September
2009

Printer Friendly Version

Eyes on the Earth 3D

Science Education Just Got Game! Tabula Digita Introduces League of Scientists Video Game

It is widely acknowledged that around fourth grade, students’ interest in science plummets, as do their test scores. The reason, in part, is that the experiments and observations of nature so prominent in the early grades, give way to lectures and lab reports in the upper elementary and middle school grades. In a word, students become bored.

To stem the tide of apathy toward science and make it exciting, memorable and most importantly, relevant, Tabula Digita, developer of the award-winning DimensionM educational video games for math, is releasing its first immersive online science game series. Called “The League of Scientists,” the series is being offered for free to students in grades three through five and is meant to help students build their knowledge base. Teachers can send it home as extra credit, use it as an independent activity in class, or even in science clubs.

The free-to-play, two-dimensional educational gaming creation was developed in partnership with the Monsanto Fund and International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Designed with young learners in mind, The League of Scientists allows students to compete against each other in a series of multi-player games, constructed around a robust, standards-based, and engaging science curriculum.

“’The League of Scientists’ will help engage students on a new level of learning and will reinforce science as an exciting and interactive field,” said Deborah Patterson, president of the Monsanto Fund. “Monsanto Fund is proud to partner with Tabula Digita and the International Society for Technology in Education to help students better understand science and hopefully broaden the appeal of science as an exciting career path.”

The League of Scientists currently includes four interactive games: Lab Rat Race, Beaker Blast, Butterfly Boss and Circuit Center, with additional games planned. The science content was provided by ISTE and can be selected based on a teacher’s desire to introduce or practice life science, earth and space science, or physical science concepts. In addition to creating their own avatars, students will collect points with each correct answer that can later be redeemed for science-related equipment and gizmos to trick out their virtual science labs. They will also have the opportunity to earn “power up points” to demonstrate their mastery and gain an advantage in the game.

“We are catching students right at the point when in engagement in science fades,” said Ntiedo Etuk, chief executive officer and co-founder of Tabula Digita. “By providing a fun, out-of-school method for students to build and review their knowledge, we hope to keep science fun and engaging for students."

Its concept and tools excited teachers who viewed ‘The League of Scientists’ before its release. They felt the games were interactive and fun while still reinforcing basic science concepts. They also noted the games were a good alternative to worksheet and text book learning.

"We know that students are engaged by interactive games and that teachers are excited about the using them to supplement learning inside and outside the classroom," said Don Knezek, ISTE CEO. "That's why we were pleased to be a partner in this project, developing the content for the League of Scientists and launching it at NECC."

Back to top

_____________________________________________________

Eyes on the Earth 3D

As presented by its producer, Kevin Hussey at the Satellites & Education Conference XXII on August 15th.

NASA’s “Eyes on the Earth 3D” is back and better than ever before. This online experience now offers new features that allow users to view the latest data beamed back from NASA space satellites – in some cases, less than a few hours old.

Developed using a state-of-the-art, browser-based visualization technology, "Eyes on the Earth 3D" displays the location of all of NASA's 15 currently operating Earth-observing missions in real time. These missions constantly monitor our planet's vital signs, such as sea level height, concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, global temperatures and extent of sea ice in the Arctic, to name but a few.

By using the new toolbar on the left of the screen, users can display the latest data maps of ozone, sea level or carbon dioxide. Also new is a video tour hosted by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Amber Jenkins, who introduces many of the site’s in-depth features and capabilities.

Users can:

Back to top

_____________________________________________________

Conference XXII Wrap Up
By: Pete Arvedson, founding member, Satellite Educators Association

Satellites & Education Conference XXII happened August 13-15, 2009, at California State University, Los Angeles. There were engaging keynote speeches, informative breakout sessions, helpful exhibits, super support, and connections with colleagues.

Barbara Shannon, Director of Synergy Kinetic Academy, a charter middle school in Los Angeles, and Vice Chair of California Teacher Advisory Council, offered a historical perspective at the conference opening. Dr. Shannon spoke of the greatest issues and questions facing educators today and found these same questions leading the charge to educational improvements 50 years ago, 100 years ago, and 150 years ago. “So, what has changed?” she asked. She challenged conference goers to be ever-mindful of questions about teacher professional development and assignment, appropriate assessment, equitable distribution of educational wealth, definitions of what is to be taught, the desperate need for emphasis on science, math, engineering and technology, and where to get reliable answers when questions do arise.

