Jump to content

Professional Learning: Using Children’s Books to Build STEM Habits of Mind


Recommended Posts

  • Publishers
Posted

3 min read

Professional Learning: Using Children’s Books to Build STEM Habits of Mind

On October 14, 2024, the Science Activation program’s NASA eClipsTM Education team from the National Institute of Aerospace’s Center for Integrative Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) Education (NIA-CISE) delivered a professional development session entitled “Using Children’s Books to Build STEM Habits of Mind” to 62 Media Specialists and Gifted Teachers from Richmond Public Schools in Virginia.

The session kicked off with an engaging overview of NASA’s methods for gathering Earth data, including the use of stratospheric balloons. Participants then took part in the Balloon Aerodynamics Challenge 1 & 2. Divided into small groups, the teachers assumed the role of “stratospheric balloon engineers” and were tasked with adjusting helium-filled balloons to achieve neutral buoyancy. Initially, teams analyzed qualitative and quantitative aspects of their balloons before exploring the materials available to help them reach the target height. Once they achieved neutral buoyancy, their next challenge was to guide their balloons around the room using only a straw and a 5×7-inch card. As they completed this task, participants linked the activity to Bernoulli’s Principle and Newton’s Laws of Motion.

Following the activity, teachers were introduced to NASA eClips’ newly released Guide Lites: Comparing Science and Engineering Practices Using Black Box Models. During this segment, they discussed the distinction between engineering and science, reflecting on the engineering practices applied in the Balloon Aerodynamics Challenge and how scientific concepts influenced their balloon modifications.

Additionally, teachers explored Favorite STEM Books and Activities: A Literary Collection Curated by the NASA eClips Team and Advisory Board Members, a resource designed to integrate children’s literature with STEM learning. Participants reviewed at least two book entries from the collection, assessing their alignment with educational standards, evaluating associated activities, and offering feedback on strengths and suggested improvements. As a final activity, teams selected a STEM trade book from the curated collection and analyzed it for potential cross-disciplinary connections, including inquiry, engineering, or hands-on activities.

The event was planned collaboratively with Judy Deichman (Coordinator of Library Services for Richmond Public Schools), Lynn Pleveich (Coordinator for Programs for the Gifted and Talented in Richmond Public Schools), Dr. Sharon Bowers and Joan Harper-Neely (NASA eClips Senior STEM Specialists), and Betsy McAllister (NIA’s Educator in Residence from Hampton City Schools).

NASA eClips is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AB91A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn

STEMbooks_24-10-14-Shannon_Verstynen.jpg
Teacher teams discussed the alignment of STEM books to educational standards and provided feedback for the new activity, Favorite STEM Books and Activities: A Literary Collection Curated by the NASA eClips Team and Advisory Board Members.

