Desert RATS: Black Point Lava Flow, Human Origins and Destiny

By Dr. Jim Rice
Dr. Jim Rice is an Astrogeologist working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. For the 2010 Desert Rats field test, Dr. Rice will be the geology crew member on rover A in week one, as well as a member of the science backroom for week 2.

Our field site here in northern Arizona allows one to contemplate our human origins and destiny in a very unique way. Now, allow me to explain. The Black Point Lava Flow, where Chris and I started our 7-day mission in Rover Alpha, is 2 million years old. 2 million years is an interesting number in terms of human origins. While the Black Point Lava Flow was being born and flowing as a river of molten rock and fire, our early ancestors, Homo Erectus, were learning to fashion tools out of rock (some were made of basalt - the very same rock type that is at Black Point) and harness fire for the first time in Africa, the cradle of mankind. This date of 2 million years ago also records the first migration of our ancient ancestors out of Africa and into what is now Europe and Asia.

Photo of the earliest human footprint recorded in volcanic ash.

Now, moving on to another prominent lava flow for this year's field test, we come to the lava flow from SP Mountain. This flow is 70,000 years old and while this eruption was taking place, halfway around the globe a much larger massive super volcanic eruption was occurring at Toba, in what is present-day Indonesia. This was one of the largest eruptions known in the geologic record. Its prestigious amounts of ash combined with an already present Ice Age contributed to further cooling the planet down. At the same time, the human population had decreased to a dangerously low level of between only 1,000 to 10,000 people worldwide. Modern humans at this time started another mass migration out of Africa that eventually led to the spread of humans across the whole globe that we recognize today.

Photo of the first human footprint in lunar soil.

Flash forward to today, where we are now conducting a manned Planetary Rover field test. It is also interesting to note that the earliest human footprints are recorded and preserved in a layer of volcanic ash, and the Apollo astronauts' bootprints are also preserved in the volcanic plains of the moon (see photos below). The human race is now on the brink of another major migration - this time it is into the cosmos. I have no doubt that Desert RATS with everyone’s hard labor and long hours is setting the stage for this, the greatest of all human migrations out among the stars.

Live Chat Roundup: September 23, 2010

By Jim Gerard, INSPIRE Education Specialist, KSC, FL

A solar storm could strike at any time an paralyze our nation by knocking out the electrical power grid and communication satellites we depend on.  But don't worry!  According to Dr. Sten Odenwald, an astronomer/mathematician from the Goddard Space Flight Center, we are developing tools and science to detect and counter the effects of such a storm.  Dr. Odenwald presented to 83 members of the INSPIRE Online Learning Community at last evening's Live Chat.  He led the participants through our current knowledge of the workings of the Sun's magnetosphere and how that interacts with the Sun' surface.  That interaction produces events we refer to as 'space weather'.  These events, such as flares and coronal mass ejections, can reach the Earth and cause an effect to its magnetic field.  These effects range from the beautiful aurora found in the polar regions to dangerous electrical system malfunctions that could occur anywhere.

You can access the presentation in the Live Chat Archive or by clicking the Archive link from the Live Chat Room List.  We offer the chat in three formats: an Elluminate file, a Quicktime video and an MP3 audio file.  While the Elluminate file is available approximately 1 hour after the presentation concludes, the Quicktime and MP3 files will be posted on Monday morning.  Students who view these archives are welcome to post questions for our speaker on the Discussion Board, and are eligible for 50 points by using the passcode (found at the end of the archive) to access the chat quiz.

Next week, we look at the events that have shaped NASA, as I myself will be your presenter to walk you down the timeline of NASA Milestones.  This chat will be for 12th Grade students.  See you then!

Desert RATS: Fieldwork With The Space Exploration Vehicle

By José Hurtado
José Hurtado is a geologist, teaching at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). During Desert RATS 2010 he is working in the science back room in week one, and on Space Exploration Vehicle A as the geology crew member in week two.

