SBIR Phase I: Satellites in Low Earth Orbit as a Learning Tool

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是支持科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）劳动力的发展。随着最近太空任务的成功，基于太空的STEM学习工具将吸引教师、学生、家长和公众的注意。本课题提出了一套面向中学生的小卫星分析、设计、制造和测试教学体系。该系统使用天基系统作为令人信服的背景来教授STEM概念和方法。这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目使用卫星作为背景创建STEM见解。例如，一个主要的挑战是将有效载荷容纳到一个小的装载体积中。小型化有时是一种解决方案，但可能受到物理的限制。例如，如果想要一个超过卫星大小的通信天线，它最初必须装入一个10厘米立方体的体积中。在装载之后，它必须可靠地部署在轨道上，并具有精确和精确的形状。拟议的课程计划包括：学生可使用的小卫星的初步概念设计，教师和学生逐步学习的空间遥感入门课程，卫星轨道物理学，以及使用游戏方法进行教育计划的详细软件规范。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to support development of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. With the recent successes of space missions to other planets, space-based STEM learning tools will attract the attention of teachers, students, parents, and the public. This project proposes a system to teach middle-school students about analysis, design, building and testing of small satellites. The system uses space-based systems as a compelling context to teach STEM concepts and methods. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project creates STEM insights using a satellite as the context. For instance, a major challenge is accommodating the payload into a small stowed volume. Miniaturization is sometimes a solution but may be limited by the physics. For example, if a communications antenna exceeding the satellite size is desired, it must initially stow into a volume only on the order of a 10 cm cube. Following stowage, it must be deployed on orbit reliably and with an accurate and precise shape. The proposed lesson plan includes: preliminary concept design of a student-accessible small satellite, a teacher and student step-by-step lessons workbook on introductory remote sensing from space, physics of satellite orbits, and detailed software specifications to use gaming approaches for educational plans.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.