Share

Details

Last Updated
Nov 04, 2024
Editor
NASA Science Editorial Team

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Similar Topics

    • By NASA
      Tess Caswell, a stand-in crew member for the Artemis III Virtual Reality Mini-Simulation, executes a moonwalk in the Prototype Immersive Technology (PIT) lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The simulation was a test of using VR as a training method for flight controllers and science teams’ collaboration on science-focused traverses on the lunar surface. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz When astronauts walk on the Moon, they’ll serve as the eyes, hands, and boots-on-the-ground interpreters supporting the broader teams of scientists on Earth. NASA is leveraging virtual reality to provide high-fidelity, cost-effective support to prepare crew members, flight control teams, and science teams for a return to the Moon through its Artemis campaign.
      The Artemis III Geology Team, led by principal investigator Dr. Brett Denevi of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, participated in an Artemis III Surface Extra-Vehicular VR Mini-Simulation, or “sim” at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in the fall of 2024. The sim brought together science teams and flight directors and controllers from Mission Control to carry out science-focused moonwalks and test the way the teams communicate with each other and the astronauts.
      “There are two worlds colliding,” said Dr. Matthew Miller, co-lead for the simulation and exploration engineer, Amentum/JETSII contract with NASA. “There is the operational world and the scientific world, and they are becoming one.”
      NASA mission training can include field tests covering areas from navigation and communication to astronaut physical and psychological workloads. Many of these tests take place in remote locations and can require up to a year to plan and large teams to execute. VR may provide an additional option for training that can be planned and executed more quickly to keep up with the demands of preparing to land on the Moon in an environment where time, budgets, and travel resources are limited.
      VR helps us break down some of those limitations and allows us to do more immersive, high-fidelity training without having to go into the field. It provides us with a lot of different, and significantly more, training opportunities.
      BRI SPARKS
      NASA co-lead for the simulation and Extra Vehicular Activity Extended Reality team at Johnson.
      Field testing won’t be going away. Nothing can fully replace the experience crew members gain by being in an environment that puts literal rocks in their hands and incudes the physical challenges that come with moonwalks, but VR has competitive advantages.
      The virtual environment used in the Artemis III VR Mini-Sim was built using actual lunar surface data from one of the Artemis III candidate regions. This allowed the science team to focus on Artemis III science objectives and traverse planning directly applicable to the Moon. Eddie Paddock, engineering VR technical discipline lead at NASA Johnson, and his team used data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and planet position and velocity over time to develop a virtual software representation of a site within the Nobile Rim 1 region near the south pole of the Moon. Two stand-in crew members performed moonwalk traverses in virtual reality in the Prototype Immersive Technology lab at Johnson, and streamed suit-mounted virtual video camera views, hand-held virtual camera imagery, and audio to another location where flight controllers and science support teams simulated ground communications.
      A screen capture of a virtual reality view during the Artemis III VR Mini-Simulation. The lunar surface virtual environment was built using actual lunar surface data from one of the Artemis III candidate regions. Credit: Prototype Immersive Technology lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The crew stand-ins were immersed in the lunar environment and could then share the experience with the science and flight control teams. That quick and direct feedback could prove critical to the science and flight control teams as they work to build cohesive teams despite very different approaches to their work.
      The flight operations team and the science team are learning how to work together and speak a shared language. Both teams are pivotal parts of the overall mission operations. The flight control team focuses on maintaining crew and vehicle safety and minimizing risk as much as possible. The science team, as Miller explains, is “relentlessly thirsty” for as much science as possible. Training sessions like this simulation allow the teams to hone their relationships and processes.
      Members of the Artemis III Geology Team and science support team work in a mock Science Evaluation Room during the Artemis III Virtual Reality Mini-Simulation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Video feeds from the stand-in crew members’ VR headsets allow the science team to follow, assess, and direct moonwalks and science activities. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz Denevi described the flight control team as a “well-oiled machine” and praised their dedication to getting it right for the science team. Many members of the flight control team have participated in field and classroom training to learn more about geology and better understand the science objectives for Artemis.
      “They have invested a lot of their own effort into understanding the science background and science objectives, and the science team really appreciates that and wants to make sure they are also learning to operate in the best way we can to support the flight control team, because there’s a lot for us to learn as well,” Denevi said. “It’s a joy to get to share the science with them and have them be excited to help us implement it all.”
      Artemis III Geology Team lead Dr. Brett Denevi of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, left, Artemis III Geology Team member, Dr. Jose Hurtado, University of Texas at El Paso, and simulation co-lead, Bri Sparks, work together during the Artemis III Virtual Reality Mini-Simulation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz This simulation, Sparks said, was just the beginning for how virtual reality could supplement training opportunities for Artemis science. In the future, using mixed reality could help take the experience to the next level, allowing crew members to be fully immersed in the virtual environment while interacting with real objects they can hold in their hands. Now that the Nobile Rim 1 landing site is built in VR, it can continue to be improved and used for crew training, something that Sparks said can’t be done with field training on Earth.
      While “virtual” was part of the title for this exercise, its applications are very real.
      “We are uncovering a lot of things that people probably had in the back of their head as something we’d need to deal with in the future,” Miller said. “But guess what? The future is now. This is now.”
      Test subject crew members for the Artemis III Virtual Reality Mini-Simulation, including Grier Wilt, left, and Tess Caswell, center, execute a moonwalk in the Prototype Immersive Technology lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz Grier Wilt, left, and Tess Caswell, crew stand-ins for the Artemis III Virtual Reality Mini-Simulation, execute a moonwalk in the Prototype Immersive Technology (PIT) lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz Engineering VR technical discipline lead Eddie Paddock works with team members to facilitate the virtual reality components of the Artemis III Virtual Reality Mini-Simulation in the Prototype Immersive Technology lab at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Credit: Robert Markowitz Flight director Paul Konyha follows moonwalk activities during the Artemis III Virtual Reality Mini-Simulation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz




      Rachel Barry
      NASA’s Johnson Space Center
      Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Astromaterials



      Artemis Science


      A Time Capsule The Moon is a 4.5-billion-year-old time capsule, pristinely preserved by the cold vacuum of space. It is…


      Lunar Craters


      Earth’s Moon is covered in craters. Lunar craters tell us the history not only of the Moon, but of our…