My name is José Hurtado, and, while I am a geologist and professor in my normal job, for the past three days I am one of two crewmembers on board a prototype planetary rover called the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV). I'm supporting a week-long mission simulation in the Arizona desert north of Flagstaff that is part of a NASA field test called Desert RATS (Research and Technology Studies). The test has the overall goal of figuring out how to use the SEV for studying geology on another planet. We are doing this in the San Francisco volcanic field, a cluster of volcanoes that have erupted over the past 3 million years and are similar to the types of terrain and geology we hope to someday explore on the surface of the moon or Mars. Our mission is to make observations and to collect samples to help unravel the history of volcanic eruptions in the area.

The caravan with Space Exploration Vehicles (SEVs) also includes chase vehicles with scientists and others supporting mission operations teams.

The Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) moving along the trail is captured on camera from behind rock formations.

Our main tool for doing this is the rover itself, which is an incredible machine for fieldwork. In addition to being able to climb over steep, rough terrain, it also has an array of cameras and a bubble window that allow us to get detailed views of the surroundings. It serves as our mobile home and base of operations for performing EVAs ("extravehicular activities"), or spacewalks to make detailed observations. During our EVAs we wear backpacks that simulate the spacesuits astronauts would wear when exploring outside their SEV. The backpacks also have video cameras we can use to share our findings with our colleagues on the science team in "mission control". Other tools we use are familiar to geologists, including a rock hammer, shovel, tongs, core tubes, and sample bags. We use these to take rock, soil, and sediment samples to bring back to a prototype GeoLab facility at base camp. The GeoLab allows us to make basic observations about the texture and structure of the samples with a microscope and mineral and elemental composition of our samples with an X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer.

I have three more days left in my mission before we arrive at base camp for a day of work in the GeoLab. It has been a productive and fun mission so far, and I'm happy to have the opportunity to help NASA plan for future planetary exploration missions!

Focusing on the Future

By Steven Williams, INSPIRE Community Member

The NASA INSPIRE program has meant a lot to me throughout this past school year. It has helped me and taught me in many different ways. Firstly, the INSPIRE program expanded my knowledge about all the different jobs that NASA has to offer and how they all correlate. This has really helped me to decide which area of NASA work I want to get into and also what I want to do in that area, but it has also shown me that there is still much more to learn about NASA and its jobs. Secondly, during the school year INSPIRE kept me learning about NASA and STEM areas even if I wasn’t studying them during that part of the school year. Since I was still studying STEM areas through INSPIRE when I went back to studying them in school I was already sharp on the subjects and already knew some of the materials. My absolute favorite part of the NASA INSPIRE program was the collegiate experience at the University of Puerto Rico. I learned a lot during this program. It has really helped me to get ready for this upcoming school year. I now feel a lot more prepared for what college and high school classes that are coming up in the near future hold for me. During the experience I got the chance to meet many different kids from different areas and backgrounds. I also got to see and learn about the Puerto Rican culture. The NASA INSPIRE program has meant so much to me over the course of this year, has taught me so much, helped me stay sharp in my classes, and has helped me develop a greater interest in my future.

Desert RATS: Geology from the Rover

By Dr. Jacob Bleacher
Dr. Jacob Bleacher is a Planetary Geologist working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. For the 2010 Desert RATS field test, Dr. Bleacher is the geology crew member on rover B during week one.

I am a geologist who studies lava flows on the Earth, moon, and Mars. To do so, I conduct field work on lava flows here on the Earth for comparison with other planets. The Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) is a tremendous asset for conducting field geology in extreme environments. Unlike Apollo, where the crew needed to return to the Lander at the end of each day, we use the SEV to travel from a site of geologic interest to another site of geologic interest, without being forced to return to a common location every night. As such, we carry the most important geologic tool with us, the geologist.

Geologists Dr. Jacob Bleacher (left) and Dr. Jim Rice (right) take a closer look before collecting samples.

To support the geologist, the rover has a bevy of tools. Once we reach an exciting site, and our commander has picked a safe location to park, we begin by recording a voice note to tell the science team what our plan is for exploring the area. This note is supported by video and images taken from cameras mounted on masts above the rover. After providing an overview to the science team, they are given control of the cameras to track our progress outside of the rover. At this point, we move to the back of the rover, where the suitports are located, and begin our Extra-Vehicular Activity or EVA. The suitports are a new design allowing us to climb into the suit through its backpack. The process keeps the suit and the dust that sticks to it on the outside of the rover.

