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NASA eClips™

NASA eClips™logo

Use these educational video segments to inspire and engage students.

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Do-It-Yourself Podcasts

DIY Podcast

Create your own podcast with NASA video and audio clips.

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NASA Student Ambassadors

A woman sitting at a computer console with the words NASA Student Ambassadors Virtual Community underneath

NASA has inducted more than 80 high-performing interns into a new virtual community.

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exploration-related social media

Stay connected with NASA's human exploration activities in and beyond low Earth orbit.

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Why We Explore

why do we explore?
Why Do We Explore?

From the time of our birth, humans have felt a primordial urge to explore -- to blaze new trails, map new lands, and answer profound questions about ourselves and our universe.

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    Space Exploration Series

    Exploration provides the foundation of our knowledge, technology, resources and inspiration. It seeks answers to fundamental questions about our existence, responds to recent discoveries and puts in place revolutionary techniques and capabilities to inspire our nation, the world and the next generation. Through NASA, we touch the unknown, we learn and we understand. As we take our first steps toward sustaining a human presence in the solar system, we can look forward to far-off visions of the past becoming realities of the future.

    Students will be exposed to different systems and projects of human exploration missions at NASA. Students will learn about the design, development and planning that is necessary as NASA prepares for future exploration.

Calculus

  • Next Generation Spacecraft

    Next Generation Spacecraft

    In this real world application, students will use integration to find the volume of the Orion Crew Module - NASA's newest spacecraft.

  • Space Shuttle Ascent

    Space Shuttle Ascent

    Students will utilize graphing calculators to make applications of differentiation to the mission data of a space shuttle ascent phase.

  • The Lunar Lander - Ascending from the Moon

    The Lunar Lander - Ascending from the Moon

    In this exploration activity, students will use the application of differentiation – related rates, to solve problems pertaining to the ascent portion of the Lunar Lander.

  • Lunar Surface Communications

    Lunar Surface Communications

    Future outposts on the Moon will require lunar surface equipment to maintain communications with Earth. Students will use differentiation - chain rule to derive a solution to this space exploration problem.

Physics

  • Lunar Surface Instrumentation

    Lunar Surface Instrumentation

    On the lunar surface, environmental sensors and instruments will need to be placed within proximity of a lunar outpost. Students will work with vector addition to find an answer to this space exploration problem.

  • Lunar Surface Instrumentation: Part II

    Lunar Surface Instrumentation: Part II

    Students will analyze two different approaches for completing a task based on a number of constraints and will determine the optimal method. Students will apply vector addition, as well as critical thinking skills.

  • Lunar Landing

    Lunar Landing

    Students will apply equations of motion and force to solve for unknowns in this real world application about human exploration missions to the Moon.

  • Weightless Wonder

    Weightless Wonder - Reduced Gravity Flights

    Students will learn about the parabolic flights of NASA's C9 jet - the Weightless Wonder, as they use equations of motion to derive a solution to a real life problem.

  • ARED

    ARED – Resistive Exercise in Space

    The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device, or ARED, is one of the exercise devices astronauts use aboard the International Space Station. ARED uses vacuum cylinders to simulate free weights for resistive exercise that helps astronauts maintain bone and muscle strength while in space. In this activity, students will analyze different aspects of the mechanics of the ARED device.

Career Profiles

  • Co-op student standing in front of a space shuttle

    So You Want to Work for NASA...

    This resource page provides information about some of the careers NASA has to offer and the opportunities available for students.

Exploration Interactives