      Solar System


      View the full article
    • By NASA
      6 Min Read NASA Stennis Flashback: Learning About Rocket Engine Smoke for Safe Space Travel
      An image shows engineers at an early version of the test stand at the Diagnostic Testbed Facility. From 1988 to the mid-1990s, NASA Stennis engineers operated the facility to conduct rocket engine plume exhaust diagnostics and learn more about the space shuttle main engine combustion process. Credits: NASA/Stennis NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, is widely known as the nation’s largest rocket propulsion test site. More than 35 years ago, it also served as a hands-on classroom for NASA engineers seeking to improve the efficiency of space shuttle main engines.
      From 1988 to the mid-1990’s, NASA Stennis engineers operated a Diagnostic Test Facility to conduct rocket engine plume exhaust diagnostics and learn more about the space shuttle main engine combustion process. The effort also laid the groundwork for the frontline research-and-development testing conducted at the center today.
      “The Diagnostic Test Facility work is just another example of the can-do, will-do attitude of the NASA Stennis team and of its willingness to support the nation’s space exploration program in all ways needed and possible,” said Joe Schuyler, director of the NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate.
      The Diagnostic Test Facility work is just another example of the can-do, will-do attitude of the NASA Stennis team…
      joe schuyler
      NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate Director
      Tests conducted at the Diagnostic Testbed Facility played a critical safety role for engine operations and also provided a real-time opportunity for NASA Stennis engineers to learn about exhaust diagnostics. NASA/Stennis An image shows the Diagnostic Testbed Facility test stand data acquisition trailer. NASA/Stennis The Need
      Envision a rocket or space vehicle launching into the sky. A trail of bright exhaust, known as the engine plume, follows. As metals wear down in the engines from the intense heat of the combustion process, the flame glows with colors, some visible, such as orange or yellow, and others undetectable by the human eye.
      The colors tell a story – about the health and operation of the engine and its components. For space shuttle main engines, which flew on multiple missions, engineers needed to understand that story, much as a doctor needs to understand the condition of a human body during checkup, to ensure future engine operation.
      Where better place to study such details than the nation’s premier propulsion test site? Paging NASA Stennis.
      An image shows the rocket motor and thruster at the Diagnostic Testbed Facility. NASA/Stennis An image shows the Diagnostic Testbed Facility blended team of NASA personnel and contractors. Kneeling, left to right, is Brantly Adams (NASA), Felix Bircher (Sverdrup Technology), Dennis Butts (Sverdrup Technology), and Nikki Raines (Sverdrup Technology). Standing, left to right, NASA astronaut John Young, Greg Sakala (Sverdrup Technology), Barney Nokes (Sverdrup Technology), John Laboda (Sverdrup Technology), Glenn Varner (NASA), Stan Gill (NASA), Bud Nail (NASA), Don Sundeen (Sverdrup Technology), NASA astronaut John Blaha.NASA/Stennis The Facility
      NASA Stennis has long enabled and supported innovative and collaborative work to benefit both the agency and the commercial space industry. When NASA came calling in the late 1980s, site engineers went to work on a plan to study space shuttle main engine rocket exhaust.
      The concept for an enabling structure about the size of a home garage was born in October 1987. Five months later, construction began on a Diagnostic Testbed Facility to provide quality research capabilities for studying rocket engine exhaust and learning more about the metals burned off during hot fire.
      The completed facility featured a 1,300-square-foot control and data analysis center, as well as a rooftop observation deck. Small-scale infrastructure was located nearby for testing a 1,000-pound-thrust rocket engine that simulated the larger space shuttle main engine. The 1K engine measured about 2 feet in length and six inches in diameter. Using a small-scale engine allowed for greater flexibility and involved less cost than testing the much-larger space shuttle engine.
      An image shows Sverdrup Technology’s Robert Norfleet as he preps the dopant injection system for testing at the Diagnostic Testbed Facility. The goal of the facility was to inject known metals and materials in a chemical form and then look at what emissions were given off. During one test, generally a six or 12 second test, operators would inject three known dopants, or substances, and then run distilled water between each test to clean out the system.NASA/Stennis An image shows engineers Stan Gill, Robert Norfleet, and Elizabeth Valenti in the Diagnostic Testbed Facility test control center. NASA/Stennis The Process
