- Teachers in Space

Taking Flight
Essays on STEM Education and Space Inspiration
Teachers in Space
Casey Stedman of Integrated Spaceflight Services (ISS) joins Teachers in
Space Pathfinder Jim Kuhl, ISS’ Ross
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Lockwood and TiS contest winner
Charlotte Kiang in celebrating just
before their flight.
Forward
When I took the lead at Teachers in Space in 2011 I had one mission - to
excite students about STEM studies by sending their teachers to space.
We started our Flight Experiments program so teachers could meet astronauts and new space entrepreneurs, gain personal flight opportunities,
and learn to conduct high altitude balloon missions with their students.
In 2012 we ran our first Flight Experiments Design competition and in 2014
we flew two teacher / student designed experiments to the International
Space Station. Now we’ve sent our first two teacher participants on a
parabolic flight to begin testing Final Frontier Design’s new multipurpose
commercial spacesuit.
For our first spacesuit test experience, we purchased two seats in a series
of test flights coordinated by Integrated Spaceflight Services. One we assigned to our Pathfinder Jim Kuhl, who has been instrumental in developing and delivering our Flight Experiments workshops since 2011. The second seat was awarded to the winner of an essay contest on the topic “Why
Space and STEM Education Matter”. Here we present the top essays and
authors from that contest, including our winner Charlotte Kiang, who has
teaching experience and is now a graduate student of engineering at Cornell University and a member of the Space Generation Advisory Council.
The essays from our contest are gathered here along with photos from
the spacesuit test flight. We hope they inspire you as much as they have
touched us.
-Liz Kennick
Liz Kennick has directed the Teachers
in Space (TIS) program since 2011,
initially as a project manager for the
Space Frontier Foundation (SFF). In
2014 Liz and her management team
incorporated TIS as 501c3 educational
nonprofit organization in the state of
New York.
Photo Credit: Ross Lockwood
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Charlotte Kiang - Winning Entry
Charlotte Kiang is a graduate student
in Cornell University’s Department of
Biological and Environmental Engineering, where she is studying space life
support systems with a focus on habitat
design for long-duration manned missions. Prior to matriculating at Cornell,
she completed her undergraduate degree in mathematics at Wellesley College, taught AP Computer Science at
the Dana Hall School, and worked as
an engineer for The Boeing Company
on its Commercial Crew program. Her
hobbies include long distance running,
yoga, scuba diving and cooking.
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I became a space engineer halfway through college, following in the
footsteps of Sally Ride, Barbara Morgan and all the other female pioneers who have proved that a determined young woman can someday
go into space. The final flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis in July 2011
opened my eyes to the need for US spaceflight capabilities to the International Space Station, and I began seeking out literature on the space
program. While I was lucky to find this passion early enough to complete a STEM degree, I quit STEM for two years after high school due
to a lack of female role models and ignorance of STEM’s applications
outside academia. To prevent other students from slipping through the
cracks, it is imperative that the educational community embrace space
exploration as part of its narrative, as there are few stories as inspirational as those of the manned space program.
To our country’s detriment, the US space program no longer enjoys the
publicity it commanded during its early years. In contrast with the Apollo
11 Moon landing, which received front page coverage in The New York
Times, the most important missions to the International Space Station
have been lucky to make
the headlines of the newspaper’s Science section.
For children who grow up
far from NASA centers,
the applications of STEM
coursework thus become
increasingly arcane. Medi-
cine, academia, and scientific research are essential to humanity, but not all students with STEM talents will aspire towards
these career paths. Conversely, the human desire to explore is
universal. The resulting manned space missions engage personnel from all life sciences, engineering, psychology and physical
sciences. Accordingly, our country’s investments in spaceflight
have a documented correlation with STEM graduation rates, illustrating the motivational power of astronautics.
In my work at NASA and Boeing, I have met plant biologists
turned space engineers as well as astrophysicists turned private physicians. The inspiration of human spaceflight opens the
door to both spin-in and spin-off careers: Knowledge from other
STEM industries is transferable to space sciences, and vice
versa. This symbiotic relationship emphasizes the fact that all
STEM education is crucial to the space program regardless of
whether the subject is directly space-related, and that the space
program is instrumental in cultivating STEM talent, even if that talent
does not ultimately remain in the space industry. Whatever career path
they choose, students with a STEM education have the ability to impact
our world with research, technology and practice that either stays on
this Earth or leaves it.
Above: Charlotte assists Teachers in
Space Pathfinder Jim Kuhl don his
For STEM degree holders who leave or choose never to work on the
space program, other high-technology industries are rife with opportunity. Graduates of STEM degree programs currently earn an average of
20% more than their peers after finishing their bachelor’s degrees due
to the high demand for technical talent. The medical device industry is
spacesuit for testing.
