The AggieSat organization is also very unique in that it reaches out to educate and involve the local community. Members of AggieSat Lab compose various presentations to deliver to students from kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade. These presentations are geared towards educating the students about space and engineering in order to spark future interest in the field along with informing the students about the purpose of AggieSat Lab.
Current Outreach Programs
Hudnall Planetarium - Public Astronomy Lecture Series
On September 26th, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. CDT, a presentation will be held by a member of AggieSat Lab at the Hudnall Planetarium, on Tyler Junior College campus, in Tyler, TX. This presentation is part of the planetarium's Public Astronomy Lecture Series which AggieSat Lab gave a presentation to over a year ago. Hudnall Planetarium is open to members of the general public with a small admission fee to support the Planetarium's on-going operations. If anyone, including groups, would like to attend and you live near Tyler, use these directions to attend our presentation at the Apache Rooms, located in the Rogers Student Center, on the Tyler Junior College campus. Our presentation should last about 45 minutes and will cover the opportunities AggieSat Lab provides undergraduate students for gaining expertise on engineering projects which test their knowledge and teach them new skills. Additionally a discussion of the effort which went into building and launching our satellite, AggieSat2, will be given. Finally, we'll cover all the experiences we've gained as a result of operating a satellite in space, the issues we've encountered, and how students with the help of Amateur Radio Operators overcame those difficulties. Following the lecture, there is a short Question and Answer session for members of the public to ask any questions they have about AggieSat Lab, its satellite, or opportunities for students and the general public to get involved.
Past Outreach Programs
Boys and Girls Club of America
AggieSat Lab has also donated time to the Boys and Girls Club of America. Children from the organization took trips out to AggieSat Lab and spent their time getting tours and participating in activities planned on their behalf. The visiting students had the opportunity to learn about space flight from current AggieSat members and receive demonstrations of the experiments being planned for the lab's missions.
Not only was the opportunity great for the children, but AggieSat team members benefited from the experience as well. The time spent with the Boys and Girls Club of America gave AggieSat members a chance to transfer some of their excitement about space to the next generation of engineers.
Hudnall Planetarium - Public Astronomy Lecture Series
AggieSat Lab sent a student to participate in the Public Astronomy Lecture Series located at the Hudnall Planetarium in Tyler, Texas. The last event occured on April 26, 2008, at 7:00p.m. on the Tyler Junior College campus. Our lecture consisted of presenting a 30 minute speech, given by a student, Hutson Betts, about AggieSat Lab and a discussion on how our projects advance space exploration and colonization. This discussion included an overview of AggieSat3's scientific mission, how that mission will be used by our Lab for later autonomous rendezvous and docking missions, and a brief description of the AggieSat2 mission and how it will be conducted. Following the lecture, there was a short Question and Answer session for members of the public to ask any questions they have about AggieSat Lab, its satellites, or how these missions will further NASA's space exploration initiative.
For additional information about the Planetarium, please visit their website at: Hudnall Planetarium
The Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley
AggieSat Lab in conjunction with the Children's Mueseum of the Brazos Valley conducted a space exhibit for visitors to the museum during the spring and summer of 2008. Between January and April, AggieSat Team members visited every second and fourth Friday for several hours to hold organized activities for visitors to the museum. Those visitors had the chance to take an inside look into the world of designing and building space satellites. Each visit consisted of hands-on activities and exciting learning material related to space and science subjects. Each activity was organized by students at AggieSat Lab during their available time and conducted by additional AggieSat students who were available on Fridays.
During the summer of 2008, one week was dedicated by the AggieSat Team to space and science education at the Children's Mueseum of the Brazos Valley. Over the course of a week students held presentations and activities for children that covered a wide range of materials including satellites, planets and rockets. They were able to build telescopes, recycled robots and there own hand made rockets.
Space Dayz and Cosmic Craze, Children's Mueseum of the Brazos Valley - June 8th - 12th, 2009
During the week of June 8th AggieSat Lab students held space camp activities for pre-K and young elementary school students at the Children's Mueseum of the Brazos Valley. Activities included various units on the planets, moon, mars, rockets, astronauts and stars. AggieSat Lab students helped Children's Mueseum of the Brazos Valley volunteers educate the kids on space topics with fun hands-on crafts, experiments, and team activities. The capstone of the week was a live model rocket launch for the kids, as well as an awards ceremony where these young astronauts were awarded Jr. Astronaut Wings. This program was successfully offered last year in partnership with the museum and AggieSat Lab had been looking forward to this year's events. The camp is designed to offer fun summer activities for the community and promote youth interest and awareness of space and engineering.