Lessons Learned Linking Future Space Leaders with Study Abroad Programs

摘要

The progression of spacesuit curriculum under the Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology Laboratory(S.U.I.T.Lab)at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has provided students with unique professional development opportunities while studying abroad.Not only does the CSO 377:"Spacesuits and Human Spaceflight Operations"course provide nonengineering students with access to technical coursework,it also offers students positive lifechanging development through guided experiential components.This unique program has kept its original intention of creating an adventure-lead study abroad where classes are held"anywhere but a classroom"and will continue to stimulate students through scuba diving,exploring volcanos,and hiking.Past summer programs have included the Antikythera Mechanism in 2017,Expedition Greece in 2018,and Greece & Germany: A Stardust Odyssey in 2019.The 2019 program combined the extraordinary academic and adventuresque components of the original iterations and included a workshop with the European Space Agency and German Aerospace Center(DLR)at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne,Germany.CSO 377 was offered on-campus for the first time in 2018,and twice more again in 2019 and 2020.Once the course was converted for on-campus instruction,homework and tests were included in the curriculum,and students were graded on a traditional scale.Student evaluations from both the on-campus and abroad offering of the course are used to interpret and compare the two different deliveries during 2018 and 2019.Following the 2019 program,the S.U.I.T.Lab has welcomed a substantial increase in student involvement.Students are energized and leading projects after tackling cross-cultural communication during their time abroad.Student-led highlights include the successful participation in NASA's Micro-g NExT and SUITS Challenges and NASA's RASC-AL Competition.In the information age,it is increasingly important to prepare students for global challenges.With one of a kind programs like these,we can prepare and develop influential future space leaders.