Far Left: Jason Reimuller of Integrated
Spaceflight Services, Charlotte, Jim
Kuhl and Teachers in Space Director
Liz Kennick pose in front of the Falcon
20 aircraft used in the parabolic flights
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working to save and extend lives with 3D printed organs, while clean
energy companies work towards a more sustainable future with electric
cars and solar panels. These large-scale projects - a tiny sampling of
this generation’s technological innovations - require a collective effort
by thousands of STEM-educated individuals for completion. Moore’s
law suggests that our rate of technological advancement will continue to
increase exponentially in coming years, rendering the need for a prolific
STEM pipeline ever more important. The sustainment of life on Earth
depends on our ability to respond to adversity and adapt to changing
environments, and it is on the educational community to ensure the
continued existence of a workforce capable of achieving these goals.
Above: Charlotte floats free of gravity in
the Falcon 20 aircraft.
Right: Charlotte, Jim, Ross Lockwood
and Casey Stedman working in microgravity during their parabolic flight.
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The pursuit of STEM education is driven by a desire to understand and
to better our lives, and at the pinnacle of this understanding is the larger
context that is our universe. Educators must promote STEM and space
education in tandem, so as to convey the full impact of science and technology to their
students. Exploration is our
future. To build
this future, we
must create the
technology to
get there, while
simultaneously
advancing our
lives here on
Earth.
Casey Olsen Stedman - Runner Up
Space: Our Future
Of all the factors that tie our world together- the one thing that transcends international, cultural, ethnic differences, the one resource that
all people can share and is present without fear of depletion is above
us at all times. No matter where one stands on this planet, space is
right there, straight up. It surrounds our planet without heed to national
borders or conflicts.
Casey Stedman is an officer in the
Space has been depicted as a new frontier, unspoiled and beckoning
for pioneers. That is true, for as a species we have barely allowed ourselves to touch the void. Our nation has made bold announcements to
place ourselves there, and the daring and few have overcome great
odds to make that possible. Space is most often presented as the realm
of the fantastic, reached only by the bold, and distant beyond the means
of the many.
This perception is a detriment to the progress of this
country. Space is there- or
here, if you will- for everyone. It is not a frontier
in the sense of a distant
shore to be reached, but
as a place of opportunity.
Rather than be seen as
United States Air Force Reserve and a
passionate advocate of space exploration. Commissioned in the Air Force in
2003, Casey has logged thousands of
hours as a navigator in transport and
reconnaissance aircraft.
In 2014, Casey led the 2nd Hawaii
Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS), a 120 day study to
simulate living on the surface of Mars.
He served as the mission commander,
overseeing the 6 person international
crew and the scientific objectives.
Above: Casey preparing for flight.
Photo by Ross Lockwood
Left: Casey, Jim, Ross Lockwood and
Charlotte pose for the camera before
their flight.
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improbably achievable, it should be seen as readily available. That is
not to say it is an easy pathway; the exploration and utilization of space
requires the utmost dedication and skills to be reached. Space can be
the place of entrepreneurs, innovators, and dreamers, but only if we
make it so.
Space offers us a medium in which we can, as a nation, ensure a prosperous future. The successes of space utilization are well known: satellite communications, earth observation- weather monitoring, resource
mapping and global positioning- solar energy, spin-off technologies.
We’ve constructed and launched a fleet of robots and probes that have
provided knowledge incomparable. And we have even made possible
the transport of people into orbit and to the surface of our moon. But
what have not even imagined yet? What benefits does space offer that
our culture has not sought?
STEM- science, technology, engineering and math. These are the tools
that make possible our future in space. STEM education is imperative if
we choose to be a space-faring nation. It is distressing that our culture
has diminished these disciplines so. Encouraging the students of today
to embrace STEM as a pathway should be a national priority.
Above: Aaron Persad with Astronauts 4
Hire looks ready for his flight
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The need for science education cannot be understated. Any country
with national or commercial ambitions to utilize space must infuse the
culture with opportunities to learn the necessary disciplines. Enriched
learning, extracurricular programs, and incentivized grants or prize
awards are just some of the tools available to encourage student interest in STEM studies. Whatever methods are devised and employed
matters not- the need for STEM graduates is essential.
Below: The first team is followed by
Space is our future. History is littered with the lessons of cultures that
turned away from new frontiers. These cautionary tales point to the error of turning our backs on opportunity. Space is here- right above us,
achievable and underutilized. The students of today are the leaders of
tomorrow. We can, as a nation, encourage them to seize this moment
and make space a piece of our national heritage. Teach STEM, make it
desirable, deconstruct the myth of the impossible.
Shawna Pandya and Callum Wallach
TV crews as they head for debriefing.
(suited) talk with Jonna Ocampo as
they return from their flight. Kari Love
and Heidi Hammerstein are chatting
about the mission as well.
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Michelle Novak Cullen
There is a powerful experience that teachers have. It’s hard to define
but it’s the reason we teach. It’s a feeling we get when we see the light
of comprehension in a student’s eyes, and their pride they as they rise
to a challenge and surpass it. It is the joy as well as the sadness at the
end of a course. These experiences are the reason why we keep going
back, year after year, to do we what we love. We teach.
