Space exploration comes to the classroom

From: Rocky Mountain News
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jul/28/space-exploration-comes-to-the-classroom/
By Roger Fillion

Hoping to spur more youngsters to seek a career in space exploration, Lockheed Martin Corp. is launching an online program for students and teachers to learn about NASA's mission to the moon and Mars.

The program, dubbed Orion's Path, is an interactive lesson. It's delivered via a company that provides Web-based education programs about space science, SpaceClass Inc. in Boulder.

Orion is the name of the spacecraft that Lockheed is designing and building to ferry astronauts to the moon, and later to Mars.

Lockheed engineers are helping design the vehicle at the company's Waterton Canyon campus in Jefferson County.

The Orion's Path program consists of 41 short installments of a minute or two on the SpaceClass Web site. It's aimed at middle school students. Teachers would use the program as part of their curriculum.

The installments cover such topics as how the moon was formed, spacesuits and the moon's environment.

"There's a NASA astronaut talking about why the heck we should go to the moon," said Beth McNight, the president of SpaceClass.

She said the segments "are rich with material (students) have to learn anyway," including gravity, the solar system and the planets.

The Orion spacecraft is featured in video segments. Students also can learn about the other space vehicles astronauts will use to get to the moon, and experts discuss topics such as spacesuits.

Students would take quizzes about the material and log on to "virtual labs" that focus on subjects such as how astronauts can make water on the moon.

To get the word out, Lockheed invited about 20 Colorado teachers to participate in a hands-on workshop Monday to learn about the program.

NASA's Orion project manager, Mark Geyer, said his agency hopes to excite the imaginations of kids.

Lockheed expects to do more teacher presentations about the new program in the Houston area - where much of the Orion work is being done - as well as possibly in Washington, D.C., where NASA is headquartered.

Orion's Path

What: New online program for middle school students and teachers to learn about NASA's program to send astronauts to the moon and Mars.

Sponsor: Lockheed Martin, which is designing and building the Orion spacecraft for use in the NASA missions.

Details: Program offers 41 brief online installments on different topics, as well as quizzes and "virtual science labs."

Goal: Get more young people to seek a career in space exploration.

Web site: spaceclass.org