      Engineers could quickly conduct multiple short-duration hot fires using the smaller engine. A six-second test provided ample time to collect data from engine exhaust that reached as high as 3,900 degrees Fahrenheit.
      Chemical solutions simulating engine materials were injected into the engine combustion chamber for each hot fire. The exhaust plume then was analyzed using a remote camera, spectrometer, and microcomputers to determine what colors certain metals and elements emit when burning.
      Each material produced a unique profile. By matching the profiles to the exhaust of space shuttle main engine tests conducted at NASA Stennis, determinations could be made about which engine components were undergoing wear and what maintenance was needed.
      We learned about purging, ignition, handling propellants, high-pressure gases, and all the components you had to have to make it work…It was a very good learning experience.
      Glenn Varner
      NASA Stennis Engineer
      The Benefits
      The Diagnostic Testbed Facility played a critical safety role for engine operations and also provided a real-time opportunity for NASA Stennis engineers to learn about exhaust diagnostics.
      Multiple tests were conducted. The average turnaround time between hot fires was 18 to 20 minutes with the best turnaround from one test to another taking just 12 minutes. By January 1991, the facility had recorded a total of 588 firings for a cumulative 3,452 seconds.
      As testing progressed, the facility team evolved into a collection of experts in plume diagnostics. Longtime NASA Stennis engineer Glenn Varner serves as the mechanical operations engineer at the Thad Cochran Test Stand, where he contributed to the successful testing of the first SLS (Space Launch System) core stage onsite.
      However, much of Varner’s hands-on experience came at the Diagnostic Test Facility. “We learned about purging, ignition, handling propellants, high-pressure gases, and all the components you had to have to make it work,” he said. “It was a very good learning experience.”
      An image shows the Diagnostic Testbed Facility team working in the test control center. Seated, left to right, is Steve Nunez, Glenn Varner, Joey Kirkpatrick. Standing, back row left to right, is Scott Dracon and Fritz Policelli. Vince Pachel is pictured standing wearing the headset. NASA/Stennis The physical remnants of the Diagnostic Testbed Facility are barely recognizable now, but that spirit and approach embodied by that effort and its teams continues in force at the center.
      joe schuyler
      NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate Director
      The Impact
      The Diagnostic Testbed Facility impacted more than just those engineers involved in the testing. Following the initial research effort, the facility underwent modifications in January 1993. Two months later, facility operators completed a successful series of tests on a small-scale liquid hydrogen turbopump for a California-based aerospace company.
      The project marked an early collaboration between the center and a commercial company and helped pave the way for the continued success of the NASA Stennis E Test Complex. Building on Diagnostic Testbed Facility knowledge and equipment, the NASA Stennis complex now supports multiple commercial aerospace projects with its versatile infrastructure and team of propulsion test experts.
      “The physical remnants of the Diagnostic Testbed Facility are barely recognizable now,” Schuyler said. “But that spirit and approach embodied by that effort and its teams continues in force at the center.”
      Additional Information
      NASA Stennis has leveraged hardware and expertise from the Diagnostic Testbed Facility to provide benefit to NASA and industry for two decades and counting.
      The facility’s thruster, run tanks, valves, regulators and instrumentation were used in developing the versatile four-stand E Test Complex at NASA Stennis that includes 12 active test cell positions capable of various component, engine, and stage test activities.
      “The Diagnostic Testbed Facility was the precursor to that,” said NASA engineer Glenn Varner. “Everything but the structure still in the grass moved to the E-1 Test Stand, Cell 3. Plume diagnostics was part of the first testing there.”
      When plume diagnostic testing concluded at E-1, equipment moved to the E-3 Test Stand, where the same rocket engine used for the Diagnostic Testbed Facility has since performed many test projects.
      The Diagnostic Testbed Facility thruster also has been used for various projects at E-3, most recently in a project for the exploration upper stage being built for use on future Artemis missions. 