Michelle Cullen is an Adjunct Professor
at Prince William Sound Community
College in Valdez, Alaska. She has
taught a range of science courses
over the past nineteen years including
Planetary Astronomy, Oceanography,
Marine Biology, and Normal Nutrition.
Her love of Planetary and Earth Science is reflected in her active Alaska
lifestyle. She and her husband enjoy
biking, skiing, sailing, and fishing.
Thank goodness for these moments, as teaching is often without reward, thankless, and frustrating. I can’t deny that going into space
would make me feel better. Like all teachers, I need to connect with others in professional settings and associations to reach out with my stories and to become rejuvenated. Like the time when I was discouraged,
exhausted, and wondered how I could go on teaching and coaching. It
was on an Alaskan night while driving the high school Nordic ski team
home from a meet that I stopped the bus on Thompson Pass to witness
the Geminid meteor shower. The team lay in the snow gazing up as the
streaks of light flashed overhead in the sparkling December night. The
memory of their astonishment is etched in my mind.
It is my hope that as a Teacher in Space, I can not only become inspired
through the connections to other educators and scientists to become a
better teacher, but I can reach far beyond my small town and inspire
others in the STEM fields.
I live in Valdez, Alaska, a remote community that is arguably the most
spectacular place on the planet. My journey as a teacher and professor
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in Valdez began with my childhood dream of becoming an astronaut.
The series Cosmos inspired me to reach for the stars and to study science and math as a girl. This led to my first teaching experience while I
was an undergrad at University of California at San Diego tutoring math
and teaching a section in a course, Wilderness and Human Values. I
learned the importance of experiential learning while I led students on
backpacking adventures. It was in that course I met my husband while
gazing at Halley’s comet in the mountains above San Diego.
Soon after my husband graduated from medical school and I earned
my high school science teaching certification, we moved north where
we have remained. Without much darkness in the summer and with
an average of 300 inches of snow in the winter, it’s more of a destination for extreme skiers than astronomers. But on those rare clear
nights skiing under a full moon or staring up at the Aurora Borealis, I
am drawn back to astronomy and to my childhood dream of becoming
an astronaut. I pursued my masters of science education and took all
the NASA and Earth Science courses I could through NSTA at Montana
State University online.
Being an adjunct at Prince William Sound Community College allows
freedom and flexibility in teaching. I engage students in active learning
in various science courses. Labs and activities are based upon inquiry
in my marine biology, astronomy, oceanography and nutrition courses.
Project based assessment in my classes has students creating field
guides. I believe learning should be fun. Creative projects, problem
solving, discussion, and strategies like games and music are integrated
into my lesson plans. Students have built football field-sized models
Above: Jason Reimuller of Integrated
Spaceflight Services greets the media
at the start of the mission briefing.
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of the solar system with the current position of the planets, and have
filmed dropping balls in slow motion on iphone videos among many
projects to build conceptual understanding. I try to overcome common
misconceptions that students often have about space. Is there gravity
in space? What about at the space shuttle and the zero-G of the ISS? I
use Tom Petty’s “Free Falling” song in my gravity lab along with discussions to teach the concept of gravity in space. Think how much more
powerful it would be to actually go on a flight that dives to Earth to bring
home the idea that the Space Shuttle is gravitationally bound to Earth,
and it is indeed, “Free Falling.”
The Teacher in Space Mission would enable me to continue innovative
teaching experiences for all ages and levels. With the training I could
have more impact locally and anywhere else my teaching takes me.
Since I am not a full time teacher at the present I have the time and
energy to reach out for Teachers in Space. I have taught at the community college as an adjunct professor, and also high school physics and
biology. I had many years volunteering at the cooperative preschool
and also as the lead preschool teacher for a year while I worked on my
master’s degree. Science is so exciting for young children. I also led
Girl Scouts and organized “Women of Science” activities. We took a trip
to the NASA Challenger Center in Alaska, and made rockets with the
cub scouts. This January my outreach is for an adult continuing education class, “The Secret Lives of Stars.”
Above: Gavin James gets suited up
and ready to fly a few parabolas on
flight number 3.
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Whether coaching or teaching I feel honored to have had those indescribable moments that make it worthwhile. I would love to share my
experiences with other educators like so many have done before me.
NSTA, the Planetary Society, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
are among a few of the professional affiliations for space and STEM
education that I rely upon to be inspired on a regular basis. They also
advocate for Space Exploration and as a Teacher in Space I would use
my advocacy skills developed as the Board Chair at our local Museum.
When we speak on behalf of our students our power is magnified. My
love of all things science makes me want to become a Teacher in Space
and share it with the world because space and STEM education matter.
Below: The NRC-CNRC Falcon 20A
prepares for another set of parabolic
flights.
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Kaci Heins
Kaci Heins is a 6th grade science
teacher at Northland Preparatory
Academy in Flagstaff, Arizona. She
has a passion for integrating Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math
into the classroom through hands-on
projects and engineering design challenges. Her hope is that her students
will develop a love for learning, and to
inspire the next generation of scientists
and engineers. Kaci is the 2014 Air
Force Association National Aerospace
Teacher of the Year, the Flagstaff
STEM Teacher of the Year, an Arizona
Ambassador for Excellence, and an
American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics Educator Achievement
Award winner. Dare Mighty Things!
