Relevancy of the Educator Astronaut to the Space Program

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 14:32:39 GMT, h (Rand
Simberg) wrote:

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 13:05:24 GMT, in a place far, far away, stmx3
made the phosphor on my monitor
glow in such a way as to indicate that:

The EA (Educator Astronaut) website says that Ms. Morgan will definitely
fly. I can't imagine other EA's not flying if NASA is specifically
recruiting them.

You don't have much of an imagination, then. NASA has recruited many
astronauts who may never fly. NASA has too many astronauts, and too
little ambition to actually fly them.

Why does NASA keep recruiting them then?




Christopher
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Kites rise highest against
the wind - not with it."
Winston Churchill

Rand Simberg wrote:
On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 13:05:24 GMT, in a place far, far away, stmx3
made the phosphor on my monitor
glow in such a way as to indicate that:


The EA (Educator Astronaut) website says that Ms. Morgan will definitely
fly. I can't imagine other EA's not flying if NASA is specifically
recruiting them.


You don't have much of an imagination, then. NASA has recruited many
astronauts who may never fly. NASA has too many astronauts, and too
little ambition to actually fly them.


I understand your point. My point is that NASA is recruiting a certain
number of candidates specifically for the K-12 education experience
(minimum 3 yrs experience required). Why go through these maneuvers if
there is no intent to fly them in the future? What better way to
highlight their EA program?

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 15:16:59 GMT, in a place far, far away, stmx3
made the phosphor on my monitor
glow in such a way as to indicate that:

You don't have much of an imagination, then. NASA has recruited many
astronauts who may never fly. NASA has too many astronauts, and too
little ambition to actually fly them.

I understand your point. My point is that NASA is recruiting a certain
number of candidates specifically for the K-12 education experience
(minimum 3 yrs experience required). Why go through these maneuvers if
there is no intent to fly them in the future?

For PR purposes.

What better way to
highlight their EA program?

They highlighted their space station program for years without
actually flying any hardware. Why should they have to fly EAs? They
get adequate publicity just recruiting them.

Do you really think that EAs are going to go to the head of the line
when many non-EA astronauts have never flown?

--
simberg.interglobal.org * 310 372-7963 (CA) 307 739-1296 (Jackson Hole)
interglobal space lines * 307 733-1715 (Fax) http://www.interglobal.org

"Extraordinary launch vehicles require extraordinary markets..."
Swap the first . and @ and throw out the ".trash" to email me.
Here's my email address for autospammers:

Rand Simberg wrote:
[snip]

Do you really think that EAs are going to go to the head of the line
when many non-EA astronauts have never flown?


I'm tempted to say that cutting in line at NASA isn't unheard of. But I
don't have specific examples at hand. If they're hiring EAs for PR,
then EAs may leapfrog the line, for PR.

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 16:09:21 GMT, in a place far, far away, stmx3
made the phosphor on my monitor
glow in such a way as to indicate that:

Rand Simberg wrote:
[snip]

Do you really think that EAs are going to go to the head of the line
when many non-EA astronauts have never flown?

I'm tempted to say that cutting in line at NASA isn't unheard of.

Of course not, but not for that reason (well, for Glenn, but there
were very powerful political reasons for that)

But I
don't have specific examples at hand. If they're hiring EAs for PR,
then EAs may leapfrog the line, for PR.

Unlikely since, as I said, they can get adequate PR without flying
anyone.

--
simberg.interglobal.org * 310 372-7963 (CA) 307 739-1296 (Jackson Hole)
interglobal space lines * 307 733-1715 (Fax) http://www.interglobal.org

"Extraordinary launch vehicles require extraordinary markets..."
Swap the first . and @ and throw out the ".trash" to email me.
Here's my email address for autospammers:

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 18:21:06 GMT, stmx3
wrote:

As I understand it, the Educator Astronaut is
-1- A mission specialist with specific skills in K-12 education
-2- Required to fulfill same duties as traditional MS
(e.g. EVA, remote manipulator arm operator, payload specialist, ISS
construction, etc.)

The purpose of the Educator Astronaut is to "help lead the Agency in the
development of new ways to connect space exploration with the classroom,
and to inspire the next generation of explorers." According to
http://edspace.nasa.gov/faq/faq.html , they will "experience something
unique that they can use to engage students and to inspire them to
consider a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics."

Currently, 3-6 educator astronaut candidates will be selected to be
among the next Astronaut Candidate group.