      In addition to hardware, engineers who worked at the Diagnostic Testbed Facility also moved on to support E Test Complex projects. There, they helped new NASA engineers learn how to handle gaseous hydrogen and liquid hydrogen propellants. Engineers learned about purging, ignition, and handling propellants and all the components needed for a successful test.
      “From an engineering perspective, the more knowledge you have of the processes and procedures to make propulsion work, the better off you are,” Varner said. “It applied then and still applies today. The Diagnostic Testbed Facility contributed to the future development of NASA Stennis infrastructure and expertise.”
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Feb 25, 2025 EditorNASA Stennis CommunicationsContactC. Lacy Thompsoncalvin.l.thompson@nasa.gov / (228) 688-3333LocationStennis Space Center Related Terms
      Stennis Space Center Explore More
      4 min read NASA Stennis Flashback: Shuttle Team Achieves Unprecedented Milestone
      Article 7 months ago 4 min read Stennis Flashback: NASA Test Series Leads to Bold Space Shuttle Flight
      It may have been small, but the white puff of smoke exiting the B-2 Test…
      Article 2 years ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA Stennis
      NASA’s Stennis Space Center History
      NASA Stennis Images
      NASA Stennis Fact Sheets
      NASA Stennis Front Door
      View the full article
    • By NASA
      Explore This Section Science Science Activation Tribal Library Co-Design STEM… Overview Learning Resources Science Activation Teams SME Map Opportunities More Science Activation Stories Citizen Science   3 min read
      Tribal Library Co-Design STEM Space Workshop
      Christine Shupla and Claire Ratcliffe Adams, from the NASA Science Activation program’s NASA@ My Library project, facilitated a professional development Co-Design Space Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) Workshop for Tribal libraries on August 29, 2024, hosted at the New Mexico State Library. The workshop was planned with input from Cassandra Osterloh (the New Mexico State Library’s Tribal Libraries Program Coordinator), Teresa Naranjo and Charles Suazo (of the Santa Clara Pueblo Library) and Rexine Calvert (of the P’oe Tsawa Community Library). Evaluation surveys indicate that the workshop met or exceeded 100% of participants’ expectations, and that activities could be made culturally relevant by the participants. Based on input from tribal advisors, the focus topic was space science (although there was also significant interest in various Earth science and environmental topics and in engineering design). These advisors also suggested that the workshop focus on co-design to enable the workshop participants to share and consider ways to make the content and activities culturally-relevant.
      The team selected space STEM activities that could be done within library programs and that were within different categories:
      Passive programming activities (which were available while participants were arriving) Physically active activities Engineering design activities Art/Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Mathematics (STEAM) activities After each type of activity, participants discussed aspects of the activities that they liked, modifications to make the activity more culturally-relevant for their Tribal community, and other activities within that category.
      Throughout the workshop, Christine and Claire reiterated that the participants’ thoughts and input were critical—that they were the keepers of knowledge of their communities and that their voices were respected.
      One participant stated, “I like how the instructors were re-assuring throughout the session. Making sure everyone was comfortable and making it feel safe to share ideas.” Another, said, “I tend to not participate, but observe, because I’m not a scientist. It was awesome (feeling comfortable) to design too!”
      Sixteen of the participants filled out and returned evaluation surveys handed out at the close of the workshop. Just over 50% of those survey responses indicated that the workshop exceeded expectations; all others indicated that it met expectations. Participants also indicated that the activities themselves enabled participants to co-design and make them culturally relevant; this likely is in reference to the discussions held after each activity about ways to apply and revise them. The discussion after a crater-creation activity was particularly extensive: participants discussed replacing the materials with local materials and incorporating aspects of the local topography and even local art. Several participants expressed the desire for more workshops.
      The NASA@ My Library project is supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AE30A and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn
      Workshop participants conducting the “Touchdown” activity, simulating insertion of a rover into an unknown environment. Christine Shupla Share








