THE HIGH SCHOOLER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY Avery Clowes & Billy Menken
The Exeter Off-Planet Society Volume 1 - August 2019 9
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CONTENTS A Letter From the Founders 1 What is EOPS? 3
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Discussion Questions about Outer Space
Science Fair Projects 9 Model Projects 15 - Collecting Micrometeorites 17 - Cloud Chamber 21 - Innovating a Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster 25 Programs & Internships 31 The Exeter Off-Planet Society. The High Schooler’s Guide to the Galaxy is an annual publication produced by The Exeter Off-Planet Society. Questions or comments should be directed to Avery Clowes or Billy Menken, apclowes@exeter.edu, wmenken@exeter.edu. Project submissions or other works should be sent to exeteroffplanetsociety@gmail.com. This publication may not be reproduced without prior written permission from The Exeter Off-Planet Society. Content and Formatting by Billy Menken and Avery Clowes.
Student Clubs 35 Education 47 Video Channels 53
Images: Unsplash photo library. Special Contributors: Sumit Chandra, James Long, Devin McCabe
Preparing for College 55
Copyright Š 2019 by Avery Clowes and Billy Menken of the Exeter Off-Planet Society. All rights reserved.
Start a Branch of EOPS at Your School 61
Visit www.eops.club for more information.
About the Authors 63
A LETTER FROM THE FOUNDERS Welcome to the High Schooler’s Guide to the Galaxy! Here you will find new resources, learn to take advantage of high school opportunities, and discover your path through college and beyond. Remember –you don’t have to wait till you’re “out in the real world” – the real world is now. There are many ways for high schoolers to dive in. Take it from us, a couple of 17-year-olds who’ve had the good fortune of engaging in some of these possibilities. We’ve compiled all we’ve learned through our club, the Exeter Off-Planet Society (EOPS), over the past two years and hope you can use it as a resource for your own journey. Drink in all you can from these pages, be proactive in high school and beyond, and Dream Big!
Billy Menken & Avery P. Clowes Cofounders - Exeter Off-Planet Society
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What is EOPS? The Exeter Off-Planet Society is a student-founded and student-run
Exeter COSMOS is a resource guide preparing the young generation to
organization on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New
unlock the potential of the Universe. We are empowering students to
Hampshire. We hope to connect with like-minded high schoolers around
take control of the future of space – their own future.
the world to express the space-related aspirations of our generation.
Videos by high schoolers, for high schoolers • Share what we’ve learned through EOPS with other young thinkers.
Our Mission We believe humanity is on the cusp of one of the greatest leaps in history: engaging the off-Earth realm–and we intend to be part of it. The potential for human expansion, scientific advance, new business opportunities, and other yet-unknown avenues is huge. Our mission is to introduce, educate, and inspire our generation to take full advantage of this revolution.
• Demonstrate learning activities we’ve done for other high school space clubs to use. • Present pathways from high school to careers in the business and the science of space via interviews and research. • Articulate our generation’s thoughts and hopes regarding the offplanet realm.
The High Schooler’s Guide to the Galaxy
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The written resource you’re currently reading.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ABOUT OUTER SPACE
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. -Albert Einstein
Part of learning is asking tough questions. More than taking in information and spitting it back out, critical thinking allows you to develop the skillset to tackle more complex problems later in life. The following pages outline questions aimed to excercise critical thinking skills and facilitate interesting discussion. Ask these questions to friends, family, and teachers – and try to reach your very own answers. Don’t be afraid to brainstorm your own ideas and THINK BIG! The answers you find might just suprise you.
Pictured: spacecraft orbiting earth
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TO BEGIN
SPACE EXPLORATION
• What about space fascinates you? What
• What technological advancements are
do you see in it? Scientific opportunity?
required to make a “Martian Colony”
Money? The future of the human race?
possible?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of
• What would a colony look like on
space exploration? For example, would
the Moon or Mars? Who would lead?
it be better to redirect all the money
What jobs would there be? How
governmental space agencies use to
would children be raised? What
welfare or charity? Why or why not?
about education? Government and
• How optimistic are you about a colony
politics? Family structure? Culture and
on Mars? On the Moon? How soon?
religion? Communication to Earth?
