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Real World Math & Science

Space Exploration

University of Massachusetts > STEM > Real World- Space Exploration

Space Exploration is in the headlines and this selection of Futures Channel movies can introduce your students to professionals who are using math, science and innovative engineering in order to live and work in space and explore solar systems light years away.

PROBLEM SOLVING | The Starshade

Is there life on planets in other star systems? It's a very old question. But finding the answer may get simpler with a new invention by astrophysicist, professor and inventor Webster Cash. You may have read about him recently in science journals and science news reports. Here's a chance to introduce him to your students. And check out the companion classroom activity that connects a common observation of car headlights in the distance to angles, trigonometric ratios and astrophysics.

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HANDS-ON MATH | Orion Space Capsule

NASA is planning to send humans back to the Moon in 2018, but they're already working on the spacecraft to get them there.  NASA Engineer Robert Howard takes viewers inside the Habitability Design Center at Johnson Space Center for a look at the new Orion space capsule--and the math, engineering, and problem-solving skills his fascinating career demands.

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MAN'S NEW BEST FRIEND? | Reliable Robots

With millions of miles between them and their robots, NASA's robotics engineers have to make sure they have thought of everything before they send the robots on their way. Show your students how probability plays a crucial role in designing the robotic systems that we rely on to carry out missions in space too dangerous or impossible for humans.

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THE FLEXIBLE ASTRONAUT | Second Skin Capability
 
The bulky spacesuits the Apollo astronauts wore on the Moon worked great for their time.  But astronauts on longer-duration expeditions are going to need suits that are more flexible and easier to live in.  Introduce your students to MIT Professor Dava Newman as she discusses her sleek "second skin" spacesuit concept -- the Biosuit.

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The Massachusetts STEM Initiative

STEM SUMMIT V (2008): IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

STEM SUMMIT IV (2007): ACCELERATING FORWARD 

 

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This page last updated on November 12, 2008.