      Details
      Last Updated Feb 13, 2025 Editor Earth Science Division Editorial Team Related Terms
      Science Activation Earth Science Heliophysics Planetary Science Explore More
      2 min read Newly Minted Ph.D. Studies Phytoplankton with NASA’s FjordPhyto Project


      Article


      3 days ago
      5 min read NASA CubeSat Finds New Radiation Belts After May 2024 Solar Storm


      Article


      1 week ago
      3 min read NASA’s Cloud-based Confluence Software Helps Hydrologists Study Rivers on a Global Scale


      Article


      1 week ago
      Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      James Webb Space Telescope


      Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…


      Perseverance Rover


      This rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial…


      Parker Solar Probe


      On a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona…


      Juno


      NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to…

      View the full article
    • By European Space Agency
      Today in Brussels, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission consolidated their cooperation on the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI), marking the successful conclusion of negotiations and clearing the way for development to begin. EuroQCI is an advanced network that aims to protect everything from personal data to Europe's critical infrastructure, using proven principles of quantum physics.
      View the full article
    • By NASA
      3 min read
      Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
      Equipped with state-of-the-art technology to test and evaluate communication, navigation, and surveillance systems NASA’s Pilatus PC-12 performs touch-and-go maneuvers over a runway at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California on Sept. 23, 2024. Researchers will use the data to understand Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signal loss scenarios for air taxi flights in urban areas. To prepare for ADS-B test flights pilots and crew from NASA Armstrong and NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, ran a series of familiarization flights. These flights included several approach and landings, with an emphasis on avionics, medium altitude air-work with steep turns, slow flight and stall demonstrations.NASA/Steve Freeman As air taxis, drones, and other innovative aircraft enter U.S. airspace, systems that communicate an aircraft’s location will be critical to ensure air traffic safety.
      The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires aircraft to communicate their locations to other aircraft and air traffic control in real time using an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system. NASA is currently evaluating an ADS-B system’s ability to prevent collisions in a simulated urban environment. Using NASA’s Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, researchers are investigating how these systems could handle the demands of air taxis flying at low altitudes through cities.  
      When operating in urban areas, one particular challenge for ADS-B systems is consistent signal coverage. Like losing cell-phone signal, air taxis flying through densely populated areas may have trouble maintaining ADS-B signals due to distance or interference. If that happens, those vehicles become less visible to air traffic control and other aircraft in the area, increasing the likelihood of collisions.
      NASA pilot Kurt Blankenship maps out flight plans during a pre-flight brief. Pilots, crew, and researchers from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California and NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are briefed on the flight plan to gather Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast signal data between the aircraft and ping-Stations on the ground at NASA Armstrong. These flights are the first cross-center research activity with the Pilatus-PC-12 at NASA Armstrong.NASA/Steve Freeman To simulate the conditions of an urban flight area and better understand signal loss patterns, NASA researchers established a test zone at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, on Sept. 23 and 24, 2024.
      Flying in the agency’s Pilatus PC-12 in a grid pattern over four ADS-B stations, researchers collected data on signal coverage from multiple ground locations and equipment configurations. Researchers were able to pinpoint where signal dropouts occurred from the strategically placed ground stations in connection to the plane’s altitude and distance from the stations. This data will inform future placement of additional ground stations to enhance signal boosting coverage.  
      “Like all antennas, those used for ADS-B signal reception do not have a constant pattern,” said Brad Snelling, vehicle test team chief engineer for NASA’s Air Mobility Pathfinders project. “There are certain areas where the terrain will block ADS-B signals and depending on the type of antenna and location characteristics, there are also flight elevation angles where reception can cause signal dropouts,” Snelling said. “This would mean we need to place additional ground stations at multiple locations to boost the signal for future test flights. We can use the test results to help us configure the equipment to reduce signal loss when we conduct future air taxi flight tests.”
      Working in the Mobile Operations Facility at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, NASA Advanced Air Mobility researcher Dennis Iannicca adjusts a control board to capture Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data during test flights. The data will be used to understand ADS-B signal loss scenarios for air taxi flights in urban areas.NASA/Steve Freeman The September flights at NASA Armstrong built upon earlier tests of ADS-B in different environments. In June, researchers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland flew the Pilatus PC-12 and found a consistent ADS-B signal between the aircraft and communications antennas mounted on the roof of the center’s Aerospace Communications Facility. Data from these flights helped researchers plan out the recent tests at NASA Armstrong. In December 2020, test flights performed under NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign used an OH-58C Kiowa helicopter and ground-based ADS-B stations at NASA Armstrong to collect baseline signal information.
      NASA’s research in ADS-B signals and other communication, navigation, and surveillance systems will help revolutionize U.S. air transportation. Air Mobility Pathfinders researchers will evaluate the data from the three separate flight tests to understand the different signal transmission conditions and equipment needed for air taxis and drones to safely operate in the National Air Space. NASA will use the results of this research to design infrastructure to support future air taxi communication, navigation, and surveillance research and to develop new ADS-B-like concepts for uncrewed aircraft systems.
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Jan 23, 2025 EditorDede DiniusContactLaura Mitchelllaura.a.mitchell@nasa.govLocationArmstrong Flight Research Center Related Terms
      Armstrong Flight Research Center Advanced Air Mobility Aeronautics Air Mobility Pathfinders project Airspace Operations and Safety Program Ames Research Center Glenn Research Center Langley Research Center Explore More
      2 min read NASA Glenn Trains Instructors for After-School STEM Program 
      Article 1 day ago 1 min read NASA Glenn Helps Bring Joy to Children in Need
      Article 1 day ago 4 min read NASA Sets Sights on Mars Terrain with Revolutionary Tire Tech
      Article 2 days ago Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Armstrong Flight Research Center
      Aeronautics
      Drones & You
      Air Mobility Pathfinders Project
      View the full article
  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...