What needs to happen?
Sustainability? How would land be distributed and how would wealth disparities be managed? What would
ETHICS OF SPACE • Is it our duty as conscious beings to ensure the continuation of all living species? • Does this duty necessitate expansion into space? • How much and to what degree do we alter the universe in order to preserve ourselves? • How does religion factor into colonizing
society look like overall? • How can we avoid the systematic problems that plauge society on earth?
OUR WILL TO EXPLORE • What causes public excitement for space exploration? • How does one incentivize space? • Given your own community and your own resources, what can you do increase excitement for space?
foreign planets? Are we playing God?
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SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS
What’s a Science Project? A science project is an attempt to understand, model, or innovate a scientific phenomena or technological device. In practice, this simply means investigating an interesting question or trying to solve a problem.
The Value of Science Projects • Learn time management. Planning and organization are two skills that will get you far in life. • Learn financial management. One of the biggest feats in any major science project is either acquiring funding or staying inside a budget. Let this encourage you to engineer new ways around expensive norms. • Learn how to research online. • Learn how to reach out to professors, professionals, etc. (Cold calls, emails, visits)
Pictured: Plasma Globe
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Finding Science Project Ideas Ideas Some resources from Sciencebuddies • Here is a quick, general list of science projects you could try. These are only a few of the hundreds of projects Science Buddies has written about. • For astronomy specific projects, look here. • In addition, we encourage you to think beyond the scope of the question the website has provided and brainstorm and engineer your own ideas. • Check out this link for NASA’s shortlist. • This Science Kids website has more ideas. • Browsing this site from education.com could help, too. Sifting through these ideas, as well as reading and learning as we describe in the chapter Education, will give you the information and the tools to start your very own science project.
4 Tips for Science Projects
Additional Resources • Find an advisor or supervisor. They’ll help you in a variety of ways. They can help keep you safe, teach you how to use tools, or provide constructive criticism. If you’re lucky enough to be in contact with a science teacher or an adult with a science or engineering degree, they could nudge you in the right direction when you hit a wall or provide contextual advice for the portion of the project you’re working on. • Outreach is essential. Depending on the difficulty of your project, you could send an email to university professors who are experts in your field. If they don’t respond, don’t worry, they’re busy. Remember, all you need is one response and it will help. In addition, calling them makes them more likely to respond, and thus more likely to say yes to help. Finally, not every ask has to be for their specific help. You could ask where to find resources, or if they know someone else you could ask for help. • This should go without saying, but make sure to always use your own ideas. Your own idea will make you more proud, and contribute more to your learning. Integrity pays off!
1. You don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing right from the start. Begin with a topic or a project idea that interests you and gather as much information on it as you can. Wikipedia’s never a bad start, and the page will have endnotes with many helpful references that will guide you onwards in your research. This research process will most likely continue throughout the entire project; you’ll be learning more and more the entire time. This may cause you to change directions in the middle of your work, and that’s okay! 2. Don’t be afraid to fail. Try weird ideas (stay safe) and don’t feel bad if they don’t work. Remember how many great scientific discoveries either seemed insane or came by accident. 3. MAKE A PLAN! It’s essential to keep all your work and your schedules organized. Don’t worry if you miss a day, just keep a general idea in mind of when your deadlines for each part of the project are. 4. Keep a notebook of all your notes, ideas, and drawings.
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Competitions and Fairs So, you’ve decided on a topic and found some help. Where will you enter your project? Below you’ll find science competitions you can enter. For more items check out these sites from CTY and ICS.
