NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Visitor Center in Greenbelt, Md., will host this month’s Sunday Experiment on May 18 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. EDT. It’s a free afternoon for elementary-aged school children and their families with a look at how NASA explores space and studies Earth from space using satellites and other technology.
This month’s Sunday Experiment will explore NASA’s Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office (SSCO). Building upon 20 years’ experience servicing the Hubble Space Telescope, SSCO was formed in 2009 to advance the state of robotic servicing technology to enable the routine servicing of satellites that were not designed with servicing in mind.
Servicing a satellite in space incorporates countless engineering disciplines. SSCO is developing abilities in fuel transfer, advanced tools and skilled robotics, to name a few. SSCO’s Robotic Refueling Mission has been on the ISS since 2011, demonstrating the tools, technologies and techniques to refuel and repair satellites in orbit.
In addition to celebrating all things science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the Sunday Experiment celebrates major science missions that are managed by NASA Goddard and set to launch in the near future. The Sunday Experiment is a place where children and adults alike can discover the excitement of Goddard through fun and engaging activities.
From the ISS to work here at Goddard, SSCO is constantly working with robotics. For this interactive Sunday Experiment, we will give visitors the chance to try their hand at:
- Driving a remote control, 14-inch robot with five motors and a gripper to grab and move different objects around an activity board, and;
- Using a gripper to repair damaged multi-layer insulation on a mock satellite.
The Sunday Experiment usually held the third Sunday of each month from September through May, with some exceptions, spotlights Goddard’s world-renowned science and engineering research and technological developments. Families leave inspired by the activities, wowed by the scientists and engineers, and excited about Goddard’s revolutionary research and technology.
For more information and directions to the NASA Goddard Visitor’s Center, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/home/index.html
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/directions/index.html
Dhyan Emmanuel
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
dhyan.j.emmanuel@nasa.gov
301-286-3979