At Friday’s conference banquet, oceanographer Josh Willis, from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, spoke elegantly and simply about global warming.  Dr. Willis presented the case for global warming from several angles. His conclusions were supported by an abundance of clearly sequenced and relatively complete data from a multitude of both Earth observing satellite missions and ground based experiments. Commenting on the speech, one university professor said, “I have never heard an explanation of global warming that was as clear and easy to understand as this was.”

The closing speaker delivered action. Richard Shope, a trained mime with a doctoral degree in education and experience helping NASA scientists communicate with the general public, shared NASA’s ArctiQuest Expeditions. Using his unique approach to the scientific method and inquiry-based education, Dr. Shope had all conference attendees on their feet to experience with all senses Earth processes such as volcanic action as one would find them in the frozen expanse of Antarctica. Leaving their lunch tables behind, participants plotted locations on a map by standing inside a rope outline of Antarctica on the floor while they acted out the process of a volcanic eruption. Three other activity stations were manned by ten, well-trained, high school student coaches. All were challenged to be curious and act on that curiosity in constructive and productive ways. With the absence of our M.Y. S.P.A.C.E. team (mentioned below) it was wonderful to have this energetic and motivated group with us.

As you can see, the keynote addresses were anything but boring. As one scans the Conference Program it is apparent the breakout sessions were attractive to classroom teachers as well. Celebrating the International Year of Astronomy in 2009, many sessions emphasized what NASA once termed “Mission From Planet Earth” with satellite and ground observations looking out from the planet in addition to presentations based on Earth-observing satellite data. All session presenters were experienced in their fields and did a great job of inviting teachers to utilize session information in their classrooms.

One can similarly inspect the list of exhibitors in the Conference Program, but that does not convey the attractiveness of the booth displays, the abundant handouts and resource materials, or the extraordinary friendliness and helpfulness of those staffing the booths – all better than last year. Whether you were able to attend this conference or not, take a look at the Conference Program one more time.

Since 2002, the conference closing session was presented by the M.Y. S.P.A.C.E. (Multinational Youth Studying Practical Applications of Climatic Events) students. This group of high school students from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the People’s Republic of China presented their research update, findings and plans, on Saturday afternoon. Economic issues prevented the M.Y. S.P.A.C.E. students from attending the conference this year. So many attendees commented how much the students were missed – their energy, their expertise, and their fresh perspective. All look forward to their return in August of 2010.

Personally, the most important part of the conference for me, aside from missing the absent M.Y. S.P.A.C.E. students, was the opportunity to reconnect. After all, isn’t that what conferences are really all about -- reconnecting with information, practices, priorities, and old friends while finding new colleagues and resources? As a founding member of the Satellite Educators Association and a veteran of the high school science classroom, I had invigorating discussions with teachers, scientists, engineers, and communications/outreach specialists. Much of that happened in break-out sessions, but most was through individual conversations. It was fun! And, in all, I was continually reminded of the importance of satellite technology to virtually everything we do every day.

Attending the Satellites & Education Conference and becoming a member of the Satellite Educators Association so was such a great thing to do. I leave you with a challenge to join in and mark your calendars for Satellites & Education Conference XXIII, August 12-14, 2010.

You can see highlights of the conference in pictures by clicking here.

China Says Work Under Way to Mitigate Space Junk
By Peter B. de Selding
Space News Staff Writer

The Chinese government is implementing a wide series of measures to reduce the amount of debris left in orbit by Chinese rockets and satellites, and to develop a space-surveillance tool to determine what is in orbit, Chinese space-debris experts said.

The Chinese government has been a member of the 11-member Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) since the mid-1990s. But Chinese officials concede they have been slow in adopting debris-prevention or debris-mitigation measures.

China's seriousness about space debris has been thrown into question since the January test of a mobile ground-based Chinese missile that was used to intentionally destroy a retired Chinese meteorological satellite, creating thousands of pieces of orbital debris in a heavily used region of low Earth orbit.

The negative global reaction to that event led China to cancel a scheduled April IADC meeting in Bejing. The meeting was switched to July in Toulouse, France. China sent a full delegation to the meeting, which featured at least one blunt exchange between U.S. and Chinese delegates regarding January's test of the anti-satellite missile.