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that, during the period between
2008 and 2018, employment in science and engineering occupations
will grow by more than double the rate for all occupations. STEM education is a critical component to meeting the demand for this work force.
By incorporating science, technology, engineering, math, reading and
writing all together instead of separate content areas, the students will
gain a better understanding of how they are used in the real world. As
a sixth grade science educator I had the privilege of attending Honeywell’s Space Academy for Educators in 2010. I had no interest in
space until that time. From that experience I now incorporate space science into every aspect of my science curriculum. Energy, plants, human
body, weather, satellites, robotics and more are all tied into space. As
a NASA Explorer School teacher and NASA Solar System Ambassador
we have talked with an astronaut on the International Space Station
(ISS) using amateur radio (ARISS), sent a student experiment to the
ISS, flown two student experiments in microgravity through the NASA
Reduced Gravity program, conducted web chats with astronauts and
we fly student payloads on weather balloons to 100,000 feet into the
stratosphere. Not only can every field of science be explored in space,
but it also provides a unique environment that we can compare to on
Earth. Space and STEM work hand in hand and I provide those meaningful experiences for my students as I inspire the next generation of
scientists and engineers.
Amy McCormick
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are essential to our nation’s future. To continue our role as a global leader in both technological advancements and space exploration, we must strengthen the
skills necessary for students to become productive within STEM-related
fields. To help tackle our nation’s STEM crisis, I teach science at a
public high school that is ranked for 2015 as #1 in the state of Florida,
#65 nationally, and #95 in STEM education. Most of my students enroll
in STEM fields of study and pursue STEM careers. Of the 19 students
that worked on an experiment that we flew on the International Space
Station, 100% of them are presently enrolled in STEM fields of study in
college.
It is my mission to inspire and equip my students with the tools necessary to succeed in STEM-related careers. I try to demonstrate that even
with limited means, an ordinary person can do extraordinary things if
they choose to do so. I use my personal experiences to drive this point
home. My passion is space so I continue to learn as much as I can. I
learned how to fly a glider by a Space Shuttle Commander, have flown
in the best flight simulators, have flown both XCOR and Virgin Galactic
profiles in one of the most technologically advanced centrifuges on the
planet, performed aerobatics in an L-39, practiced both hang gliding
and skydiving, trained regularly in a wind tunnel to control my flight,
performed activities in three Space Shuttle Orbiters, and have flown
experiments on ZeroG, in a zeppelin, a high-altitude balloon, and on
the International Space Station. If their science teacher can engage in
so many fascinating activities, students quickly realize that they can
Amy McCormick teaches science at
West Shore Junior/Senior High School
in Melbourne, Florida. Ms. McCormick
founded both West Shore’s Beginner
and Competitive Rubik’s Cube Clubs
as well as Project Whitworth, a team of
students that designed an experiment
to study Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(ALS) on board the International Space
Station. Amy works closely with and
supports several organizations, including the ALS Association’s Brevard
Support Group, Teachers in Space,
the NASTAR Center, and the Astronaut
Scholarship Foundation.
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Below: Charlotte poses for the camera
in front of the plane that will take her
near weightless, the Falcon 20A.
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achieve just about anything.
Testing a spacesuit in microgravity would definitely support my mission
of inspiring future STEM leaders to enter such exciting fields of study.
Having flown on multiple parabolic flights definitely provides me the
experience to be an integral part of the team. I work well with others,
do not get sick, and can focus on the task at hand to get the job done. I
appreciate the opportunity to be able to participate.
Above and Left: Kari Love of Final
Frontier Designs works with Charlotte
and Jim on spacesuit procedures
before their parabolic flight.
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Eric Shear
“The future belongs to the risktakers, not the security-seekers. The
more you seek security, the less of it you will have and the more you
pursue opportunity, the more security you will achieve.”
- Brian Tracy
Eric Shear is a recent honors graduate
of York University in Toronto, Canada.
He majored in physics and astronomy.
Before York, he studied mechanical
engineering at Tacoma Community
College. In 2011, he led a student team
to carry out experiments on the Weightless Wonder parabolic aircraft.
The above quote does not just apply to individuals - it also applies to entire societies. The society (or species) that invests time and resources
into the tracking and mining of asteroids is more protected from future
asteroid impacts than it would otherwise be. The study of astronomy
is yielding new discoveries in physics, which our future world-saving
technologies will be derived from. These reasons are logical and easy
to defend. Yet I feel that there is a deeper, non-obvious reason behind
our desire to push out into space.
Eric has also worked on two York
teams, both of which entered the Mars
Society’s competitions. The 2012 York
rover team won that year’s University Rover Challenge. The 2014 team
reached the semi-finals in the Inspiration Mars Student Design competition,
out of 38 teams worldwide.
He enjoys science fiction writing and
scuba diving.
