Have any questions? Members from the MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative will be hosting an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on the Full STEAM Ahead Forums this Thursday, April 9th, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm Eastern Time (GMT -4h) 👩🚀.
Overview
Hello, Space Cadets! Welcome to your orientation for week three of Full STEAM Ahead! This time, it’s all about outer space 💫 🚀
In this Package, you’ll get the chance to explore some of the ongoing research by MIT Media Lab’s Space Exploration Initiative (SEI), and collaborative lunar exploration efforts between the SEI and MIT AeroAstro (the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics)! We’re a collection of scientists, engineers, artists, and designers, who are interested in prototyping the future of space exploration. ⚙️
This package will explore three research efforts currently underway at the SEI: The first focuses on cube satellites 🛰(or cubesats), small vessels used to help us better understand our own planet as well as outer-space! You’ll also have a chance to learn about the future of life in space and on other planets, and specifically the future of meals and dining in those new frontiers 👩🍳. Finally, you’ll learn about what life could be like on the moon, and how we could eventually live sustainably on the lunar surface. 👽👾
In learning about these topics, you’ll participate in a variety of missions to explore space hands-on through creation! You’ll envision futures, create new inventions, and even engineer model spacecrafts! Please feel free to share your mission results on the Full STEAM Ahead forums associated with this package. 👩💻
In addition to the activities featured in this package, we’ve also created a blueprint for exploring other projects and research in the field of space exploration, which includes key terms for this module.
As part of this Package, you’ll also have a chance to engage with us! SEI team members will be hosting an ‘Ask Me Anything’ on the Full STEAM Ahead Forums on Thursday, April 9th, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm Eastern Time (GMT -4h) 👩🚀. Please contribute any questions you might have for our team about their experiences, research, or any crazy questions about space you might have! We’ll be “live” online to answer these questions and share stories about our experiences prototyping the future of space technology and experiences.
Happy Exploring!
Make sure you scroll to the bottom for additional modules.
Expert Insights
Interviewer: Avery Normandin, Democratizing Science Project Coordinator, MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative // Expert: Paula do Vale Pereira, Graduate Research Assistant, STAR Lab
Activities
| Rapid prototyping small satellites (K – 2) | |
What is a CubeSat? In this activity, you’ll explore how small satellites give us insight about the mysteries of both deep space and our own changing planet! 👩🚀 Your mission: Build a mock-1U satellite that contains a payload for a mission that you design! | |
| Creating space art with model small satellites (K – 2) | |
Can you create art in zero gravity? In this activity, you will learn about three different payloads that can be used to create art in space. 👩🚀 Your mission: Create a work of art inspired by space or created with a satellite that you’ve made! | |
| PhoneSat: Modeling a spacecraft for remote imaging (3 – 5; 6 – 8; 8 – 12) | |
Can a smart phone become a satellite? In this activity, you will be creating a small satellite to protect your cell phone in outer-space environments. 👩🚀 Your mission: Your first mission is to deploy a 1U (10 x 10 x 10 cm) small satellite that takes pictures of the plants and trees in your neighborhood. | |
| Story-telling using open-source satellite imagery (6 – 8; 8 – 12) | |
Can satellite data tell a story? In this activity, you’ll use satellite imagery to tell a story and share your story maps. 👩🚀 Your mission: Create a series, collage, or gif of satellite images to illustrate climate change in some part of the world. | |
Don’t forget about this week’s blueprint for exploring other projects and research in the field of space exploration, which includes key terms for this module!
Share
“Learn one, do one, teach one” – share what you just learned with a member of your family and on the Forums! (All)
Forums
Rapid prototyping small satellites
PhoneSat: your phone in space!
Story-telling with satellite imaging
Expert Insights
Interviewer: Devora Najjar, Graduate Student, MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative // Expert: Maggie Coblentz, Design Researcher and Space Futurist, MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative
Activities
| The Future of Space Food: Intro + Resources (All Grade Levels) | |
| Food doesn’t just provide nourishment—it opens our imagination, engages our senses (see, smell, taste, touch, sound), and contains cultural heritage! In this section, learn about the factors that affect food in space. | |
| Food Preservation On and Off-Earth (All Grade Levels) | |
How do you keep food from spoiling on space missions? In this activity, you will learn about different methods of preservation. 👩🚀 Your mission: You are now an astronaut. Prepare so that you have enough food for the coming weeks. | |
| Home Cooking in Outer Space (All Grade Levels) | |
Can we make our favorite foods in outer space? In this activity, you will learn about how food scientists at NASA develop food products for the International Space Station. 👩🚀 Your mission: Take your favorite meal and explore how the meal would be different if it was cooked and eaten in space! | |
| Designing for the Zero-G Kitchen of the Future (All Grade Levels) | |
How do you mix in space? In this activity, you will think about how food can be made and eaten in space. 👩🚀 Your mission: Think about the kitchen tools you or your family use most in meal preparation and redesign it for use in outer space. | |
Don’t forget about this week’s blueprint for exploring other projects and research in the field of space exploration, which includes key terms for this module!
Share
- “Learn one, do one, teach one” – share what you just learned with a member of your family and on the Forums! (All)
- Submit to the Interplanetary Cookbook!
Forums
Food Preservation On- and Off-Earth
Expert Insights
Interviewer: Mehak Sarang, Staff Researcher, MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative // Experts: Becca Browder, Student Lead for To the Moon to Stay, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics; Rachel Bellisle, Outreach Coordinator, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program
Activities
| Selecting a Lunar Landing Site (3 – 5; 6 – 8) | |
Landing on the Moon is a difficult task! In this activity, you’ll learn about the four primary stages of a moon mission: launch, cruise, EDL (entry, descent, and landing) and return and how NASA chose the Apollo mission landing sites when they went to the Moon. 👩🚀 Your mission:Attempt your own Moon Landing! Design and build your own lunar lander, create a moonscape, test, and share your results. | |
| Moonwalking: Human locomotion on the Moon (6 – 8) | |
How can we improve astronauts’ ability to move around on the moon? In this activity, you’ll learn about the differences between walking on earth and the moon and how spacesuit design can affect an astronauts’ mobility on the moon. 👩🚀 Your mission: Try walking on the Moon. | |
| At-Home Astronaut Training Program (All Grade Levels) | |
How do astronauts prepare for space? In this activity, you’ll learn about space affects both the bodies and minds of astronauts and the rationale behind NASA’s 2 year astronaut testing program. 👩🚀 Your mission: Develop an At-Home Astronaut Training Program that thinks about the risks to astronaut health (both their bodies and their minds). | |
| Chartering the first Moon Settlement (8 – 12) | |
If people were to live on the moon, do they have the same rights as we do? In this activity, you’ll learn about the Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Agreement that define and influence space law today. 👩🚀 Your mission: Draft and share your own Federalist Paper for the Moon. | |
Don’t forget about this week’s blueprint for exploring other projects and research in the field of space exploration, which includes key terms for this module!
Share
“Learn one, do one, teach one” – share what you just learned with a member of your family and on the Forums! (All)
Forums
Selecting a Lunar Landing Site