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Junior astronomers at Kaiserslautern Middle School will have a unique experience this school year. They will have the opportunity through a year-long after-school activity to monitor space and moon exploration via radio astronomy.
Dr. Susan Hargis, KMS principal, recently returned from a five-day DoDEA-sponsored Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope training conducted by the Lewis Center for Educational Research in California. Educators from all districts in DoDEA received instructions on how to use the school curriculum and operate the 34-meter antenna. This year, the training is especially meaningful as NASA is launching a mission to confirm the presence or absence of water on the moon’s South Pole this winter.
“This is important for our students, as this is the first time in more than 35 years man has explored the moon,” said Dr. Hargis. “Being a part of this research project will allow KMS students to be a part of history – a part of space exploration.”
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observing and Sensing Satellite will launch together on an Atlas V rocket. The LCROSS mission will accompany the Atlas V’s Centaur upper stage rocket to orbit and impact the moon on a lunar pole. Their mission is to provide critical information to NASA as it plans our future on the moon and eventually Mars.
The Centaur will impact the moon twice – four minutes apart. These impacts will create a crater approximately 20 meters wide and almost 3 meters deep. More than 250 metric tons of lunar dust will be lofted above the surface of the moon as LCROSS flies through the debris, collecting evidence and relaying the results back to Earth. Scientists expect the impact and its debris will be visible to Earth with any telescope 10 to 12 inches or larger.
Using the technology available via the Internet, KMS students will be able to actually control the telescope located in California. Operators will talk to them from Mission Control about what data they are collecting, what the data means, and how to analyze and record it using computer software. This is a great opportunity for students to work not only with space exploration, but data analysis and problem-solving in a group setting.
Students around the world will have access to 70 hours out of every 72 hours the mission is in orbit. The results of the student-collected data will be forwarded to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for their database of scientific knowledge.
This program is open to all KMS students in sixth through eighth grade, regardless of their instructional level or experience. The year-long activity will involve research and background knowledge of science and space, all which will be led through qualified educators.
This is a great opportunity for mentors to get involved with the school. Any service or community member who would like to volunteer to be a part of this after-school program is encouraged to contact Dr. Hargis at susan.hargis@eu.dodea.edu.
(Courtesy of Kaiserslautern Middle School)
