In This Issue:
- Career Day at SCH!
- STS-125 Mission
- New NASA Resources for Educators
- Upcoming NASA Missions
- Field Trip Grant Funding Available
- Eye on the sky—astronomical events
News You Need to Know:
- Space Center Houston Education now on Twitter— follow us
@ twitter.com/SpaceCenterEdu
- STS-125 - Space Shuttle Atlantis - Hubble Servicing Mission liftoff scheduled for May 11th at 2:01 pm EDT.
- NASA names new Space Station node Tranquility. Apollo 11's first moon landing was at the Sea of Tranquility 40 years ago, July 20, 1969. The new node is targeted for launch in February 2010.
- Out of This World Summer Day Camps! (Ages 4-14)
Looking for some summer fun for your children? Space Center Houston offers exciting educational Day Camps for children of various ages that are out of this world! Campers will learn in a fun and unique environment where they can explore the wonders of space through hands on activities and one-of-a kind space exhibits. Watch a short video or sign up on our website at: www.spacecenter.org/DayCamps.html
Upcoming Dates:
- May 11th
Targeted launch date for STS-125, Final Shuttle mission to Hubble Space Telescope
- May 22nd
Career Day
- May 27th
Soyuz launch will mark the start of 6 person crew operations on International Space Station. It will also mark the first time all five international partner agencies-NASA, the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)- will be represented on orbit.
Eye on the Sky:
- May 9 - Full Moon
- May 24 - New Moon
- June 7 - Full Moon
- June 21 - Summer Solstice
www.seasky.org
Space Center Houston now has our own planetarium! Call (281) 283-4764 for details. |
New at Space Center Houston!
Career Day at Space Center Houston Promotes Student Interest in STEM Careers! New Date: May 22, 2009
 A career in the space program is not just for rocket scientists! Expose your students to an Out-of –this World Day that only happens at Space Center Houston. Meet Robotic engineers, Flight Surgeons, Program Managers, Material Scientists, Astronauts, Nutritionists, and many local colleges in the area to help your students get ready for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Robotics Booth at Career Day:
NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC) will have a display at the Career Day with information on K-12 robotics programs for schools and career information for NASA/JSC. From EARLY (Engineering and Robotics Learned Young) robotics in the third grade to FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics at the high school level, NASA/JSC engineers mentor teams of students at area school districts. These programs teach students skills needed to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics while working alongside JSC engineers.
NASA Careers Exploration Contest!
May 15, 2009 - deadline for entries
Prizes: $2,000, VIP passes to a NASA shuttle launch, and the chance to present the project to NASA!
Contest description: Students research a NASA career; individual groups develop and present a project (podcast, website, newspaper, song, artwork, etc.) that markets this career to teens.
http://www.usatodayeducate.com/newcontest
Upcoming Special Days:
Grant funding available for field trips for Title I Schools. Limited funding — apply today!
Book your field trip today by calling our Reservations hotline at 281-283-4755 or email reservations@spacecenter.org.
STS-125:
Final Hubble Servicing Mission Scheduled for Liftoff May 11th
 MISSION HIGHLIGHTS:
- Final mission to repair Hubble Space Telescope, which orbits 350 miles above Earth
- 7-member crew will perform 5 spacewalks over the course of 11-day mission
- Repairs and improvements will extend Hubble's lifespan through at least 2014
- Endeavour will remain on Launch Pad 39B during the mission and will be designated as a back-up shuttle in the unlikely event of a rescue mission.
- First Astronaut to Twitter, Mike Massimino, will attempt to send first space tweets while on orbit.
- Visit the mission website for more information.
Educator Resources for Hubble:
See ERC Corner below
NASA Educator Resource Center Corner
Highlighted NASA Resources:
Hubble: The Last Servicing Mission
Follow the launch planned for 5/11 and explore information, activities, and downloadable education materials. Resources follow several themes, including Hubble history, careers, spacewalking, and the development of Great Observatories from the first discoveries of Galileo.
www.nasa.gov/education/hubble
NASA Explores Virtual Worlds: Live Webcast 5/27
Learn about the growing virtual community at Second Life where NASA has established a learning island offering "in world" conferences, programs, and contacts for educators. You can create an avatar and become a citizen/member of this new community.
http://dln.nasa.gov (choose DLiNfo Channel to link)
Are You a Top Star??
Here's a contest for all educators, kindergarten through college level. Just tell us your best use of the Hubble Space Telescope for teaching science, technology, engineering, or math. Winners will be chosen throughout this year till the anniversary of the Hubble in 2010. Top Stars will receive awards and national recognition.
http://topstars.strategies.org
Are We Alone?: Live Webcast from Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum 5/27
NASA's Kepler mission recently launched on a mission to seek Earth-like planets orbiting Sun-like stars. Dr. Sara Seager, planetary scientist at MIT, will discuss efforts to discover and study "exoplanets", bodies similar to Earth outside our solar system.
www.nasm.si.edu/events (click on May 27 on the calendar)
http://www.kepler.nasa.gov go to Education/Outreach page for activities and materials
For help in finding, accessing, and using NASA resources contact the JSC Educator Resource Center at erc@spacecenter.org or call Elaine Lapka at 281-244-2129 (M-F 10-4). |
