Space Technology in Your Classroom

by: Mark SpencerEducation & Technology Program Director

Objective

• To illustrate ways to bring space into the classroom easily, effectively, and at little or no cost.

• These are suggestions to stimulate ideas.– Many standards and benchmarks are addressed– Many connections between content areas

• It is up to the teacher to fill in the details and make it happen.

Tiered Approach

1. Start with: Satellite prediction software

2. + Police scanner

3. + Display software

4. + Dedicated satellite receiver

Step 1Satellite Prediction Software

• Get a surplus computer that is not being used, place in back of your classroom

• Download satellite predication software from the WEB– DOS Satellite Tracking Programs:

• http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftpsoft.html#pc-trk

– Windows Satellite Tracking Program: • http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftpsoft.html#win-trk

Satellite Prediction Software

• Update computer clock to correct time– http://www.boulder.nist.gov/timefreq/service/its.htm

• Update software with current Keplerian data (data elements used for satellite position calculations)– 2-Line Keplerian elements:

• http://www.space-track.org/perl/login.pl

Satellite Prediction Software

• Select satellites to display– Hubble Space Telescope– International Space Station– Global Positioning System Satellites– Ham Satellites– NOAA Low Orbiting Weather Satellites

• Let the program run

Sample of Standards Addressed

• K-2– Things move in many different ways, such as straight, zig zag, round and

round, back and forth, and fast and slow.

• 3-5– The earth's gravity pulls any object toward it without touching it.

• 6-8– The motion of an object is always judged with respect to some other

object or point and so the idea of absolute motion or rest is misleading.

• 9-12– Mathematical models and computer simulations are used in studying

evidence from many sources in order to form a scientific account of the universe.

Step 2Police Scanner

• Place a standard police scanner near the computer• Tune scanner to one of the NOAA Weather

Satellite frequencies:– 137.50 MHz

– 137.62 MHz

– 137.9125 MHz

– 137.100 MHz

• An outside antenna will help reception

Police Scanner

• When satellite within range, the students will hear the signal being transmitted

NOAA Weather Satellite Hardware

Weather Satellite Signal Format

Sample of Standards Addressed

• K-2– Tools are used to do things better or more easily and to do some things that could

not otherwise be done at all. In technology, tools are used to observe, measure, and make things.

• 3-5– Communication technologies make it possible to send and receive information more

and more reliably, quickly, and cheaply over long distances.• 6-8

– Technology is essential to science for such purposes as access to outer space and other remote locations, sample collection and treatment, measurement, data collection and storage, computation, and communication of information.

• 9-12– Almost any information can be transformed into electrical signals. A weak

electrical signal can be used to shape a stronger one, which can control other signals of light, sound, mechanical devices, or radio waves.

Step 3Display Software

• Download display software from the WEB:– http://www.wxtoimg.com/

• You will need a higher-end computer with sound card for most effective displays– Feed audio from receiver into soundcard– Basic police scanner will give marginal results

Display SoftwareScanner Results

Sample of Standards Addressed

• K-2– Some events in nature have a repeating pattern. The weather changes

some form day to day, but things such as temperature and rain (or snow) tend to be high, low, or medium in the same months every year.

• 3-5– Light travels and tends to maintain its direction of motion until it interacts

with an object or material. Light can be absorbed, redirected, bounced back, or allowed to pass through.

• 6-8– Something can be "seen" when light waves emitted or reflected by it enter

the eye.• 9-12

– A great variety of radiations are electromagnetic waves. Their wavelengths vary from radio waves, the longest, to gamma rays, the shortest. In empty space, all electromagnetic waves move at the same speed - the "speed of light."

Step 4Dedicated Satellite Receiver

• Scanner receiver IF is too narrow (15KHz)

• Scanner antenna not optimized for satellite reception

• Big improvements will result from:– Dedicated satellite receiver (50KHZ IF)– Circularly Polarized antenna– Pre-amplification of received signal

Dedicated Satellite Receiver

• Cost on the order of $250 for receiver

• Preamplifier costs on the order of $60

Dedicated Satellite Antenna

• Circularly Polarized “Turn-style” antenna, home made costs on the order of $25

Dedicated Satellite Receiver

Dedicated Satellite Receiver

Dedicated Satellite Receiver

Dedicated Satellite Receiver

Dedicated Satellite Receiver

Indiana Snow Cover Thanksgiving 2004

• Applications … Hurricane Study and More!– Hurricane Architecture

– Cloud structure

– Land/Sea surface temperatures

– Coastal weather patterns

• Applications …

• Rita and Max– Composite of shared

imagery

– East Coast-West Coast

• Applications …– Sea Surface Temperatures

– Fuel for weather systems

• Applications …– Tip of Baja

– Spawning ground for tropical depressions and hurricanes

• Applications …– Surf’s-Up, tracking

hurricanes

– Hurricanes a source of monsoonal moisture

• Applications …– Mountain range rain

shadow

• Applications– Volcano Activity

Volcano

Augustine Volcano (4025 Ft)

Cook Inlet

Anchorage, AK

Volcanic plume as it rises to altitude and is picked up by upper level winds, driven SSE.

Life of a Hurricane

ALEX

August 2004

August 2, 2004

August 3, 2004

August 4, 2004

August 5, 2004

August 6, 2004

Alex, no longer a hurricane. No longer a factor.

Sample of Standards Addressed

• K-2– Some events in nature have a repeating pattern. The weather changes

some form day to day, but things such as temperature and rain (or snow) tend to be high, low, or medium in the same months every year.

• 3-5– Things that give off light often also give off heat. Heat is produced by

mechanical and electrical machines, and any time one thing rubs against something else.

• 6-8– There are a variety of different land forms on the earth's surface (such as

coastlines, rivers, mountains, deltas, and canyons).• 9-12

– The observed wavelength of a wave depends upon the relative motion of the source and the observer. If either is moving toward the other, the observed wavelength is shorter; if either is moving away, the wavelength is longer.

Conclusion

• Free - Satellite tracking software on spare computer

• Police scanner to monitor signals• Free - Display software• Dedicated inexpensive receiver and antenna

Equates to loads of learning opportunities for students!

Resource Materials (FREE!) and Grant Opportunities

• Curriculum, Aquatic Applications of Satellite Imagery. Very good on-line (and free) resource:– http://octopus.gma.org/surfing/space.html

• Curriculum, Wireless Technology Literacy. Good basic science of radio (and free) resource:– http://www.arrl.org/curriculum-guide

• ARRL Grant Opportunities (and free):– http://www.arrl.org/etp-grants

ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology

• Four-day in-service training opportunity:– Science of radio and wireless technology literacy– Bringing space into your classroom– Microcontrollers and programming basics– Basic robotics

• Expenses covered:– Lodging– Meals– Instructional resources (circuit boards, robot, library)– Travel stipend

• Two-hours of graduate level credit

• More info and application procedures: