Using NASA's Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program as an Effective Outreach Platform for Native Americans

摘要

We present the results, lessons and experiences from a reduced gravity research project utilizing the KC-135A aircraft flown by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Over the past three years several multidiscipline groups of Native American undergraduate students have participated in NASA's Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. All experiments and outreach demonstrations have investigated the affects of reduced gravity on fluids. The most recent project compares the rate of reaction of enzymes with their substrates in the 1 -g field of the laboratory with the 0-g environment of the KC-135A. The outreach portion of the project has taken our experiences out into the surrounding communities in order to stimulate an interest in science and math amongst the young people. The enrichment sessions regarding the experiment have been, and will continue to be, held at various levels of schools, government functions, national and local Native American conferences, and area powwows. Our outreach presentations include both multi media and hands-on involvement by the audience. The bulk of the presentations are the interactive periods during which members of the audience use modified versions of the actual flight hardware. After the introductory portion, participants come up and conduct the analogous experiment as performed by the team on board the KC-135A. Through this exercise they achieve a good understanding of the fundamental science. After this is completed we show a video of the experiments as they were performed in 0-g on board the KC-135A. The video clearly presents the actual results of fluid mixing to the young people, thus answering their questions. Together, the hands-on experience, discussion, and flight video provide a complete and portable outreach package on NASA and the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program.