Indeed, NASA lists Educational Excellence as one of its contributions to
National Priorities within its Strategic Roadmap. In this
self-proclaimed role, some specific actions NASA is taking (under
various categories) include
-Produce teaching tools (cat: Educational Technology)
-Coordinate and articulate student programs (cat: Student Support)
-Provide professional development in standards-led education (cat:
Support of Systemic Improvement)

See "The Role of Education in NASA's Strategic Plan" at
http://education.nasa.gov/implan/role.html for additional information.

I see pros and cons to this program.

PROS:
-NASA offers a unique perspective to inspire children because it gives a
glimpse of the future that can be attained via math, science and
engineering.
-NASA astronauts are positive role models and outstanding spokespersons
for the sciences.
-As Barbara Morgan said in a 2000 interview with NEA, NASA is showing
that teachers are as important as geologists, engineers, physicians and
scientists to the space program.

CONS:
-NASA's foray into the education arena may be viewed as a Public
Relations campaign to inspire support for NASA more than for education.
-There are other agencies tasked with promoting K-12 education (e.g.
NSF) in math and science. NASA should concentrate its resources on its
primary missions.
-NASA can do more to inspire children and adults with successful
missions and driving towards a National goal (e.g. Hubble Space
Telescope, Mars Pathfinder).
-Why teachers and not politicians, journalists or artists?

Additional PROS/CONS and your comments welcome.

Thanks for reading.

I'm all for the "Educator Astronaut" program. However, I agree with your
point that success in its primary missions is the most effective component in
NASA's ability to inspire. Were it more successful, it would have to issue
big sticks to all astronauts so that, on their PR tours, they could beat back
the hordes of people seeking to get closer to the source of inspiration. And
of course, we would not have been hearing about a "crisis in aerospace" these
past few years: American students would not be abandoning engineering
curricula in droves, and aerospace executives would not be worrying (at least
not in public) about how to replace their talented workers when the baby
boomers retire en masse.

Christopher P Winter Wrote
"I'm all for the "Educator Astronaut" program. However, I agree with your
point that success in its primary missions is the most effective component
in
NASA's ability to inspire. Were it more successful, it would have to issue
big sticks to all astronauts so that, on their PR tours, they could beat
back
the hordes of people seeking to get closer to the source of inspiration. And
of course, we would not have been hearing about a "crisis in aerospace"
these
past few years: American students would not be abandoning engineering
curricula in droves, and aerospace executives would not be worrying (at
least
not in public) about how to replace their talented workers when the baby
boomers retire en masse."

When I was at KSC, the staff at The Centre for Space Education made the
comment that most of the teachers they get coming through the centre seem to
be from England and that it is an English organisation that is trying to get
more US teachers to visit the centre. MORE TEACHERS = MORE INSPIRATION =
MORE ENGINEERING GRADUATES!!

Rod Stevenson
(An inspired English Science teacher)

Christopher wrote:

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 14:32:39 GMT, h (Rand
Simberg) wrote:

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 13:05:24 GMT, in a place far, far away, stmx3
made the phosphor on my monitor
glow in such a way as to indicate that:

The EA (Educator Astronaut) website says that Ms. Morgan will definitely
fly. I can't imagine other EA's not flying if NASA is specifically
recruiting them.

You don't have much of an imagination, then. NASA has recruited many
astronauts who may never fly. NASA has too many astronauts, and too
little ambition to actually fly them.

Why does NASA keep recruiting them then?


My best guess would be to always have whatever they consider an
adequate pool to choose from at any given time, as existing ones retire,
pass away (hopefully not *during* a mission), or go on to other careers
after either:

Getting one or more mission assignments, or;

Giving up on ever being on *any* mission.

From stmx3:
Craig Fink wrote:
[snip]
PROS:
snip
-Space provide a unique environment to conduct various demonstrations
(especially Newtonian physics) that can't be done on earth.


Duh! The most obvious one. Thanks.

Previous shuttle astronauts have performed some excellent educational
demos, particularly the "Toys in Space" series.


~ CT

"MattWriter" wrote in message
...
Someone has to say it: there is no such word as "Relevancy." The word is
"Relevance."


Actually no one has to say it since that's not true.

Checking several sources shows relevancy is indeed a word and can be used
interchangeably with Relevance.


(Climbs off grammatical soapbox)



Matt Bille
)
OPINIONS IN ALL POSTS ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR