Live Chat Roundup 9/20/12

By Jim Gerard, INSPIRE Education Specialist, KSC, FL

Anyone got the new iPhone yet? Communication is a huge industry, and an important part of every space science mission. Last night's LiveChat featured Peter Ilott, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's director of Communication and System Operations. He discussed with the 55 INSPIRE students gathered the engineering and technology involved in communication with Mars.

Although it is possible to communicate directly with the Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars, most data is relayed through one of three orbiting science probes. The relay allows the rover to carry a smaller antenna to the surface (less mass) and lessons power requirements.

Students had a great time asking questions about the transmitted data rate, the length of time the signal travels, and other engineering questions. All will be heard on the archive recording, available by Monday. Don't forget to get the password and take the quiz!

If science is your thing, come next week to hear Charles Budney, Science Office Manager, Mars Program Office. He will update the OLC on the MRL science mission. LiveChat begins at 8pm CT, with the INSPIRE Cafe open two hours earlier. No sign up needed for either. See you there next Thursday!

Discuss this blog here: http://tinyurl.com/bloginspire12

Endeavour's Last Flight

By Jim Gerard, INSPIRE Education Specialist, KSC, FL

This morning I woke early to make my way to the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC to say goodbye to an old friend. Not that I had any physical connection to her, the way my colleagues who are engineers and technicians have had. But, we do share a little history.

In 1986 I was teaching 8th grade Earth Science the fateful morning we lost Challenger and her crew. My students knew my interest in space and saw how much it affected me. I continued to push forward, emphasizing the gains of such a dangerous enterprise. I emphasized the commitment of the nation with the news in 1987 of a new orbiter, OV-105, to be built out of structural spare parts, and to replace the lost vehicle.

Then in the following year, NASA announced the honor of naming the new orbiter would go to school students. The 'Name the Orbiter' contest began, where student groups would prepare projects to promote their choice of a name. My students wanted to enter the contest, and we selected the name Endeavour. Our project was to paint a life size orbiter outline in the parking lot, using math to determine size based on a scale model of the shuttle. We also included a packet about the name, making the discovery that the original Endeavour was used by James Cook to circumnavigate the globe doing scientific research, including witnessing a transit of Venus from the South Pacific.

When the finalists were selected, we were not among them, although the name Endeavour was selected and we all felt a pride that it was our choice. The next year I was hired by NASA, and on hand to witness the first launch of our namesake. Now, 24 years later, and too soon in my opinion, she is on her way to a retirement in California, the state of her birth.

Godspeed, Endeavour. May you continue to inspire in exhibit as you did in flight.

Discuss this blog here: http://tinyurl.com/bloginspire12

LiveChat Roundup 9/14/12

By Jim Gerard, INSPIRE Education Specialist, KSC, FL

Last night began our season of LiveChats featuring NASA subject matter experts. INSPIRE staff members will still be on hand, and step in if an emergency arises, but we have an exciting schedule ahead for our LiveChats!

Our first speaker was aerospace engineer Jordan Evans from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Jordan has been working on Curiosity and getting it to the surface of Mars. He described the difficulties of living on Mars time, where your time is shifted to correspond to the location of the rover. Some great questions kept Jordan busy with his insights to the MSL. If you missed it, it will be available in the LiveChat archive, found on the Home page. Don't forget to wait for the password and take the quiz!

And, before each LiveChat, you will have the opportunity to our new feature, the INSPIRE Cafe. The idea came from a real place, right here at Kennedy Space Center Headquarters right next to the cafeteria. Our CyberCafe gives an informal place to meet up with folks, have a beverage, and chat with folks from other offices. Our INSPIRE Cafe is the perfect place to have realtime chat with your online friends, ask for homework help, and hold team meetings if you are engaged in a competitive challenge. Just click the link on the Home page starting at 6pm CT each Thursday and you'll go right to the chat (don't forget to enter your full name when prompted!). See you the Cafe!

Discuss this blog here: http://tinyurl.com/bloginspire12

Return of the Blog!

By Jim Gerard, INSPIRE Education Specialist, KSC, FL

Welcome back to the INSPIRE Blog!

You'll notice a few changes on the Connect page, and there may be a few more additions as we restructure our online presence. Let me take a minute to tell you where things are.

On the top of the frame you will see links to the Discussion Board, the Leaderboard, and the LiveChat/INSPIRE Cafe access. Below that is the INSPIRE Blog in its usual place.

The right column starts with an active leaderboard that will show the top-ten point earners (Note: Until we have points earned we will display the results from last year's Leaderboard.) You'll notice on the Leaderboard a category for "Team". Our community will be assigned to four teams for some 'intramural' activities. Your team will have a dedicated Discussion Board forum and an INSPIRE staff member to help out.

Below the Leaderboard is the NASAINSPIRE Twitterfeed. If you already have a Twitter account, don't forget to follow NASAINSPIRE and receive the tweets as soon as they are sent. If you don't (or can't) have Twitter, than you can use this feed to catch up. Beneath the Twitterfeed are some other NASA sponsored social media that may interest you.

And, of course, the INSPIRE Blog. This will be a place to read first-person accounts of NASA missions, business, and activities. But it is also a place for YOU to share YOUR story with your fellow community members. Just place your story in the Dropbox named "INSPIRE Blog" and you'll be awarded 10 points.

To start off, here is a topic starter: "You won't believe what I did this summer!" I'm looking forward to reading your submissions!

Discuss this blog here: http://tinyurl.com/bloginspire