Once outside, we collect the tools that we will need to complete our objectives for the site. We have a standard geologist hammer, shovels, core tube (to collect soils without disturbing their layers), and sample bags. We also have two cameras mounted on our backpacks. We use the cameras to show the scientists at base camp the rocks and samples we are collecting. With the cameras, we record notes for the science team. Our field notes describe sample characteristics and its relationship to other samples. The cameras provide audio, video, and high definition images that help us document what we have done.

Space Exploration Vehicle rovers A & B connected to the Pressurized Excursion Module (PEM).

After we collect samples, we weigh them and store them in a locker on the aft (back deck of the rover.) The aft is where the samples are stored until we meet up with the Pressurized Excursion Module or PEM. Our SEV docks to the PEM. The PEM is a large habitat housing tools and equipment we use to repair our suits or hardware. In the habitat we also have medical equipment and a geology work station. The geology workstation has laboratory instruments we use to study exciting samples in more detail. This is how we will use the SEVs to explore the geology of another planet or the moon.

Live Chat Roundup: September 16, 2010

By Jim Gerard, INSPIRE Education Specialist, KSC, FL

Did you know NASA was banned from Olympic competition?  That is, one of its Spinoff technologies was.  The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics saw so many record breaking heats due in part to the Spinoff technology incorporated in the Speedo LZR Racer swim wear that it was banned from future competition.  This information and much more was presented by NASA Spinoff magazine editor Daniel Lockney to 79  OLC sophomores.   The chat is now available as an Elluminate archive, and will soon be listed on the main page Live Chat Archive.  Make sure to note the passcode at the end of the presentation and take the quiz to earn 50 points.

One note:  my microphone was garbled during the introduction and during some of the following questions, but it does clear up.  This was due to a last minute change. It does not effect the presentation nor the quiz.

If you check the archives, you'll also notice we are offering the chats as both a podcast and a vodcast.  These will be available the Monday after the chat to allow for formatting.  We hope to have these as a subscription to automatically download to your phone or MP3 player and watch at a later time.  Stay tuned!

Next week, we invite our 11th Grade OLC members to hear Dr. Sten Odenwald discuss the impact of Solar Storms on our planet.  The chat begins at 8:00pm CT on Thursday, September 23 with the room opening at 7:45pm CT.  The archive will be available Friday morning.  See you juniors there!

Desert RATS: Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Information System

By Scott Bleisath
Scott Bleisath is leading a team of engineers from NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), who are developing electronics and displays for NASA's next generation of astronaut space suits.

The Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Power, Avionics, and Software team at NASA's Glenn Research Center (Cleveland, Ohio) are proud to be participating in Desert RATS 2010. As part of NASA's space suit engineering team, our role is to develop a suite of electronic tools and applications that will help future spacewalking astronauts work efficiently and autonomously. For Desert RATS 2010, we are testing a prototype EVA Information System (EVAIS). This electronic system is carried inside the astronaut backpacks, used during the daily EVA (spacewalk) excursions performed by the rover crews. The EVAIS works along with a small flat-panel computer display on the astronaut's wrist, called a cuff display, and a High Definition (HD) video camera mounted on the backpack.

Astronaut Stan Love (foreground left) holds up a sample rock, while recording a Crew Field Note during an EVA. A cuff display can be seen on his left arm.

The EVAIS and cuff display stores and displays timelines, procedures, and maps to the Desert RATS crewmembers. For an astronaut performing a spacewalk, providing access to this type of information is very important. For any exploration space mission beyond Earth orbit, such as missions to the Moon, near Earth asteroids, or Mars, communication with flight controllers on Earth may not be available or may be significantly delayed. The EVAIS enables the crew to manage their activities autonomously.

At Desert RATS, we are learning what is the correct type and amount of information needed by an EVA crewmember. Any electronics going on a spacesuit has to be very efficient from a size, weight, and power perspective. So, we cannot afford to have any "bells and whistles." Our team spent over a year talking to astronauts and other stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations for our system. They made it clear to us that we cannot bog the crew down with too much information, because that would hinder operations, rather than help.

This is an example snap-shot image recorded by the EVA Information System. The image was recorded by Desert RATS crewmember Jake Bleacher. The color chart worn on his wrist helps geologists analyze the rock sample. Space Exploration Vehicle Rover B can be seen in the background.

