Ball Aerospace's Mary Engola to guide the Coalition's 2012 endeavors
WASHINGTON, D.C. -The Coalition for Space Exploration (Coalition) today announced veteran aerospace communicators Lon Rains of Northrop Grumman and Mary Engola of Ball Aerospace will lead the Coalition in 2012. Rains and Engola will serve as the new chair and deputy chair, respectively. Each will serve a one-year term, effective January through December 2012.
The Coalition for Space Exploration is a group of space industry businesses and organizations collaborating to ensure that the United States remains the leader in space, science and technology. By reinforcing the value and benefits of space exploration with the nation's leaders, the Coalition intends to build lasting support for a long-term, sustainable, strategic direction for space exploration. Through marketing, communications and outreach efforts, the Coalition highlights the benefits of a robust American space program.
Rains will chair the Coalition this year after serving as deputy chair in 2011. Rains works as the sector director of strategic communications for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Manhattan Beach, Calif. He was a member of the founding staff of Space News and served as that publication's editor for 15 years. He is a recognized space expert and has made appearances on noted television shows, including CNN Prime News, ABC World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News and C-SPAN's Washington Journal. He was the 2009 recipient of the National Space Club's Media Award.
"Now more than ever, the Coalition's mission is fundamentally important to our nation," said Rains. "Our space exploration program is at a critical stage right now. As a Coalition, we intend to advance the dialogue surrounding the importance of space exploration to our country and to our ability to compete and lead on a global level."
Engola, Coalition 2012 deputy chair, has been an active member since the Coalition's inception in 2004. She served as the Coalition's 2008 chair and in 2009 she led the Multimedia & Grassroots subcommittee. She is currently the manager of customer and industry relations at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
"I am honored to serve in the Coalition leadership, because I believe in the Coalition's mission to broaden support for space exploration," said Engola. "As the country reevaluates its economic priorities, the Coalition will strive to ensure space exploration remains a national imperative."
Through effective outreach, the Coalition fosters a national conversation about space exploration among the leadership of member organizations, with other space-related organizations, NASA, legislators and the general public.
About the Coalition for Space Exploration
The Coalition for Space Exploration is a group of space industry businesses and advocacy groups that collaborates to ensure that the United States remains the leader in space, science and technology by reinforcing the value and benefits of space exploration with the public and our nation's leaders, and building lasting support for a long-term, sustainable strategic direction for space exploration.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
GOP contenders want private sector to rescue space program
From the Washington Post: GOP contenders want private sector to rescue space program
TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich want to revive Florida’s space coast.
But the Republican presidential contenders, eager to address a key local concern in Monday’s debate, say they don’t want the federal government to spend too much in the effort.
Romney says the space exploration should be a priority. He’s calling on NASA to partner with the military and private business interests and educational institutions to help pay for it.
Gingrich wants to offer the private sector special prizes. He says that such incentives, as opposed to a government spending, would help Americans go back to the moon, explore Mars, and develop extraterrestrial space exploration.
Gingrich says the prizes could create a romantic and exciting future for the space program.
TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich want to revive Florida’s space coast.
But the Republican presidential contenders, eager to address a key local concern in Monday’s debate, say they don’t want the federal government to spend too much in the effort.
Romney says the space exploration should be a priority. He’s calling on NASA to partner with the military and private business interests and educational institutions to help pay for it.
Gingrich wants to offer the private sector special prizes. He says that such incentives, as opposed to a government spending, would help Americans go back to the moon, explore Mars, and develop extraterrestrial space exploration.
Gingrich says the prizes could create a romantic and exciting future for the space program.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Challenger Learning Center Missions Ready For Launch
The Intelligencer Wheeling-News: Challenger Learning Center Missions Ready For Launch
WHEELING - Many institutions of higher learning have a mission, but the Challenger Learning Center at Wheeling Jesuit University has 15.
The center started the new academic year last fall by adding four new programs. Of its 15 "missions" that simulate space exploration for students of all ages, four of the programs are on site and 11 are available off site via the Internet as e-missions.
Micronauts, the lone new on-site program, is a space science adventure for students in kindergarten through third grade. It is the first program developed specifically for younger students. The "Discovery Mission" is a one-hour, hands-on simulation that takes place in the new Micronauts spacecraft designed specifically for the younger "astronaut." During the mission, students conduct a series of innovative, standards-based activities and experiments.
"It's a very cool mission," said Jackie Shia, director of the Challenger Learning Center. "It's just one of our new programs."
The purpose is to challenge and enlighten the young students to learn principles of science, math and engineering as well as cooperation and problem solving while in a fun environment. Shia said it is a unique encounter with science and space technology.
In the Discovery Mission, students pretend to become part of a team of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians on board the International Space Station. They participate in experiments and activities like examining objects under a digital microscope, exploring and identifying planets and investigating color, sounds, rocks, magnetism, and more.
Each activity is aimed to help students learn more about the environment and planet Earth. The activities also help develop critical thinking skills and discovery of basic science, math and literacy concepts. Each of the new missions has been under development for more than a year.
"By placing participants into the roles of astronauts and scientists trying to solve a real-life problem, they are hooked," Shia said. "This fascination with space science exploration permeates the hearts and minds of young people."
"The goal of the missions is to improve students' problem-solving skills and enhance their creative and critical thinking ability. It also teaches the importance of teamwork while fostering a long-term interest in science and math."
"The missions are based on the latest developments in cognitive science research, which have proven to increase students' achievements and attitudes toward science, math and technology," she added.
E-missions are similar programs designed for older students at various levels. They are simulated, problem-based learning adventures delivered into classrooms via distance-learning technology. They involve using the Internet and video conferencing and are done live with a "flight director" at the Challenger Learning Center on the WJU campus.
