NASA Langley Archives - �鶹��

Bringing Crewed Mission Planning to a New Digital Frontier

Kristyn Damadeo — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 20:21:30 +0000

The �鶹�� (VSGC) will be launching the first of our online summer programs, the Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars (VASTS), June 13.

Ian Cawthray, VSGC’s education programs coordinator, is taking charge of the six-day-long program.

“The purpose of VASTS is to educate today’s students on the space mission design process used by NASA through challenging their abilities to communicate and plan for the nearly infinite challenges of human spaceflight,” said Cawthray. “The students in each week of the VASTS Summer Academy collaboratively design a human mission to Mars in only a matter of days.”

Although all of our summer programs are now online, VSGC has taken every step to ensure all participants have the same experience in this new online platform.

“The biggest challenges in transitioning to an online format were maintaining the communications and social aspects of the VASTS Summer Academy,” said Cawthray. “We will achieve the goal of re-creating the critical aspects of the Summer Academy. [We are] combining our Content Management System and the ODU Distance Learning Webex system, in order to keep students discussing, planning, and solving problems.”

In addition to mission planning, the program will once again be hosting Astronaut Dr. Roger Crouch as it’s guest speaker, who has flown two space shuttle flights, STS-83 and STS-94.

“Dr. Crouch has been presenting to VASTS students for the last ten years,” said Cawthray. “His story of never giving up on your dreams is designed to encourage the VASTS students as they tackle this challenge and before they begin on their individual journeys to tackle the other challenges they’ll face in their careers and lives.”

When talking about his involvement in VASTS, Cawthray does not take his role lightly.

“This program is important to building the skills and futures of students in Virginia,” said Cawthray. “Being able to assist in the growth of hundreds of students a year is an important job to take on.”

Furthermore, the use of an online platform opens new possibilities for future programs.

“We will certainly be able to have a significant amount of lessons learned that we’ll be able to make use of in re-vamping the Summer Academy next year,” said Cawthray. “The new tools and techniques for delivering the VASTS Summer Academy will be crucial in pushing the limits of in-person and virtual technologies for a better student experience.”

VASTS will have two more iterations this summer, July 12-17 and July 26-31, with a total attendance of 223 students.

Visit from more information on our summer programs.

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VSGC Summer Programs: A New Digital Frontier

Kristyn Damadeo — Mon, 08 Jun 2020 22:15:16 +0000

The �鶹�� is now offering an online alternative to our summer programs. With the help of Old Dominion University’s Office of Distance Learning, our summer programs and internships are happening in spite of a global pandemic. Now lets get to it!

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VSGC Summer Programs

Kristyn Damadeo — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 18:36:13 +0000

Summers at the �鶹�� are very busy. Three of our high school programs offer online courses during the academic year and top performing scholars in each program are invited to attend a one-week academy at a NASA Center. The videos below show a glimpse of the week-long summer academies for the�� , and programs.

VASTS (Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars) at NASA Langley – Week 1

VASTS (Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars) at NASA Langley – Week 2

VASTS (Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars) at NASA Langley – Week 3

Virginia Space Coast Scholars (Wallops Island) Week 1

Virginia Space Coast Scholars (Wallops Island) Week 2

Virginia Space Coast Scholars (Wallops Island) Week 3

Virginia Earth System Science Scholars (VESSS) at NASA Langley – Week 1

Virginia Earth System Science Scholars (VESSS) at NASA Langley – Week 2

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Technology Exploration Saturdays

Kristyn Damadeo — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 17:30:15 +0000

The third and final Technology Exploration Saturday was held at NASA Langley this weekend. Peninsula middle school students and parents held a competition to design and build penny haulers and robotic arms. Check our website soon for application information on the 2020 sessions.

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2019 �鶹�� Takes Flight Application Opens

Kristyn Damadeo — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 14:58:04 +0000

Applications are now open for the 2019 �鶹�� Takes Flight NASA Research Experiences Program. Virginia Community College students in �鶹�� fields with a GPA of at least 2.5 are eligible to apply. Students accepted to the program will work with NASA research advisors on designated projects over the course of a 10 week, 40-hour- per-week, paid summer research experience.

More information can be found on the �鶹�� Takes Flight website:��

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NASA Internship Deadlines

Kristyn Damadeo — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 12:53:04 +0000

The deadline for spring 2019 NASA internships is coming up. According to the NASA Internship , “the internships are competitive awards to support educational opportunities that provide unique NASA-related research and operational experiences for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, as well as educators. These opportunities serve students by integrating interns with career professionals emphasizing mentor-directed, degree-related tasks, while contributing to the operation of a NASA facility or the advancement of NASA’s missions.”

2019 Application Deadlines
Spring Session: November 5, 2018
Summer Session: April 1, 2019
Fall Session: July 1, 2019

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�鶹�� Takes Flight in the Tidewater News

Kristyn Damadeo — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 18:38:08 +0000

Lilly Balderson, a 2018 �鶹�� Takes Flight participant, was named a co-inventor of a pending patent developed over the summer at NASA Langley. She was recently featured in the . Read the story

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High School Programs 2018

Kristyn Damadeo — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 19:20:55 +0000

and wrapped up another successful year with the �鶹��.

Almost 500 students participated in the VASTS (Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars) online class with 175 attending the Summer Academy at NASA Langley. These students represented over 175 high schools throughout Virginia.

One hundred and eighty students,��representing over 100 high schools, enrolled in the VESSS (Virginia Earth System Science Scholars) online program. Almost 90 attended the Summer Academy.

Over 300 students,��representing over 150 schools, completed the Virginia Space Coast Scholars online program. Eighty-five students participated in the Summer Academy at Wallops Island.

This year students at VASTS and Space Coast were treated to a downlink question and answer session with astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Video of the Space Coast Scholars downlink with astronauts Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel can be seen

Video of VASTS students interaction with European Space Agency Astronaut Alexander Gerst can be found

Over the past 11 years, nearly 4500 students have participated in the VASTS online course. Over 400 students have participated in the VESSS online program in the three years it has been in existence. Space Coast, which began in 2012, has hosted almost 600 students in the online course.

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�鶹�� Takes Flight 2018

Kristyn Damadeo — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 17:48:52 +0000

This summer the��鶹�� Takes Flight��NASA Research Experiences program��placed twenty community students at NASA Langley and three at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. The 23 students, representing nine community colleges across Virginia, worked with NASA research advisors on designated projects for ten weeks this summer. Projects included testing of novel polymeric coatings, inflatable habitats, landing gears for Martian Landers, wind tunnel operations and solar sail materials.

Learn more about �鶹�� Takes Flight

�鶹�� Takes Flight, 2018

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