In addition to displaying information, the EVAIS allows an EVA crewmember to record snapshots and Crew Field Notes (CFNs) with an HD video camera. For geologists, much of the data that they gather, when working out in the field, is their verbal observations being dictated into a tape recorder. Using buttons on the cuff display, the astronaut can activate the camera and built-in recorder to record CFNs. So, the crewmember can gather a rock sample, hold it up in front of the camera, and provide a verbal description. The CFNs are stored on the EVAIS and at the end of the day, they are sent to the science-support team on the ground to analyze.

As the 14-day mission for Desert RATS 2010 is nearing completion, our team is very pleased with the results that we have seen so far. Our system has held up well to the rigorous desert environment. It has been a lot of fun to see our system in use and see how much the science-support team appreciates the geologic data recorded by the EVAIS. We are already thinking about improvements we can make in Desert RATS 2011.

Monitoring Wildlife and the Ecosystem of KSC

By Cati Gandolfi, KSC INSPIRE Pre-College Intern

Imagine given a once in a lifetime opportunity to study and explore endangered and threatened species on one of the most fascinating wildlife conservations in our nation. As a young student and NASA intern, I was able to fulfill my dream to work for NASA on 140,000 acres of the Merritt Island Refuge as an ecological intern. Not only was this experience satisfying, but it also provided me with a positive outlook on our environment and why we all need to protect it.

I never realized the importance of our environment and the effects our wildlife has on our ecology until I was fortunate enough to work with some dedicated and experienced Mentors who educated me. My mentors taught me how to protect the threatened Florida scrub jay, beach mice, sea turtles, fish populations, such as the Red Drum, and the American Alligator.

I was given the opportunity to study the smallest rodent on the beach, the beach mouse. While most people would scream seeing these creatures, I actually stared in awe watching them scurry on and off the beach. They are cute furry little rodents, quite harmless, but again another threatened species. The study of the Beach mouse helps scientist determine if the population is dwindling from the coast of Florida. We study the environment, population and nests to determine habitat occupancy. The process for which we used to capture and study these mammals consisted of us baiting traps with sunflower seeds and cotton for nesting material. We collected and recorded data on sex, reproduction condition, age, weight and general condition. The rodents were ear tagged and foot printed for the purpose of tracking movement, growth, identity and health. They were released upon the tagging process and monitored while returning into their natural habitat.

My favorite ecological project that I participated in was the research and tagging of the Red Drum Fish and Lemon Shark. We used the technology of a Vemco Acoustic Transmitter which enabled us to passively monitor the general movements. The red drum is a popular sport fish that’s stock has declined in recent decades. I researched the Red Drum fish to determine reproduction and movement rates during seasonal changes. The Red Drum fish are tagged to detect site fidelity during the season; unfortunately, angling mortality effects their growth and reproduction. Therefore, true data was difficult to collect due to the decrease in population.

I was also given the opportunity to assist in the monitoring of nests of three types of sea turtles on KSC. We marked nests, located clutches, shielded nests potentially impacted by lights, recorded hatchling and inventoried nests after hatchling.

My mentors introduced me to the Florida Scrub Jay and the environment for which they live and survive in. I watched in fascination on day as a scrub jay laded in my hand as if I was one of their protectors.

The greatest excitement of my internship occurred when my mentors asked me to ride with them to study and tag alligators. At first, I thought they were joking, but within thirty minutes of our alligator hunt, I realized they were serious. Can you imagine taping an alligator s mouth, measuring their length and collecting blood samples? With me in my camouflaged pants, snake boots and long sleeve shirt I started thinking I was going to be the endangered one. My Mentor taught me how to safely catch, tag and take blood samples from a Florida Alligator. While this experience stopped my heart momentarily, I began to have more confidence in myself and more respect for this species.

Prior to my Internship, I had not realized why it was so important to protect these species. Most people perceive wildlife to be just that, wildlife; animals that can protect themselves live and die as nature allows. This perception is all wrong; these species need our help to survive, especially to protect them from extinction.

We are slowly destroying our environment and killing off various species from which we can learn. The blood from an Alligator is being tested to use as toxins for hormones.

I want to thank NASA and my mentors for giving me the opportunity to experience this internship. Prior to my internship, I was undecided about a major and life career. My mentors and friends of whom I met while working as an intern gave me a distinct direction in my life, for which I will be indebted too. Furthermore, I didn’t realize the intensity and the importance of monitoring wildlife and the ecosystem of KSC property. I worked for NASA last year as a lab intern, but this year was fulfilling because I learned the forms of wildlife and the dedication it takes to maintain the ecosystem and their natural environment. Thanks to all who gave me this wonderful experience!

By: Catherine Cati Gandolfi

Desert RATS: Dr. Love's Roving Blog

By Dr. Stan Love
Dr. Stanley G. Love is a NASA Astronaut. He completed his first spaceflight on the crew of STS-122, logging over 306 hours in space, including over 15 Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) hours in two spacewalks.

I've finished my tour of duty aboard Rover B for the first week of Desert RATS, and returned home to Houston. The mission was very busy, but now there's time to reflect on the experience and write about it.

Astronaut Stan Love in the foreground of an amazing view of a crater during Mission Day 5.

Although we were rolling across plains of waving grass with yellow flowers under sunny blue skies, the rover journey was surprisingly similar to the experience I had flying in space on Space Shuttle mission STS-122. The living quarters were small, the preserved food was very much like the menu aboard the Space Shuttle, and the flow of each day's carefully scripted and timelined operations was familiar. There were differences, of course: getting ready for a walk outside took minutes instead of hours, and the backpack we wore to simulate a space suit weighed 35 pounds, not 350!

Another difference between D-RATS and a space mission is that a simulation on Earth has some room for fun. So the fuzzy dice we hung from the front cockpit ceiling of Rover B were thought to be amusing rather than unprofessional, and the cow skull we zip-tied to the roof was hilarious instead of an embarrassment.

Astronaut Stan Love talks to scientists at base camp and describes one of the rocks he finds on Mission Day 6.

Like a space mission, however, the hallmark of the D-RATS experience is serious work. Our crew work days were fifteen hours long. We had no time to watch the DVDs we'd brought for evening entertainment. We kept a constant eye on the clock, with miles of slow driving and three geological sampling EVAs to complete before the hard deadline at the end of each day. We also kept very busy balancing the engineering and human-factors testing of the rover with the scientific goals of the expedition.

D-RATS is still running. We won't find out until afterward how well it went and how much we learned from it. But it was a great experience and I hope they invite me back next year!

Live Chat Roundup: September 9, 2010

By Jim Gerard, INSPIRE Education Specialist, KSC, FL

Wow. I’ll rephrase that. WOW!! Last night’s chat with computer engineer Khaled Ali from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was overwhelming. As you know, we have been promoting the room limit of 100 participants as reason to log in as early as possible. Within five minutes I watched the counter reach 100: but then something amazing occurred. It continued to rise: 104, 109, 117. I was wondering if it was letting a few extras on, but the count kept rising: 189, 194, 202. We started the presentation at 8:00pm CT and students continued to join the room. At maximum I saw 308 participants. I am thrilled to get this kind of response from our community, and that you all were able to get on! In the past, we would only have a fraction of that number attend, so I we did not anticipate this. My hope is that with your patience we will settle into the best method of notifying you and ensuring the room is open to as much of the community as possible.

Our chat itself was very informative, as Dr. Ali brought us up to speed on the Mars Rovers (which actually travel quite slow at 200 meters an hour!) He condensed their six-year history to a few minutes and let us in on some of the important discoveries made during their mission. He also let us in on the stalling out of Spirit and how it is now a stationary research station, and that Opportunity is on it’s way to investigating a huge crater. After the presentation Dr. Ali answered questions from our students: we had so many we went an extra 15 minutes! Thanks to all those who offered questions, and a reminder if your question was not answered you can post it in the Live Chat thread on the Discussion Board.

Next weeks' Live Chat will be about NASA Spinoff technology with Spinoff Magazine editor Daniel Lockney from Langley Research Center, VA. Right now, we are making this a sophomore level chat, so only that grade level will be invited. If this changes, we’ll let you know here and by email.

Chat Note!!!

