Go inside one of NASA's most fascinating centers for a rare look at what it takes to design and build a new space transportation system. The careers available to students are vast as we enter this new era of space exploration, but they all require a basic understanding of science, technology, engineering and math.
Running time 6:40 minutes.

Go on location with five engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center for a real-world look at the science, technology, engineering and mathematics behind rocket testing. This is the fourth installment in our popular documentary series about the Ares Launch Vehicles.
Running time 8:44 minutes.

Imagine a rocket the size of a small skyscraper. Now imagine shooting it into the air with so much force that it goes from zero to a thousand miles an hour in less than a minute. What kind of engines can generate that much thrust? And why is that rocket built in stages?
Running time 9:09 minutes.

Building a space launch vehicle is one of the most complex engineering tasks imaginable: Over a million parts must come together and work perfectly under extremely severe conditions. How do you go about building something like this? What are some of the tools and strategies engineers use? And just what is "Systems Engineering?" Go on location with six engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in this latest in our series of programs about the Ares Projects.
Running time 7:44 minutes.

NASA Administrator Mike Griffin sat down with The Futures Channel to talk to teachers and students about the vision for space exploration--why he thinks it’s important, and what students need to bring to the table if they want to participate.
Running time 4:34 minutes.

A major, long-term goal in aerospace is to make access to space as routine as flying in a commercial airplane today. On August 18th, 1993, the Delta Clipper Experimental rocket, DC-X for short, took a step in that direction with its first test flight. Like many experimental vehicles, it didn't get all the way to its goal, but the data it produced over the course of a dozen flights influences innovation in rocketry to this day.
Running time 3:50 minutes.

To fly around on the surface of Mars, a traditional aircraft would need to travel at speeds of over 250 MPH just to stay aloft in the very thin atmosphere. Taking off and landing on the rocky terrain for sample inspection and gathering would be nearly impossible. So what’s one solution? Check this out.
Running time 2:32 minutes.

A 1000-day mission and six crew members, each needing four pounds of nutritious and tasty food per day. Variety is a must. That's what Dr. Michele Perchonok and the other food science specialists and dieticians at NASA's Johnson Space Center are up against, as they develop food for a mission to Mars.
Running time 5:23 minutes.

The science of optics teaches us how to make "bigger eyes", and if you want to look at something very far away, or very faint, you're going to need a really huge eye--such as the one used at Kitt Peak by astronomers studying distant galaxies.
Running time 3:29 minutes.

How would you feel if you packed the car and hit the highway, knowing that your vacation destination would be moving continuously during your trip? As Astronaut Sidney Gutierrez explains, that's the problem planners face when sending a spacecraft to Mars.
Running time 1:47 minutes.

NASA Aerospace and Industrial Engineer Robert Howard takes viewers inside the Habitability Design Center at Johnson Space Center for a look at the Orion space capsule--and the math, and engineering skills his fascinating career demands.
Running time 6:20 minutes.

To consider the space solar power concept requires an understanding of science, technology, engineering, math, energy, policy, environmental factors, and more. Space solar power is an engineering project on a scale that rivals the greatest in history. Students need to be informed and able to participate in the conversation.
Running time 19:00 minutes.

When it comes to designing robots for space, making sure that they can complete their missions is the name of the game for NASA’s robotics engineers. That requires math, especially probability.
Running time 5:35 minutes.

Evidence suggests there may be deposits of ice within craters at the poles of the moon. If this proves to be the case, Planetary Scientist Dr. Paul Spudis says it could possibly be “the most valuable piece of real estate in the solar system.” Find out why.
Running time 6:16 minutes.

MIT Professor Dava Newman is working on a new “second skin” space suit that could end the “bunny hop” once and for all. Introduce your students to a woman whose work could dramatically improve space exploration technology.
Running time 4:30 minutes.

Whether you’re talking about privately owned and operated rockets to ferry cargo to low earth orbit, or the customers already in line for the opportunity to weightlessly gaze upon Earth from outer space, the “personal space flight revolution” will bring a new element of infrastructure to our communities: Spaceports.
Running time 11:45 minutes.

Building places to live and work in extreme environments takes architects that understand how to play by a different set of rules. Take your students to NASA's Johnson Space Center and the University of Houston, to meet architects that are tackling the challenges. Architecture in outer space is all about problem solving!
Running time 4:55 minutes.

It's been described as "using the techniques of Tarzan" to move things through outer space. It's reusable and would dramatically reduce the cost of space missions.
Running time 5:19 minutes.

Is there life on planets in other star systems? It's a very old question. But finding the answer may get simpler with a new invention by astrophysicist, professor and inventor Webster Cash.
Running time 5:55 minutes.

Currently the worldwide collection of Mars rocks totals exactly 37. They've come to us over the eons as meteorites. Molly McCanta’s job is to better understand the geological history of the red planet with only 37 samples to work from.
Running time 5:15 minutes.