Two optical telescopes, one a 25-inch (65-centimeter) fixed facility and the other a 10-inch (25-centimeter) car-mounted telescope, have been developed as space-surveillance tools and have been used to time the launch of China's astronaut-carrying capsules to avoid heavier concentrations of debris in low-Earth orbit, Li said.

Debris mitigation has been the focus of much IADC work to persuade space powers to take measures to reduce the debris-creating potential of their rocket upper stages and their satellites.

______________________________________________________________

Discovery's tank cleared for launch after foam debate

After a lengthy technical discussion, NASA managers decided Tuesday the shuttle Discovery's external tank can be safely flown as is, without the need for additional time-consuming inspections of its foam insulation, clearing the way for launch August 25 on a space station resupply mission.

The executive-level flight readiness review ran long and a final decision on whether to proceed with launch or to order a lengthy delay was not expected until the extended meeting concluded last Wednesday.

But late Tuesday, agency officials speaking through Twitter said "the tank discussion is over and everyone had the chance to offer a viewpoint. At this point, the FRR decided we're OK to fly as is."

An official launch date is Aug. 25 at 1:36 a.m. EDT, one day later than the previous target because of unplanned work at the launch pad.

Discovery's crew - commander Frederick Sturckow, pilot Kevin Ford, flight engineer Jose Hernandez, Patrick Forrester, John "Danny" Olivas, European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang and space station flight engineer Nicole Stott - flew to the Kennedy Space Center for the start of Discovery's countdown at 11 p.m. Friday.

Along with ferrying Stott to the lab complex and bringing Timothy Kopra home in her place, the Discovery astronauts plan to deliver critical supplies and equipment, carrying out three spacewalks before landing back at the Florida spaceport around 8:40 p.m. on Sept. 6.

A major topic in the review was the integrity of the foam insulation on Discovery's external tank, ET-132, following an unusual amount of foam shedding during the shuttle Endeavour's launching July 15. While some engineers said they would prefer additional data, sources said the community was unanimous in agreeing to proceed.

Most of the foam lost from Endeavour's tank fell away from the central "intertank" area separating the hydrogen and oxygen sections of external tank No. 131. A small amount of foam fell from the base of the left-side bi-pod strut that helps hold the shuttle's nose to the tank and another piece of debris fell from one of the so-called ice-frost ramps on the side of the liquid oxygen section.

Engineers carried out more than 170 so-called "plug-pull" tests on the intertank foam of Discovery's tank earlier to test the adhesion of the insulation and no problems were found. The bi-pod foam loss is believed to be an understood condition and not a major threat to damage the shuttle's heat shield.

But Endeavour's launch was the second in a row to experience foam loss from the same ice-frost ramp on the liquid-oxygen section of the tank. The ice-frost ramps are aerodynamically shaped areas of foam covering fittings that attach pressurization lines to the oxygen section of the tank.

The foam loss during Endeavour's launch presumably occurred because of undetected voids in the insulation. Atmospheric friction during ascent can cause trapped air to expand, popping off overlying foam. Impact-related heat shield damage depends on the size and timing of a release, which can be difficult to model.

The ramp in question on Discovery's tank was subjected to non-destructive terahertz inspections before the shuttle was moved to the launch pad and no significant voids were seen. But three other ramps, which have no history of foam loss, were not inspected.

At a shuttle program review some engineers recommended hauling Discovery back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for terahertz inspections of the other ramps, a move that would delay launch to around Oct. 17.

Instead, managers ordered additional plug-pull tests and terahertz inspections of the ice-frost ramps on the next tank in the sequence, ET-133. The additional pull tests found no problems. The ice-frost ramp scans of ET-133 detected 10 very small voids, none of which would be expected to result in damaging foam losses.

But those inspections shed no direct light on the condition of the ramps on Discovery's tank, which cannot be scanned at the launch pad.

The flight readiness review continued with presentations by the orbiter project and other elements of the shuttle program. But with the external tank cleared for flight and no other major problems under discussion, NASA managers set Aug. 25 as the official launch date.

______________________________________________________________

NOAA Joins Other U.S. Agencies and Canada to Survey the Arctic Continental Shelf

NOAA will join a multi-agency joint expedition that will bring together icebreakers from the U.S. and Canada to collect and share data useful to both countries in defining the full extent of the Arctic continental shelf.

The Arctic survey is part of the multi-year, multi-agency effort undertaken by the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Project, led by the Department of State, with vice co-chairs from the Department of the Interior and NOAA. NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research provided key funding for the U.S. mission. This year, the survey will include a NOAA Teacher at Sea.

Under international law, every coastal nation is entitled to delineate the outer limit of its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from shore. Within this extended continental shelf, the coastal state has sovereign rights over the natural resources.

Larry Mayer, director of the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping and co-director of the Joint Hydrographic Center, is the chief scientist for the U.S. mission. NOAA’s Andy Armstrong, a physical scientist and co-director of the Joint Hydrographic Center, is the co-chief scientist. NOAA and the University of New Hampshire jointly operate the Joint Hydrographic Center.

The 41-day joint mission runs from August 7 to September 16 and will see the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent operating together to obtain a variety of data.

“NOAA and the Joint Hydrographic Center will take the lead in collecting bathymetric data from the Healy to map the seafloor, while the Canadian icebreaker collects seismic data to determine sediment thickness,” said Craig McLean, deputy assistant administrator for NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. “This collaboration saves millions of dollars by ensuring data are collected only once in the same area, and by sharing data useful to both nations.”

Christine Hedge, a school teacher from Carmel Middle School in Carmel, Ind., has been selected to be a NOAA Teacher at Sea to serve on board the Healy during the mapping. Sponsored by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, NOAA Teachers at Sea have the opportunity to interact with scientists on vessels and develop lesson plans and activities to bring back to the classroom. On this mission, Hedge will learn more about hydrography, as well as ecosystems and resources within the North American extended continental shelf.

Deborah Hutchinson, a scientist from the U.S. Geological Survey, will ride the Canadian icebreaker to coordinate seismic data collection with counterparts from the Geological Survey of Canada, a part of the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural Resources Canada. A Canadian scientist will ride the Healy.

The 2009 mission continues the U.S.-Canada partnership begun last year, and plans are in place to continue joint operations in 2010. The mission builds on earlier Arctic mapping efforts funded by NOAA. Data collected this year will emphasize the region of the central to northern Chukchi Borderland – the large undersea plateau that extends into the Arctic Basin north of Alaska – northwards onto Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge and eastwards toward the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Final locations will depend on ice conditions. When one ship is focused on collecting data, the other ship will sail ahead to break ice for a clear and open path.

“The mission’s primary purpose is to determine the full extent of the continental shelf, but the data collected during this cruise will also help us learn more about seafloor processes, ocean circulation, the geologic origin of the Arctic basin, ecosystems, and navigation,” said Armstrong.

Previous mapping missions have revealed bathymetric “pockmarks” on the Chukchi Borderland thought to be gas seeps. These could host chemosynthetic ecosystems where ocean life is based on energy from chemicals rather than from the sun. In addition, the discovery of an unmapped seamount, since named Healy Seamount, will enable safer submarine navigation.

On this year’s mission, NOAA’s Pablo Clemente-Colón, chief scientist at the U.S. National Ice Center, will coordinate the deployment of buoys to monitor ice, atmospheric and upper ocean thermal conditions in the Arctic Ocean as part of the International Arctic Buoy Program and the Arctic Observing Network efforts.

Members of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Task Force are the U.S. Department of State, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of the Interior, Executive Office of the President, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Coast Guard, National Science Foundation, Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Navy, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Management Service, and the Arctic Research Commission.  

Back to top

______________________________________________________________

Bittersweet launch ends several chapters of history
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW

As the day dawned at Cape Canaveral this morning, another Delta 2 rocket darted into the sky on a satellite deployment mission. But this successful launch was remarkably different. Instead of bringing joy, there was deep sadness from the finality bought by the flight.

The breath-taking blastoff at 6:35 a.m. EDT, with the first hints of sunlight peeking over the horizon, began an hour-long trek to space on a flight that would mark the final satellite of its breed to fly, the final time the U.S. Air Force would use this venerable rocket and the final scheduled use of a launch pad in existence for decades.

