Science, Technology and Exploration Program (STEP)

Organization:
NASA Ames Research Center, STEP

Project Co-Leaders:
Oana Marcu, Alfonso Davilla, Jhony Zavaleta and Nathan Bramall

Summary
The NASA Science, Technology and Exploration Program (NASA STEP) will provide a two-week training ground focused on informal education and hands-on activities in science research and space technology, using astrobiology as the main theme of study. The program will serve a cadre of high school students and their teachers beginning in the summer of 2009 and continuing in 2010 and 2011. Astrobiology is the perfect tool to bring together all aspects of space exploration and sciences because it is a multidisciplinary field requiring broad understanding of the underlying scientific disciplines -- from A to Z, astronomy to (evolutionary) zoology. Astrobiology exploration on Earth (often in extreme environments) and beyond, also involves robotics, advanced technology, and state-of-the-art instrumentation. NASA STEP will consist of a series of science and engineering discovery lectures, hands-on exploration activities and local and virtual field trips with the background theme of participating in a robotic mission to Mars to search for traces of life. A primary goal of NASA STEP is to exploit NASA’s unique position to provide a top-notch training program and thereby engage and motivate young students to choose science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-oriented careers. A second goal is to increase public awareness/support for space activities and exploration.

Project Description
NASA STEP is designed around a mission-building concept so as to enhance the effective translation of knowledge to participating students and teachers through hands-on science activities in the diverse science disciplines that contribute to astrobiology. It will offer direct interaction with scientists and technologists through access to on-going investigations and mission planning at NASA Ames Research Center and associated fieldwork. It will exercise collaborative and team-building skills among all participants -- students, teachers and practicing scientists.

The pilot program will begin in June 2009 and will support twenty-five students from five local high schools. Each school will send a team of five students and one teacher. Every day NASA STEP attendees will participate in short, guided science and engineering lecture/discussions presented by technical experts. These lectures will provide the knowledge background to support associated daily hands-on, discovery-based research experiments in participating laboratories and work on team projects. All research-based activities will be developed by the participating research scientists with the collaboration of education consultants and working science teachers to ensure that they adequately address specific and appropriate learning standards and metric–based assessment. At the end of the program, attendees will have been exposed to high-quality scientific and engineering subjects as well as to current science and research techniques and data related to the exploration of the solar system and the search for signs of life beyond the Earth.

Science Discovery Lectures will be related to life sciences, biophysics, planetary sciences and space exploration. Engineering Discovery Lectures will provide students with a broad overview of the many aspects of space technology, including satellites, spacecrafts, mission planning, robotics, instrumentation, etc. Through classroom lectures and hands-on activities, the program will explain how space technology has evolved, how and where it stands today, and what are the challenges that need to be addressed in the future. Hands-on Exploration Activities will be supplemented with local field trips designed to directly involve the students in the research and engineering in extreme environments used as analogs to planetary conditions. In addition, schools attending NASA STEP will be given virtual access the field educational activities to be conducted from Lake Fryxell in Antarctica during the development of the ice-sampling strategy for the upcoming IceBITE ASTEP project. Students will have direct discussions with researchers and teachers involved in the IceBite proposal. The field experience is a key part of the program, following and exemplifying the exploratory activities in the laboratory.

STEP’s co-leads are Drs. Oana Marcu, Alfonso Davila, Jhony Zavaleta, and Nathan Bramall of NASA Ames Research Center, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and the SETI Institute. STEP’s senior scientist advisor is Dr. Chris McKay of NASA Ames.

Online applications for NASA STEP must be submitted for each student, following approval by the coordinating teacher. Teachers are also asked to complete a short online survey prior to the commencement of the program. For additional details regarding the forms please contact Vicky Criddle, maria.v.criddle@nasa.gov.

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