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If we made a conscious effort to stop all our activities in space and
defund STEM education, up to and including a complete gutting of the
world’s space agencies, I think a lot of us would feel a sense of loss that
has nothing to do with the lack of GPS to guide our cars. This sense of
loss would be tied to the denial of our curiosity and ambition, emotions
that are represented by our activities in space.
This doesn’t often come up when we are asked to justify any space
project. We try to justify ourselves with reasons that can be logically defended, or with a cost/benefit analysis. But human beings are not motivated by logical arguments alone. There is always some kind of emotion
behind everything we do, no matter how much we may try to rationalize
our actions. Our motivations are often far more powerful than our best
rationalizations.
Explorers, astronauts, scientists, inventors, and businesspeople are
driven by curiosity and the desire to prove themselves. This drive is in
us all. We are the descendants of people who had to survive by outperforming others, and who accrued the rewards from it. This competitive
drive is rooted in our genes. It is often stronger than any logical reason
that can shoot it down, because it has been passed down to us by our
ancestors who thrived from it.
This instinct often has been channeled into war and conquest. But when
combined with curiosity and used for peaceful ends, it has positive consequences that cannot always be measured on a spreadsheet. When
the first pilots crossed the Atlantic on non-stop flights, their achievements changed how people viewed air travel, and led to the blossoming
of the transatlantic airline network. This would, in turn, spur the jet age
as demand increased for faster travel to more destinations. This has, in
the long run, brought the world closer together.
It is the same in any endeavor. When we constantly push against the
unknown, the benefits trickle down to everyone else in the form of more
precise thinking, new ways of doing things, and . These things lead to
an improved standard of living and a more peaceful world. As paradoxical as it may seem, increased risk-taking leads to more security.
Above: Charlotte shows her Cornell
pride - this banner flew in the plane
taped to the wall beside her.
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Stephen Johnston
Steve has been fascinated with both
space and submarine exploration from
an early age. The former chemistry
teacher now works in the private sector, and is looking forward to helping
his daughter reach for the stars and
fulfill her dreams.
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It is nothing short of amazing that in the span of eight years America
went from sitting a single man on top of a repurposed ballistic missile
to setting foot on our celestial neighbor. Now we have a permanent
orbiting research facility manned by crew from around the globe. The
innovations resulting from our ventures into the heavens so far continue to impact many facets of terrestrial life. Advances range from a
simple thermal blanket, to robotics for artificial limbs, or filtration systems allowing people in underdeveloped areas to have clean drinking
water. The medical, environmental, safety, and many other fields have
all benefited from the ideas developed for and resulting from human’s
desire to “see what’s out there.” Put simply: Exploring space makes
life on Earth better. The pragmatic reasons aside, there is the fact that
space is awesome in the original meaning of the word, and much like
climbing a mountain, part of the draw to explore space is simply, “because it’s there.” Now, modern pioneers have turned their sights to Mars
and beyond, and, with the emergence of commercial spaceflight, new
technological advances will need to be made and greater challenges
will present themselves. We must have minds prepared to meet these
challenges, and that is where STEM comes into the picture. Space exploration gives us the “why,” STEM provides us with the “how.” There
is a staggering amount of information amassed from human scientific
endeavors so far. The explorers of tomorrow will need to be able to pull
from that pool of knowledge and build upon it in order to tackle the obstacles facing them. Those who are interested in the STEM fields and
have access to programs that foster their interest may be the ones who
not only venture off the planet themselves, but also help others to do so.
We owe it to ourselves to help them reach their full potential. Whether
their ambition is to step onto the surface of another planet, experience
an unobstructed view of the Earth during a spacewalk, or to adapt a
new idea to improve life on earth, they will make the dreams of many a
reality.
Below: Charlotte, Jim and Casey Stedman having a good time during the test
procedure training.
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Oscar Mathews
Born in Madrid, Spain, Oscar graduated Kirby High School as Valedictorian
from his hometown of Memphis, TN.
He then became a naturalized US
Citizen, and graduated from the United
States Air Force Academy in 2004 with
a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. While at USAFA, Oscar earned
his Private Pilot’s certificate and then
completed a 5 year commitment in the
USAF as well as a six month tour of
As a younger student in life, I dreamt to one day find myself in space
like the hero astronauts I idolized. It wasn’t until grad school when I
finally realized, while teaching high school chemistry and algebra and
attending my aerospace classes, how truly equally-heroic my teachers were by comparison - teachers who, having meticulously lessonplanned and committed their lives to foundational preparation bright
minds require for challenging engineering and science careers, helped
us see the value in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
education.
Pursuing a life-long ambition to become an astronaut, now I find myself
in a Nuclear Engineering profession, a nascent Aerospace Ph.D. candidacy, and in serious contemplation of real space hardware testing by
a modern, specialized start-up - all while studying for the next round
of Mars One interviews as one of the first permanent settlers on that
planet (to be one of the final 100 candidates).
duty in Kuwait before separating the Air
Force. He currently works as a Navy
Reserve Aerospace Engineering Duty
Officer (Flight Test Engineer) in Pax
River NAS, Maryland. Recently, Oscar
accepted PhD candidacy at Old Dominion University’s doctoral program in
Aerospace Engineering in Norfolk, VA
and plans to specialize in space and
surface radiation shielding.