The three stages of the booster did their jobs, delivering the Global Positioning System spacecraft into the prescribed orbit just like the dependable Delta 2 had done 47 previous times for the navigation network in the past 20 years.

The rocket carried the last bird in the current era of GPS satellites, capping a partnership between the Delta 2 and spacecraft builder Lockheed Martin that expanded and modernized the constellation.

The Air Force now says farewell to the Delta 2 after more than 50 flights, seeing no future need for the launcher. During an upheaval in U.S. policy following the Challenger tragedy, the military helped conceive the rocket as a means of transferring satellite launches from the space shuttle to unmanned boosters. The Delta 2 proved to be a workhorse, but newer rockets will serve the Air Force going forward.

Another step in upgrading GPS

GPS satellites fly about 11,000 nautical miles above the planet and emit continuous navigation signals that allow users to find their precise position in latitude, longitude and altitude and determine time. Originally built for the U.S. military, the GPS service has spread across the world as an indispensable commercial utility.

"You are starting to see it integrated into everything we do. This came from a vision from a small number of people that really were diligent to keeping it moving forward even in when most people didn't think it was anything but a toy," said Col. Dave Madden, commander of the Air Force's Global Positioning Systems Wing.

The GPS 2R-21 spacecraft will replace a long-lived satellite in the navigation constellation, taking over Plane E, Slot 3 occupied by the GPS 2A-26 craft launched in July 1996 that's lasted nearly twice its design life.

The new satellite is another in a series equipped with modernized features designed as a bridge from the current generation of GPS spacecraft to the future ones. The upgraded craft transmit additional signals and offer improvements aimed at greater accuracy, tougher resistance to interference and enhanced performance for users around the globe.

The new civilian signal removes navigation errors caused by the Earth's ionosphere. The military advancements will provide a more robust jam-resistant signal and enable better targeting of GPS-guided weapons in hostile environments.

"With the whole modernization program, we're increasing the number of signals which is providing exponential growth in the uses and the ability to make this world a better place, and also give our military an edge up on the battlefield," Madden said.

"It is fascinating how this program funded by the Department of Defense, and now even the civil Department of Transportation is providing support funding to it, to how it's significantly, in my mind, changed the world and made life better for everybody on the planet."

There are 30 operational satellites in the GPS network today, well above the minimum 24 needed. GPS 2R-21 should be ready to begin service in a couple of weeks.

"The current GPS constellation has the most satellites and the greatest capability ever," Madden said.

The Boeing-made GPS 2F family of satellites should begin launching early next year and further improve what the system can do.

"GPS is the preeminent military space-based position, navigation and timing service supporting the warfighter and the growing needs of our global economy. We are committed to maintaining the current level of service while striving to improve the GPS system as we sustain it and as we modernize it into the future," Madden said.

Era of the Air Force Delta 2 is over

After 20 years and over 50 launches of the Delta 2 vehicle for the Air Force, this successful relationship between rocket and customer has reached the end.

"While we celebrate the tremendous success the Delta 2 rocket has provided the Air Force over the past many years, we are saddened to say goodbye to what we feel like is a very dear friend. The Delta 2 rocket provided the military a highly reliable and capable launch service that has directly contributed to our warfighting capability and national defense," said John Wagner, the mission director and chief technical director at the Space and Missile System Center's Launch and Range Systems Wing.

The Delta 2 was born to launch the GPS constellation, a last-minute change as the nation shifted its dependence away from the space shuttle following Challenger.

"In 1986 after the Challenger accident, the Air Force had to very quickly make some real-time decisions on spinning up its expendable, unmanned launch vehicle program because prior to that we were putting all of our satellites on the space shuttle. Very quick, we had to put together two programs in order to get us back flying," said Wagner.
 

The Delta 2, Atlas 2 and Titan 4 rockets served the Air Force well, carrying out dozens of flights between 1989 and today. But now the U.S. military has retired its use of those vehicles, completing a major chapter of U.S. space launch history.

"We had to really scramble to recover, but we have had a tremendous amount of success on all those programs and allowed us to maintain our satellites and keep our constellation healthy," Wagner said. "While these programs were unfortunately birthed due to a tragedy, they have been a tremendous success for the nation and for our military."