Two of the new programs are for middle school students and the third for high school students and older. The first is called WV Storm and is an intense, all-inclusive, simulation mission during which students become part of a fictional, extreme weather response unit. It takes between 60 and 90 minutes to complete.
During the mission, students work with federal governmental agencies and travel throughout the country to help local emergency management personnel deal with possible emergency situations that may be caused by extreme weather conditions. Students, in contact with a "chief meteorologist" on the WJU campus, interact to complete given tasks.
Students are shown video clips and images to show weather conditions in West Virginia areas they monitor to give an authentic feel. At the conclusion, they are updated on the aftermath of the storm and the outcome of their problem-solving and decision-making skills.
The second new e-mission is called "Hurricane Alert" and is similar to WV Storm in how it is conducted. It involves putting to use critical thinking skills and scientific knowledge to track hurricanes and predict locations of hurricane landfall. It enhances student knowledge of meteorology and hurricane forecasting.
In all missions teachers are offered free training and curriculum packages are provided. In addition, a test is conducted prior to the actual program to assure computer, and video conference compatibility.
The last new mission, for older students, is called CyberSurgeons. It is also an intense experience, according to officials, during which students are required to quickly diagnose and treat unusual medical cases. Teams of students use their critical thinking skills and scientific knowledge to solve emergency medical problems.
They become part of an emergency medical team on a "mercy ship" traveling up the Amazon River. The ship is equipped with high-tech hospital equipment and medical research capabilities. It also takes between 60 and 90 minutes to complete. Students are provided with pre-mission lesson plans to help them prepare.
The Challenger Learning Center has been honored nine years for having served the most children of all 48 worldwide centers offering similar programs. Last year it made more than 1,000 video connections. Shia also noted she is looking for part-time mission directors.
For additional information about Challenger missions, call the Challenger Learning Center at 304-243-8740.
WHEELING - Many institutions of higher learning have a mission, but the Challenger Learning Center at Wheeling Jesuit University has 15.
The center started the new academic year last fall by adding four new programs. Of its 15 "missions" that simulate space exploration for students of all ages, four of the programs are on site and 11 are available off site via the Internet as e-missions.
Micronauts, the lone new on-site program, is a space science adventure for students in kindergarten through third grade. It is the first program developed specifically for younger students. The "Discovery Mission" is a one-hour, hands-on simulation that takes place in the new Micronauts spacecraft designed specifically for the younger "astronaut." During the mission, students conduct a series of innovative, standards-based activities and experiments.
"It's a very cool mission," said Jackie Shia, director of the Challenger Learning Center. "It's just one of our new programs."
The purpose is to challenge and enlighten the young students to learn principles of science, math and engineering as well as cooperation and problem solving while in a fun environment. Shia said it is a unique encounter with science and space technology.
In the Discovery Mission, students pretend to become part of a team of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians on board the International Space Station. They participate in experiments and activities like examining objects under a digital microscope, exploring and identifying planets and investigating color, sounds, rocks, magnetism, and more.
Each activity is aimed to help students learn more about the environment and planet Earth. The activities also help develop critical thinking skills and discovery of basic science, math and literacy concepts. Each of the new missions has been under development for more than a year.
"By placing participants into the roles of astronauts and scientists trying to solve a real-life problem, they are hooked," Shia said. "This fascination with space science exploration permeates the hearts and minds of young people."
"The goal of the missions is to improve students' problem-solving skills and enhance their creative and critical thinking ability. It also teaches the importance of teamwork while fostering a long-term interest in science and math."
"The missions are based on the latest developments in cognitive science research, which have proven to increase students' achievements and attitudes toward science, math and technology," she added.
E-missions are similar programs designed for older students at various levels. They are simulated, problem-based learning adventures delivered into classrooms via distance-learning technology. They involve using the Internet and video conferencing and are done live with a "flight director" at the Challenger Learning Center on the WJU campus.
Two of the new programs are for middle school students and the third for high school students and older. The first is called WV Storm and is an intense, all-inclusive, simulation mission during which students become part of a fictional, extreme weather response unit. It takes between 60 and 90 minutes to complete.
During the mission, students work with federal governmental agencies and travel throughout the country to help local emergency management personnel deal with possible emergency situations that may be caused by extreme weather conditions. Students, in contact with a "chief meteorologist" on the WJU campus, interact to complete given tasks.
Students are shown video clips and images to show weather conditions in West Virginia areas they monitor to give an authentic feel. At the conclusion, they are updated on the aftermath of the storm and the outcome of their problem-solving and decision-making skills.
The second new e-mission is called "Hurricane Alert" and is similar to WV Storm in how it is conducted. It involves putting to use critical thinking skills and scientific knowledge to track hurricanes and predict locations of hurricane landfall. It enhances student knowledge of meteorology and hurricane forecasting.
In all missions teachers are offered free training and curriculum packages are provided. In addition, a test is conducted prior to the actual program to assure computer, and video conference compatibility.
The last new mission, for older students, is called CyberSurgeons. It is also an intense experience, according to officials, during which students are required to quickly diagnose and treat unusual medical cases. Teams of students use their critical thinking skills and scientific knowledge to solve emergency medical problems.
They become part of an emergency medical team on a "mercy ship" traveling up the Amazon River. The ship is equipped with high-tech hospital equipment and medical research capabilities. It also takes between 60 and 90 minutes to complete. Students are provided with pre-mission lesson plans to help them prepare.
The Challenger Learning Center has been honored nine years for having served the most children of all 48 worldwide centers offering similar programs. Last year it made more than 1,000 video connections. Shia also noted she is looking for part-time mission directors.
For additional information about Challenger missions, call the Challenger Learning Center at 304-243-8740.
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