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The training I have undertaken to get to this point has included obtaining Eagle rank in the Boy Scouts, becoming Valedictorian of my class,
earning US citizenship, amassing hundreds of hours of military jet time,
parachutist qualification, survival school, test and evaluation duties as
a Navy Reserve officer, and volunteer work in my hometown. It is due
to STEM and Space-focused education that we have a strong military;
it is due to that same education we have vibrant business opportunities
and growth in the commercial space arena, NewSpace and CubeSat
start-ups, and limitless potential in additive manufacturing technology
(democratizing the average person’s ability to create and test ideas),
facilitating understanding of fundamental forces which rule gravity, life,
artificial life and intelligence, and the essential fabric of existence.
Space and STEM education are critical, not only because they help us
measure our place in the emerging understanding of our universe, but
also because science subtly informs us, with her effortless precision,
how we should behave to secure the best possible future for our children and the world. Recycle, reuse, renew. Nature adheres to her mantra and we would be wise to take heed of her daily example. Space and
STEM understanding nurtures the human spirit and guides us towards
rigorous forms of thinking, unlike any other profession and trade.
The two greatest abilities STEM and Space education impart our young
scholars is the realization that everything can be questioned, and that
everything can be knowable. Because of the fundamental role of the
scientific method, we have for the first time in the history of mankind,
the ability to colonize another planet in our solar system: Mars. With
Mars as the vanguard, our successes will energize the next great wave
of exploration and understanding of our
role in the cosmos. The risk of interplanetary spaceflight will be overcome
by engineers within our lifetimes and
hardy and intrepid explorers who will
lead the way for safe, reliable and sustainable living off the planet Earth, our
original home, for a new one.
Above: James Bevington and Michael
Masten stepping off the Falcon 20A
after their successful spacesuit testing.
Left: Ulyana Horodyskyj has a moment of levity before suiting up for her
parabolic flight. Photo credit: Ross
Lockwood.
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Brien Posey
Space and STEM education have resulted in the development of technologies that not only solve problems here on Earth, but also give us a
better quality of life. Without continued education in these areas it is not
only impossible for a technological society to progress, there is a very
real chance of technological regression.
Brien Posey is a freelance technology writer and speaker specializing in
enterprise networking. Prior to going
freelance, Posey served as CIO for a
national chain of hospitals and healthcare facilities, as a network engineer
for the United States Department of
Defense at Fort Knox, and as a network administrator for some of the largest insurance companies in America.
Currently Posey is aggressively working toward completing the Research
Specialist training requirements set
forth by Astronauts for Hire, with most
requirements already achieved. In his
free time, Brien enjoys adventure travel
(climbing live volcanoes, dog sledding
in the Arctic, wreck diving, etc.), racing
offshore powerboats, and flying RC
aircraft.
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America was once a largely agricultural country. The Industrial Revolution caused a transition away from agriculture to manufacturing and
related services. In recent decades, the American economy has largely
moved away from manufacturing and more toward technology. This
evolution is often cited as the basis for the need for STEM education,
but this reasoning alone is short sighted.
The thing that is often overlooked is that although American economy is
no longer based predominantly on agriculture or manufacturing, farming and manufacturing never completely went away. Instead, these industries have evolved in a way that takes advantage of the available
science and technology. Consider agriculture for instance. Farmers use
technology to grow larger quantities of crops on less available land in
order to feed a growing population. This is only one example of how an
industry that is seemingly far removed from math, science and technology is benefiting from such disciplines. STEM education will be essential to help the next generation of farmers to create bio fuels and deal
with challenges related to weather patterns that may not be conducive
to growing healthy crops.
Regardless of the industry, STEM education and space based research
is necessary in order to achieve technological advancements. However,
STEM education is arguably even more important for maintaining the
existing quality of life.
If a technological society such as ours fails to provide the next generation with a solid education in math, science, and technology then existing technologies can eventually be lost. While this hypothesis might
seem farfetched, history includes many such examples. The Egyptian
pyramids were an engineering marvel of their time, but for millennia
no one knew how they had been built. Similarly, the ancient Romans
used aqueducts to supply the population with water as early as the first
century BC, and yet running water was little more than an experimental
technology in the late 1700s.
Top Left: NRC Pilot Tim Leslie gives
the briefing on the testing procedures
while Casey Stedman and others follow
along.
Above: Team 4 crew member Deniz
Burnham steps off the plane after a
series of successful parabolas.
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Even in the modern age, existing technologies are being reinvented
because of our failure to keep progressing forward. The Apollo program
was the pinnacle of the manned space program, but America has not
had the ability to send humans beyond Low Earth Orbit since 1972. The
Constellation program is essentially an attempt to re-invent and expand
upon an extinct technology.
Above: Jonna Ocampo and Heidi Hammerstein are ready for some testing.
Below: Kari Love of Final Frontier
Designs walks the teams through the
testing plan before the flights begin.