Although the rockets proved to be reliable, the Air Force has transitioned to newer vehicles -- the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 -- that are meant to be versatile in launching a range of different payloads. The upcoming GPS 2F satellites, for example, will be delivered directly into their high orbits in contrast to the Delta 2 that placed its GPS payloads into a transfer orbit that required those satellites to perform a major altitude raising maneuver with a kick motor.

United Launch Alliance has seven more Delta 2 launches for NASA and commercial customers planned over the next few years, including five from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and two at Cape Canaveral. The company also has five rockets available to sell.

"The Delta 2 workhorse will remain the medium class launch vehicle industry standard for years to come," said Jim Sponnick, ULA's vice president for the Delta Product Line.

The Air Force's 1st Space Launch Squadron that has overseen Delta 2 missions from Cape Canaveral's Complex 17 will be inactivated tomorrow. NASA will take over the site on October 1, a spokesman says, for its GRAIL lunar research mission scheduled to launch in 2011.

Today was the final planned use of pad 17A that's been around since the 1950s. Throughout the history of rocketry at the Cape, various versions of the Thor and Delta launchers have flown from the site. Since the overall Delta 2 program is throttling down, the two remaining flights on the East Coast manifest plan to use neighboring pad 17B.

Back to top

______________________________________________________________

Beating swords into plough shares with Soviet Almaz
BY CRAIG COVAULT
SPACEFLIGHT NOW

The previously top secret reusable reentry vehicle for the Soviet "Almaz" manned military space station will form the backbone of a major new U.S./Russian commercial venture to carry paying research crews on one week missions into Earth orbit by 2013.

The reusable reentry vehicle (RRV) venture is being announced today at MAKS, the annual Moscow Air Show at Ramenskoye air base.

The reusable Russian hardware purchased to initiate the venture was built more than 30 years ago as part of a large Soviet space reconnaissance program that was killed by the Soviets, much like its U.S. counterpoint was canceled by the U.S. Air Force.

Back to top

______________________________________________________________

Earth

Earth is a complex, dynamic system we do not yet fully understand. The Earth system, like the human body, comprises diverse components that interact in complex ways. We need to understand the Earth's atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere as a single connected system. Our planet is changing on all spatial and temporal scales. The purpose of NASA's Earth science program is to develop a scientific understanding of Earth's system and its response to natural or human-induced changes, and to improve prediction of climate, weather, and natural hazards.

Model Remote Sensor Project
By: Pete Arvedson

What does "remote sensing" mean? How do the remote sensors on satellites work? How does the concept of reflectivity help us to understand how remote sensors on satellites observe and measure things on the Earth and in the heavens? With about five dollars in simple electronic parts, students can build a working model of a simple remote sensor. The sensor can then used to measure reflected light. By adding color filters, the reflectance in red, green, and blue wavebands can be determined separately and the results graphed with computer software such as Microsoft Excel. This circuit and original lesson were designed by Duane Laursen for his students in the La Puente High School Academy of Science & Engineering and presented at the Satellites & Education Conference in 2003. The current lesson format was prepared by Pete Arvedson and presented at conferences in 2006 and 2007. The complexity and depth of information explored by the students depends on the intended lesson context. For some classes, simply completing the construction of a working model brings great personal reward.

 For others, the theory of light, color, and reflectivity can be explored along with basic electronics and radio theory. Once the sensor is constructed and tested, it should be used in an experiment to determine the intensity of red, green, and blue light reflected from various reflective surfaces. Glossy red, green, blue, and white papers can be used as controls while sand or dirt, grass, and other natural materials are used as experimental surfaces. The experimental results generally vary depending on selection of reflective materials, the light source, and the amount and quality of ambient room light present during measurements. A sample data set with analysis is included.
 

Download the lesson plan by clicking here.
(you need to have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can download it for free by clicking here)

Download the Power Point presentation by clicking here.

If you need to access this lesson plan in the future you can download it from the "Lesson Plans" section of this webiste.

Atlantic Hurricane Season Springs to Life: A Recap of the 2009 Season So Far
By: Steve Lang, SSAI, Goddard Space Flight Center

After a rather slow start, the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season has seen a sudden surge in activity with the rapid emergence of three named storms: Tropical Storms Ana and Claudette and Hurricane Bill, the first hurricane of the season. After the first tropical depression (TD) of the season, called Tropical Depression One (TD #1) formed back in late May, the Atlantic was quiet for two and a half months.