3M Young Scientist Challenge
Broadcom MASTERS
Description : Submit 1-2 minute video on a science project about everyday problems
Title : Broadcom MASTERS
Title : 3M Young Scientist Challenge Eligible : U.S. students grades 5-8
Eligible : US Students grades 6, 7, 8
Exploravision
Description : After being nominated at a regional or state fair, compete in teams
Title : Exploravision
with 30 other finalists for a week. Recieve awards based on judging of your project.
Eligible : U.S. and Canadian students in grades K-12 and younger than 21.
Regeneron Science Talent Search
Description : Teams of 2-4 and 4 different competitions based on age. Submit online.
Title : Regeneron Science Talent Search Eligible : U.S. High School Seniors
Regional, State, and International Science Fairs!
Description : U.S.’s most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors.
Eligible : High school and middle schoolers
Google Science Fair
Description: Individual or teams of 2-3 compete at fairs with presentation boards. Look in your community or schoolsystem for a regional fair
Title : Google Science Fair Eligible : Worldwide 13-18 year-olds
Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Description : Online submissions of project
Title : Davidson Fellows Scholarship Eligible : U.S. 18 or younger
MIT Think Scholars Program Title : MIT Think Scholars Program
Description: Submission categories include STEM, Literature, Music, Philosophy, and Outside the Box
Eligible : U.S. High School Seniors Description : Application of extensive background research on a topic and compete for guidance and funding from MIT
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MODEL PROJECTS
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EOPS Projects At EOPS we like to conduct experiments to satisfy our curiosity and learn through activity and application. In this section, we’ll look at some of our projects to recreate, model, or simply use as an example of what a science project could look like. The three projects provide a range of difficulty, from the easiest, micrometeorites, to the hardest, the magnetoplasmadynamic thruster.
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Project 1 - COLLECTING MICROMETEORITES Micrometeorites are granule-sized space rocks, called meteoroids, that, arriving from galaxies far away, have traveled through Earth’s atmosphere to its surface without completely vaporizing. Around 60 tons of this stardust fall to Earth’s surface every day in a constant shower we never notice. Micrometeorites are typically between 0.2 and 0.5 millimeters in diameter, barely visible to the naked eye, and unclassifiable as micrometeorites without the help of a microscope. This section describes how to collect and identify micrometeorites from rooftops anywhere in the world. In this fun, easy, hands-on project, you’ll get a taste of the most beautiful rocks and minerals in the universe – right from your hometown. Check out Science Friday for more information. If you’d like to get a complete guide to collecting and classifying micrometeorites, check this book out.
Materials and Procedure Materials • Strong magnets (like neodymium) inside an inside-out Ziploc bag • A safe rooftop to which you’ve been given access • A low-power microscope with slide trays. About from 10x to 40x magnification Procedure • Using the magnets inside the Ziploc bag, run the magnets along sections of the roof where there seems to be a lot of dirt pileup. This could be the edge of the roof and often gutters. You should hear small clicks as magnetic particles jump up from the roof onto your magnets. Most are just rust or iron filings, but some may be micrometeorites! • If no dust is coming out from some particularly solid dirt or mud, scoop some inside a plastic bag and sift through it with magnets later, breaking it apart with a fork or a stick as you go. • Once some magnetic material has built up around your magnet, carefully turn the Ziploc bag right side out without letting any magnetic particles fall away. You’ll be left with a magnet in one hand and a bag of dust in the other. Seal the bag and bring it to wherever you have your microscope, like at school.
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• Here’s the fun part. Pour a pinch of magnetic dust onto a plastic slide tray, and place the tray underneath the microscope. Carefully slide around the sample, examining as many pieces as you can, and scanning for the form of a micrometeorite, described in the article and book linked on the previous page. Namely, a spherical rock that might have its magnetic core poking out one end (this magnetic core, denser than the rest of the rock shifted to the front of the micrometeorite as it burned in the atmosphere). You can take pictures of all the cool dust you find through the microscope lens.