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In short, rigorous STEM education is the only way to ensure continued technological advancement. While it is true that STEM education
can take place without space education, the space program has played
a pivotal role in technology research, especially related to chemistry,
computer science, and materials science. As such, it is difficult to overstate the importance of including space related sciences in a STEM
oriented curriculum.
Richard Blakeman
When early peoples gazed upon the heavens above they saw the Sun,
Moon, planets, and stars. Some early cultures worshiped these objects
as deities while others carefully observed and recorded their positions
and motions; some related observed patterns to earthly phenomena
such as weather, annual flooding, seasons of the year, the proper time
to plant and harvest crops. The Sun provides the energy that drives our
weather patterns and helps provide an environment suitable for life.
This was humanities’ first attempts to understand the incomprehensible.
These early humans realized that we are a species directly linked to
space. That realization is even truer today: communications satellites,
Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, the incredible achievements of manned and unmanned space flight, astronomy and space
science. Humans have walked and explored the surface of the Moon,
flown-by or landed probes on nearly every planet in our system. The
most recent achievement: landing a probe on a comet for the first time
in human history. Achievements like this help us to answer fundamental
questions ranging from the formation of our solar system to the origins
of life on Earth and life beyond Earth.
Modern society has benefited significantly from space-based spinoff
technologies. There are new medicines, advanced medical procedures,
computers, electronics, communications, improved agricultural methods, food storage, advanced materials, propulsion, aircraft, vehicles,
and countless other consumer products. There is almost no aspect of
modern society that has not benefited from space. These did not come
into being by themselves but are the result of countless, dedicated,
Richard Blakeman - Originally from
Denver, Colorado (USA) is a professional airline captain, aerospace
research pilot, scientist, and engineer.
He currently holds a B.S. in Aerospace Science, Turbojet Systems
Engineering/Meteorology minor; an
M.S. in Aeronautical Science; and currently working on a Ph.D. in Aerospace
Instructional Design specializing in
aerospace engineering, mathematics, science, astronaut/pilot education
and training. He recently completed
the FAA approved Suborbital Scientist
Astronaut Training Program at the
National Aerospace Training and
Research Center (NASTAR).
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hardworking educators, scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and
technicians. There will always be a need for those who will conceive,
design, build, operate, communicate, and understand the complexities of technology and the natural wonders around us. Inspiring young
people into pursuing a technical career by studying STEM-based subjects (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) is a worthy goal.
STEM-based curricula has the potential to expand the mind in such a
way as to spawn creativity, inspiration, and develop the ability to solve
problems. In addition to basic STEM subjects, humanities, art, and the
ability to communicate should also be encouraged as they can enhance
one’s appreciation and stimulate interest of the human equation when
dealing with complex problems. Education is the light that illuminates
the path to knowledge and understanding while chasing away the shadows of ignorance, superstition, and fear. One inspired young person
may be responsible for the next major breakthrough to benefit humanity.
Developing the ability to live and work in space will provide both immediate and long term benefits and perhaps one day be critical to the
survival of the human species.
The greatest tragedy is unused potential. Self-improvement and continued development are lifelong pursuits. Worthwhile goals and personal
achievement is the result of hard work and dedication. When obstacles
appear, don’t be afraid to think beyond the obvious. Adapt; improvise;
persevere; overcome and NEVER, EVER, GIVE UP!!! Give nothing less
than your best - per laborem et fortitude ad astra (through hard work
and courage to the stars).
Above: Ross Lockwood strikes a
dramatic pose before take-off.
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Janet Ivey-Duensing
Space and STEM Education are important because as we dream of
worlds beyond our desktops, science, technology, engineering and math
all become relevant career endeavors to make our way to what’s up and
out there. You see I believe when we create EXPERIENCE and use our
ART and Science, Wonder transpires. I believe that AWE (Art, Wonder, and the Experiential) needs to be an integral part of the Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math proposition, because AWE helps us
transcend any barriers or boundaries to science concepts seemingly
intangible before. I believe we must let our students create and innovate and find the art in space and science, we must create experiences
that lead to wonder(and how can one look upon any Hubble image and
not wonder at the grandeur and beauty of a universe) and we must use
our words and our love to be the brick and mortar foundation that they
build their future lives upon. It’s imperative that we must create space
for the dancing of our math and biology, the acting out of our science,
the drawing, designing and illustrating of the world in which we live and
what living off world would look like. We must make it our mission to
honor creative thought as the birthplace of every scientific advancement and endeavor that has ever been or ever will be. In and through
art and science are sewn the threads of understanding, exposition, and
innovation. We must never forsake the discovery potential that is indelible when we give art, wonder and experience a chance to do its most
profound and scientific good. Looking outward into space, there is wonder and plenty of it, and looking inward we find we have and always will
be scientists, curious to know what things are and how things work. I
am advocating that we create momentum where the future of space ex-
Janet Ivey, creator of Janet’s Planet
is committed to enriching the lives of
children via education and TV and
online programming. With over22 years
in the media, Ivey has captivated Nashville and beyond with her work and she
has received 12 Regional Emmys, 5
Gracie Allen awards, is a Buzz Aldrin
ShareScience Ambassador and has
won a STEMFLORIDA award for her
children’s series Janet’s Planet that
airs on 140+ public television stations
nationwide. This dynamic and fastpaced series is geared to 6 - 11 year
olds and focuses on science, space,
history and health. Viewers get to travel
at the speed of thought and the short
form series can be seen on public television stations nationwide as well as
YouTube, BatteryPop, Club Jelly Telly,
Viddiverse, and HighBrow.