Since 2001, there have been nearly 5 named storms on average by the middle of August.

Sea surface temperatures have been slightly above normal over nearly all of the tropical North Atlantic since mid-July. A strong tropical wave that moved off of the west coast of Africa on Wednesday, August 12 was able to take advantage of the warm water and formed into a tropical depression (TD #3) on the morning of August 15 as it was moving westward about 700 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. TD #2, which would later become Tropical Storm Ana, had also formed in this same general area four days prior. Storms that form in this region are known as "Cape Verde" storms. Cape Verde storms most often occur in August and September during the height of the season.

TD #3 was upgraded to a tropical storm and named Bill on the afternoon of August 15. Bill slowly intensified but remained at tropical storm intensity on the 16th as it made its way through the central Atlantic. On the morning of August 17, Bill continued to intensify and was upgraded to hurricane intensity.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite (known as TRMM) was placed into service in November of 1997. From its low-earth orbit, TRMM has been providing valuable images and information on tropical cyclones around the Tropics using a combination of passive microwave and active radar sensors, including the first precipitation radar in space.

TRMM was able to capture an image of Bill at 11:33 UTC (7:33 am EDT) on August 17, 2009 just after Bill was upgraded to a hurricane. The image shows the horizontal pattern of rain intensity within the storm. Rain rates in the center swath are based on the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), and those in the outer swath on the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS). TRMM reveals that although Bill does not yet have an eye or eyewall, it does have a well-developed cyclonic circulation as evidenced by the curvature in the surrounding rain bands (green and blue areas indicating moderate to light rain, respectively) spiraling in towards the center. Within these rain bands are embedded areas of intense rain (shown in red). At the time of this image, Bill's maximum sustained winds were estimated at 65 knots (75 mph) by the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Bill is expected to continue to intensify and could become a major hurricane. It is forecast by the National Hurricane Center to recurve to the northwest and be in the vicinity of Bermuda by Saturday.

TRMM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA.

Back to top

_________________________________________________________________

M.Y. S.P.A.C.E. Photos from the conference posted.
Click Here

Be a M.Y. S.P.A.C.E. Teacher
Click here
to find out how

_________________________________________________________________

Ares: Testing Rockets

Go on location with five engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center for a real-world look at the science, technology, engineering and mathematics behind rocket testing. This is the fourth installment in our popular documentary series about the Ares Launch Vehicles.
Running time 8:44 minutes.

Subject: science
Topic: physics
Grades: 11 - 12

Watch the movie now - click here

Back to top

___________________________________________________________

Blast Back to School

As you get ready for the new school year, consider adding a little space to your class. NASA offers educational resources for use with kindergarten through college, as well as resources for the informal education community. Many of NASA's educational products are quick and easy to find on the NASA Web site. Here are some opportunities and resources to help kick off the new school year.

Click on a category below for a detailed list of NASA opportunities available to you and your students.

      >  Bring NASA Missions Into Your Classroom
      >  Bring NASA to Your School and Neighborhood
      >  Attend a NASA Educator Workshop
      >  Current Opportunities for Educators and Students
      >  NASA Resources for Your Classroom
      >  Especially for Students


Did You Know ...

Educators can search NASA downloadable educational materials online by subject, grade level and product type?
>  View site

Educators can receive e-mail messages about new NASA educational products, events and opportunities?
>  View site

NASA educational multimedia products may be ordered from the Central Operation of Resources for Educators? Visit the CORE Web site for a catalog of products and ordering information.
>  View site

NASA educational programming is available daily on NASA TV?
>  View site

An alphabetic list of NASA items of interest to educators is available for browsing?
>  View site

Students can play online games that explain each space shuttle mission?
>  View site

NASA launches a variety of vehicles from launch sites on both U.S. coasts? Viewers can follow NASA's launches via NASA TV. For a list of key launch dates:
>  View site

Back to top

______________________________________________________________

Warmest Global Ocean Surface Temperatures on Record for July

The planet’s ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for July, breaking the previous high mark established in 1998 according to an analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for July 2009 ranked fifth-warmest since world-wide records began in 1880.

Global Climate Statistics

Notable Developments and Events

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the oceans to surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

Back to top

______________________________________________________________

____________________________