Update: The chat is over, and contrary to what we were told we had over 300 students on our Live Chat! Thanks to all those who attended, and a reminder to those who could not, check the archives later tonight or tomorrow morning for this evening's presentation. -JG

To enter the September 9, 2010 chat with JPL's Khaled Ali at 8:00pm CT, use the link that was sent to your email account. The link from this page will not function to get you to the chat. Remember, only 100 students will have access, so first come first served. If you can not attend the session live, please check the archive later tonight.

Summer of a Lifetime

By Nathasha Rodríguez Maldonado, INSPIRE Community Member

I can say I had the best summer so far. I started it by taking three summer classes. I took Pre-Calculus, English 11th, and History of Puerto Rico during June. While doing that, I was also doing Community Service at a local Summer Camp. Then, I went to the INSPIRE Summer STEM Experience at Virginia Tech. I had the perfect time there. I met 19 wonderful students and I still cannot believe how cool they are. I have never met so many people as similar to me as them before. We also had the best RHAs. We had lectures about Engineering, did amazing hands-on Engineering activities, and visited huge labs. On our free time, we played soccer, played our instruments, played all kind of board games, went to walks, did bowling, and the girls even did a sleepover. We learned while having fun. I enjoyed a lot and I am sure everyone else did! Actually, any of us wanted to leave our new friends, so the last day was the crying day. After the SSE, I spent a week around Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City as part of a government program for high school academic achievers. There we went site visiting and I was lucky enough to meet with one of the kids from the INSPIRE SSE again. I just came home yesterday, and today the first thing I did was taking the TOEFL test. What else can I say? My summer has been AWESOME and I had the biggest opportunity of my life so far: the Summer STEM Experience at Virginia Tech!

Live Chat Roundup - 9/2

by Jim Gerard, Education Specialist, KSC, FL

Last night was the first Live Chat for the 2010-2011 INSPIRE Online Learning Community. We utilized a new software package called Elluminate Live! We had over 70 students participate in our chat, "NASA 101". After a brief rundown of the structure of NASA, we looked over the Elluminate package and all the great features it offers. We now have sound and video capabilities, so for the first time we can present as we do in the real world, by talking! I think we will be able to present a lot more information this way. Also present is video! If our presenters have a webcam, we will be able to see them as well as hear them!. I'm very excited about this and what we will be able to do this year.

We did have some difficulties that I'd like to address. I have seen many reports of OLC members unable to enter the room (it even happened to one of our INSPIRE staff!). In one case, a student reported that, although he could enter the room, his brother (also a member of the OLC) could not. Some parents could get in, while their student could not. I know this was frustrating to many of you, and for that I apologize. This was our first time with the new software, and one of the reasons I took on the presenter part rather than have an invited guest deal with it. While we look to see what the problem was, let me offer a couple of explanations and a little advice.

Emails went out on Wedsnsday with your user ID and passcodes to enter the OLC. Before the account is activated, you had to view some orientation videos and take a survey. Once this is finished, we are notified and our INSPIRE team goes to work placing you in the community and turning on you permissions. We were very pleased with the number of students/parents that did their activation immediately, though this presented a big job Thursday morning for our staff. Of course, if you are reading this you have successfully been added to the community and should have all the benefits available.

In order to enter the Elluminate chat room, your name must be placed on the 'Attendees' list. I do this when I create the room. I waited until the last minute last night to make sure all active OLC members would be able to enter, and with a 'select all' I brought the 450+ names available into the attendee list. I checked a one point in response to a request and saw a parent name on the list but not their student. This morning, we had almost 1000 names available. New names will be added today, so that may solve our problem right there.

You also need to know that their is a limit to the number of people that can sign into a room. Right now that is 100 users. What I don't know is whether that is total for the room or total sign ins. In other words, if 100 students enter, and then 30 leave or drop off, will 30 more be able to enter? I'll get this answer and see if the demand warrants increasing the room capacity. My advice: If you want to be part of the chat, enter early (the room automatically opens 15 minutes before the listed start time!). Parents, remember too that if both you and your student log in you will be preventing another student from connecting. If possible, watch with your student after they sign in.

