Resources for Advanced Space Academy

(grades 10-12)

1. Before Camp – Preparation for your Visit
   • “Get to Know the Space Station” - website with up-to-date information about the current International Space Station crew, streaming videos, and science performed on the station
     
     
   • “Journey to Mars” – Overview of Mars and past, present, and future explorations of Mars.
     
     
   • “The Air Up There: Making Space Breathable” – During this activity, students will design an air-recycling system capable of capturing simulated carbon dioxide so astronauts can breathe safely while on the International Space Station or a future Mars mission.
2. After Camp - Continuing the Learning Process
   • “Let’s Go to Mars! Calculating Launch Windows” – In this math-based activity, students will learn that launching to Mars requires a spacecraft to travel in an elliptical orbit about the sun such that the spacecraft and Mars will arrive in the same place at the same time. Their task in this exercise will be to determine when we should next launch to Mars
     
     
   • “Direct Observation of Gravitational Waves: Educator’s Guide” - a brief introduction to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and to gravitational waves, along with two simple demonstration activities. [PDF]
     
     
   • “Gravity Spy” – Become citizen scientists by helping scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) search for gravitational waves, the elusive ripples of space-time.
     
     
   • “Spot the Station” – Learn when the International Space Station will fly over your location.