NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Experiment/Payload Overview

Brief Summary

Education Payload Operations - Educator (EPO - Educator) will use video and still photography to capture data of experiment activities on-orbit. Students also will be designing and completing ground-based investigations developed by the NASA Education Office, focusing on grades K-12. The activities will support the educator astronaut in their mission on orbit. An educator astronaut is a full-time astronaut who has experience teaching in K-12 classrooms.

Principal Investigator

Jonathan Neubauer, , Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, United States

Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

Matthew Keil, , Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, United States

Payload Developer

Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, United States

Sponsoring Space Agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Sponsoring Organization:

Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD)

ISS Expedition Duration:

April 2007 - October 2007

Expeditions Assigned

15

Previous ISS Missions

Expedition 14 will be the first mission for EPO-Educator.

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Experiment/Payload Description

Research Summary

• EPO-Educator is designed to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Description

The EPO-Educator payload supports the Educator Astronauts?full time astronauts with experience teaching in K-12 classrooms?in their mission in orbit. The Educator Astronaut Program (EAP) is one of NASA's pathfinder education initiatives. The main objective of the EAP is inspiring students to look at engineering, science, technology and mathematics as future career paths.

EPO-Educator uses investigations that are focused on inquiry-based learning. These investigations are performed by students in ground-based studies. Students are also involved in design challenges that are directly tied to the investigation. Part of this payload is developing activities for teachers, creating lesson plans for students K-12 and providing a website that will contain the data collection information.

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Applications

Space Applications

The participation of the students in the design processes for the EPO-Educator activities is preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Earth Applications

Using a new approach in the classroom on space flight, science, and mathematics will capture the imagination of students. Allowing students to participate in activities that directly involve NASA will inspire them to pursue careers in science and engineering.

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Operations

Operational Requirements

EPO-Educator will use video and still photography to capture data of payload activities on orbit. Part of this payload will take place in ground-base investigations that are designed and completed by students.

Operational Protocols

The Educator Astronaut will perform on-orbit educational activities that will be provided to teachers and students in the form of video for classroom use.

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Results/More Information

Through the EPO-Educator investigation, nearly 1 million students in grades K-12 have participated in the NASA Engineering Design Challenge Lunar Plant Growth Chamber. This engineering design challenge asks students to design, build and evaluate a plant growth chamber for future missions to the Moon. Students learn about the engineering design process and how to conduct a scientific experiment. In conjunction with the engineering design challenge, approximately 10 million cinnamon basil seeds were flown in space. As part of a comprehensive suite of education activities, the seeds are being delivered to students and educators across the country. To get involved in this activity and to see video captured during EPO-Educator visit www.nasa.gov/education/plantchallenge. (Evans et al. 2009)

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Related Web Sites

EdSpace

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Publications

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Ground Based Results Publications

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ISS Patent Publications

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Related Publications

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Images

Educator Astronaut, Barbara Morgan, at Anne Beers Elementary School (a NASA Explorer School) in Washington, D.C. The students were participationg in a simulation which prompted them to use their math and science skills to help a space ship lost in space find it's way back to Earth. Image courtesy of Bill Ingalls/NASA.

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NASA Image: JSC2007E03712_250 - Barbara Morgan, educator astronaut, is pictured during a demonstration at Space Center Houston with children.

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NASA Image: JSC2007E03811_250 - Educator astronaut Barbara Morgan speaks with students during Space Center Houston's "Meet an Astronaut Day" on January 19, 2007.

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