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Below: Jim Kuhl, Charlotte Kiang, Ross
Lockwood and Casey Stedman walk
through their flight while Jason Reimuller and the PoSSUM team look on.
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ploration depends on our ability to teach and create educational experiences that make STEM not only a catchy acronym but a career and a
pursuit where life on (and off) EARTH is only sustainable if we teach in
ways that create the next generation of scientists, explorers, engineers
and inventors of the future. We will never reach our dreams of space
without STEM or STEAM.
Guy Jackson
Mankind has this insatiable thirst for knowledge. Perhaps exploration is
somehow encoded into our genetic material. We look up at the sky and
try to imagine what wonders await us and are we alone in this universe.
We also look to space for insuring the survival of our species should
tragedy befall us here and look for clues on how to protect our home
world from our own environmental mistakes. This innate curiosity has
to be nurtured at times, though, which is why STEM education is so
important. STEM fans the embers of curiosity/exploration/innovation/
imagination and through it - people of all ages are provided with the
tools, technology and knowledge to make life better both on this world
and off.
Guy has a BSEE from the University
of Illinois at Champaign and over 30
years of work experience as an engineer - primarily in aerospace. He has
worked at the NASA Langley Research
Center and was fortunate to witness
the first photos from Mars via the Viking 1 lander. Two pieces of equipment
on the Space Shuttles were designed
and built by small teams of which Guy
was a member.
Left: Gavin James and Deniz Burnham smile for the camera after their
successful testing of the spacesuits
in micro-gravity. Photo credit: Ross
Lockwood.
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Elijah Tucker
I have been fortunate to travel extensively in my life, and in almost
every case it has been an enriching experience. I recently attended
Burning Man, and while it was a lot of fun, the strongest lesson that
I took from it was one of training and preparation to live in extreme
environments, and perhaps even on other planets. As our planetary
environment grows increasingly unstable, there is a need for extreme
training measures to be undertaken such that we are able to adapt
and evolve to our next level as a species. Just as Burning Man was a
training ground, I see that space and STEM education are extremely
important both at the practical, hands-on level and also as a means of
getting young minds thinking broadly and deeply about what it means
to be a human being. We are increasingly dependent on technology
and divorced from natural environmental rhythms, and we may need
to adapt to harsh and inhospitable conditions in the very near future.
Education is key to preparation.
Isabeau Vandenhove
Space exploration and STEM research and education are inextricably
linked. From Ada Lovelace to Wernher von Braun and Grace Hopper,
so many of the technologies that we today take for granted have been
driven and fueled by our quest towards the stars. Today more than ever
comprehensive STEM education should be a cornerstone for our kids’
futures, even though sadly in some parts of our country it can apparently land a kid in detention.
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Above: The crews walk through their
checklists as they prepare for flight
Left: Joe Latrell, VP at Teachers in
Space steps out from behind the camera. Photo credit: Ross Lockwood.
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The Contest Judges
In addition to the entrants, we could not have had a successful contest if
it were not for our judges. These busy professionals took time out from
their schedules to sort through the essays to arrive at our winner. Their
hard work is much appreciated.
Jim Adams
Deputy Director of Technology
NASA
Ed Vessel
Neuroscientist
New York University
Gaia Brown
External Relations
Washington University
Ari Maller
Professor
Columbia University New York CityTech
Sidney Nakao Nakahodo
Lecturer
School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University
Above: Jenine Gorman of the NRC
gives the thumbs up for the last flight.
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Lanette Oliver
Pathfinder
Teachers in Space
Below: Waiting for our friends to come
home. Photo credit: Ross Lockwood.
Bobby Russell
Director
Quest for Stars
Amir Blachman
Principal
Space Angels Network
Frank Todaro
Host
Invisible World Radio
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Acknowledgements
Teachers in Space would like to thank the following organizations for making
this whole endeavor possible.
Final Frontier Designs
Integrated Spaceflight Services
National Research Council Canada
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Space Angels Network
Teachers in Space, Inc. (TIS) is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization which stimulates student interest in science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) by providing their teachers with extraordinary
space science experiences and industry connections. We spark a transfer of
passion for space science and exploration from teachers to their students,
preparing and encouraging those students to pursue further education and
exciting, rewarding careers in the emerging space industry.
Photographers
Ross Lockwood
Joe Latrell
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We look forward to sharing more flight experiment stories from our teachers
and their students in the months ahead. Please follow our progress at:
www.teachers-in-space.com