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Randy, 1:05 PM 9/2/9....KidSat                    3

sensing instruments that are controllable by the cosmonauts, and these may provide excellent opportunities for early KidSat data and lessons.

The exact specifications for the instruments will be made by students possibly through a process similar that which NASA goes through to select a payload for an Earth or planetary mission. Potential instruments that might form the basis of the instrument package include a scaled down version of the Multi-Angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR), the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-B), and Hercules (a digital camera used by the astronauts). Every effort will be made to use instruments that are already available with some modifications. Since the Space Station will be visited by the Shuttle on a frequent basis, there will be opportunities to upgrade or change-out instruments, thus providing a continuous opportunity to students to work on the actual hardware (I.e., the hands-on portion of the program will be maintained after launch).

The use of telepresence in parallel with some of the instruments, or with dual video cameras, will give children an opportunity to view the Earth as the astronauts to -- specifically students will have the opportunity to "look around." A virtual reality mask slaved to a MISR camera, for example, would provide students with the ability to scan around as the Space Station flies along looking at the next location based on what they have already seen. This technique should give a better idea of the three-dimensionality of the atmosphere, the scales of the Earth, and the temporal aspects of weather systems and the ocean.

The primary operation of the instruments will be done by students in control centers possibly located at existing NASA centers. Requirements for data collection scenarios can be made by any student through computer to the operations centers. The astronauts and cosmonauts will also have the capability to control the instruments -- this mode of operation will be used to focus attention on certain Earth features during lessons from space.

Data from the instruments will be either directly down linked to schools or community learning centers, or archived and

Printed for sride@ucsd.edu (Sally K. Ride)