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08/04/94 14:40 FAX 818 354 9476 JPL HSE Group  →→→ RIDE  004/004

KidSat Design Selection by Kids
 JoBea Way

KidSat is a project for young people in which remote sensing instruments dedicated to kids are placed on the human observatories including the Shuttle, Mir, and, eventually, the Space Station. These remote sensing instruments are selected, assembled, operated, and the data are analyzed by kids. The goal of KidSat is to excite children about space and Earth exploration and utilization, and to allow children to apply principles of physics, math and science in a real mission experience.

In the summer of 1994, a group of undergraduate students studied instrument design options for KidSat and put these on Mosaic. Their study recommended existing cameras be flown on the Shuttle and Mir, but that the full telepresence capability for KidSat would have to wait for the Space Station (with early rest flights on the Shuttle). The students came up with a creative means of allowing many students to "fly" simultaneously by collecting a full +/-45° FOV data set and allowing kids to "fly" in real time within a data set with a 15° FOV. Efforts in the current DDF thrust area of advance optical instruments will be valuable in designing this KidSat instrument. The next step is to involve students in making the final design decisions for KidSat. This will be done through workshops in three parts.

First, middle school kids will learn about remote sensing by choosing an area of interest and exploring it using existing images and photographs. The focus of their exploration may be history, vacations, their own home, or environmental issues. At the end of the study, the students will be asking to provide their design requirements to KidSat based on their experience using existing data. In addition, their projects will become part of the KidSat Mosaic Page such that other students can learn from their experience. There will be give sessions with different grade levels in each session (4th - 8th grade). The second part of the study will involve high school students who have taken algebra, geometry and physics. These students will apply what they have learned in class to making the final design for KidSat. The results of the first part of the project will be used in making decisions in the second part. The second part will be divided into five sessions: spectral bands, field of view, resolution, data rate, and accommodations on the space platforms. Engineering expertise at JPL will be key to the success of the second portion of the study. The third part of the project is to test the final design concept using the DIAL's capabilities to "fly." Shuttle video collected on the Shuttle Radar Lab missions along with extensive Shuttle photography will be used to simulate the KidSat instrument. This portion of the project will involve members of the DIAL team, one teacher and 3 SURF students. Finally, as ideas are developed, they will be documented in a KidSat Science and Education Plan; this effort will be lead by Marguerite Schier and a SURF student.

The first two projects will each take place in five one-month sessions, each session involving 8 students, two teachers and one SURF student. The teachers will each work two sessions with each session including an experienced and a new teacher. The workshops will occur on Friday afternoons after school at JPL (10 sessions) and CalSpace (first 5 sessions only). The teachers and curriculum will be coordinated by the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) with review by a group of NSF teachers (coordinated by CTY) who are developing curriculum guides for KidSat. The third study will take place in the summer of FY95. The results will be maintained on Mosaic and on CD; an additional SURF student working with Mike Martin will help with the Mosaic Page and CD. The total number of students directly involved in the design process by the end of the project will be 120.

Budget Summary: JPL Lead (Way; .25MY)                  40
   $(K)        CalSpace Lead (Ride) and CTY (Stork)    40
               Science and Education Plan (Shier,.5MY) 70
               Teachers                                50
               SURF Students                           40
               Engineering Support (1.5MY)            210
          Mosaic and CD (Mike Martin's lab), computers 50
          Total                                       500

[[margin beside SURF Students ]] Students → decide [[/margin]]