We know not everyone who would like to would be able to be part of the chat, but you can still check it out in the archive. You will find the link to the archive at the bottom of the left column of the Home Page, or under Live Chats on the Connect page. Clicking the room name will open Elluminate and let you see the entire presentation including sound and video. You can use the Save icon to save the chat or whiteboard presentation, Print, take Notes, and download media, everything you could do during a live session. The only thing is you will not be able to participate in the live question and answer time. A thread in the Discussion board will always be available for questions and I'll make sure to pass those on to the presenters for their answers. If you have to miss an evening due to time or schedule conflicts, this is a great way to keep up with the chat!

Some students have asked about points. No points were given for attendance at the chat. We have developed an idea to award points that would be fair to all students whether they attend the chat live or by archive. More on this plan will be announced next week.

Our next chat is scheduled for next Thursday, September 9, at 8:00pm CT. It will be with Khaled Ali, an engineer with the Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. To make sure everyone has the capability to sign in, I'll open a test room for Tuesday and Wednesday night next week so you can check you connection. Watch for it to open around 7:00pm CT (you'll see the room with time listed on the Live Chat room list linked from the Connect page). I'll drop in to answer questions and help when I can.

Thanks for your patience as we work out these issues, and thanks for your willingness and desire to participate! Our community will only be as strong as our participants and we look forward to a great year!

INSPIRE: A Priceless Opportunity

By Kevin Heath, INSPIRE Community Member

I discovered the INSPIRE program in 2008 through the FIRST Robotics Competition. In the beginning, I didn’t participate very much, but as I gradually explored the Online Learning Community (OLC) website, I discovered a wealth of fascinating information and intriguing activities that I could dive into.

The activities ask the participants not only to think about the future, such as designing new ways to increase the efficiency of our current air-transportation system, but also to learn more about things we often experience but don’t think about, such as the activities that explored NASA spin-offs into the private sector. This particular activity really sparked my interest, and I discovered that the CRT contact lenses I use every day to correct my vision originated from NASA. INSPIRE has opened my eyes to see and to think in new ways, and as a result, my interest in STEM areas has increased.

One of INSPIRE’s primary purposes is to prepare students like me for the future and for the world beyond our homes, and it does a fantastic job at it. INSPIRE brings in experts in their field from various facilities and organizations and lets students ask questions like how they reached the position they’re in and what classes they recommend taking through live chats. Additionally, INSPIRE makes participants aware of the all the myriad STEM competitions, resources, and internships available, a service that nobody else provides. No other institution that I know of provides such great opportunities to so many people.


Out of everything that INSPIRE provides for students, my favorite part is the opportunity it gives students to explore their interests. Whether you are a scientist or engineer, there are always activities that fit your interests and help you develop and expand them. One activity that made a huge impact on me was Looking For Life. Previously, I had never truly thought about what alien life would look like. There are thousands of ideas about possible life forms, but most of them are fictional creations such as the Asgard, Klingons and the Na’vi. This activity set me thinking about what we know is possible, and I was forced to conclude that we know almost nothing about alien life forms. I finally decided on an extremophile for my alien life form, but the possibilities were incalculable. Since then, I have started to question the concepts that I had previously taken for granted both in and outside the classroom.

Shortly afterward, INSPIRE launched me into the virtual realm with Second Life, a virtual world where people can interact with each other through customizable avatars. Joining Second Life through INSPIRE allowed me to explore a private island that is conductive to learning about the virtual world in an educational framework. Through it, I have had the opportunity to make friends with people living thousands of miles away. INSPIRE is unique not just because it provides people with so many different opportunities but because it also helps people who are interested in STEM fields to interact.

In addition to the personal impact INSPIRE has made on me, it has also affected how I see other forms of education such as Second Life and live chats. Now I use school as an opportunity to expand on what I learn through INSPIRE, and vice versa. Education is far more than just learning, it is interacting with others and applying what you have learned. When I was learning about the Cold War in history class, I was both able to contribute what I had learned about that era from INSPIRE and expand my knowledge by delving deeper into the events of that time period. I have also been able to directly apply what I learned from science-based INSPIRE activities in my biology and chemistry classes. While INSPIRE has been first and foremost a learning opportunity for me, I hope to apply what I have already learned as well as continue my learning at Virginia Tech during my Summer Collegiate Experience.