Observations and Questions • As you examine the magnetic dust you’ve collected, take lots of pictures! Most particles won’t be micrometeorites, but they’ll still have fascinating shapes and colors. Here are a few questions to think about. • Where do micrometeorites originate? • What happens to micrometeoroids as they enter Earth’s atmosphere? How does this affect the size, form, color, and mineral composition of a micrometeorite? • Why are micrometeorites magnetic? • You can use the book and the article we provided to answer these questions, but try thinking about them first. • If this subject fascinates you, see if there’s a university near you with an electron microscope. Contact them and ask to use it to look at your micrometeorite collection, so you can determine their mineral composition and identify and categorize them by type. Check out the EOPS video on micrometeorites for more information!
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Micrometeorite gallery, images taken through microscope during EOPS event.
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Project 2 - CLOUD CHAMBER A cloud chamber is a medium through which we can observe tiny particles that are otherwise invisible. They are identifiable by analyzing the shape of trails they leave in the cloud chamber. In this project, we used radioactive sources to amplify the number and type of particles we hoped to observe. We then observed the way these particles and their interactions were impacted by the presence of a magnetic field from a magnet and by an the electric field from a Van de Graaff generator.
Types of Radiation • Alpha Radiation is an ejected helium nucleus with a positive charge, travels distances in our atmosphere on the order of centimeters, and cannot penetrate most materials, like clothing, paper, or water. Weighing 6.6*10^-27 kg, alpha particles are gargantuan compared to their cousins, beta particles. • Beta Radiation is electrons and positrons ejected during nuclear decay. These particles, smaller and lighter than alpha particles, are able to penetrate clothing and the top layers of skin. • Radon forms as uranium naturally decays and is then emitted into the air. As radon undergoes radioactivedecay it emits alpha particles. • Muons are negatively charged like electrons but much heavier. They are formed as a byproduct of reactions when cosmic radiation strikes particles in the upper atmosphere. Muons interact very little with other particles except through ionization.
Materials • A glass or acrylic container bounded on all but one face. We used a rectangular fish tank. • 2-3 sheets of felt, preferably dark. • Glue that sticks felt to glass or plastic, like Elmer’s plastic cement. • Half a cup of 90% isopropyl alcohol solution. • 2 blocks dry ice, and gloves to handle them. • Surface upon which the dry ice will rest. We used a dining hall tray. • Any black surface, wood or plastic, thin but rigid, and wider than the opening of the fish tank. To be used as a lid for the tank. We spray-painted the back of a white board.
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• Radioactive sources (possibly lead, smoke detector with americium, beta emitter, etc.). • Neodymium magnets. • Van De Graaf generator. • White sight source that provides a beam of light.
Procedure 1. Adhere felt to inside bottom of fish tank. 2. Soak the felt in isopropyl alcohol. 3. Place dry ice on tray surface. 4. Place lid (white board) on top of dry ice. 5. Place radioactive sources on top of lid. Place magnet right next to an alpha emitter, the smoke detector. 6. Place the upside down tank on top of the lid. 7. Turn light source on, aim it in such a way that you can see the sources. 8. Wait with the lights off. After five to ten minutes, the whole container will be saturated with alcohol vapor, and particles zooming through the chamber will leave visible cloud tracks. 9. Observe, take video, and experiment by turning the Van de Graaf generator on near the chamber.
What’s Happening? The alcohol in the felt evaporates over time, but some of the vapor at the bottom of the container, near the cold dry ice, condenses to a visible mist, and some of it reaches a state right on the verge of condensing. That is, this air near the bottom becomes supersaturated, with alcohol on the brink between a gas and a liquid. Charged alpha, beta, and muon particles zipping through the chamber often have enough energy to knock electrons off of atmospheric molecules, ionizing them. The polar alcohol molecules are attracted to these ions and latch on to them, forming droplets. The formation of these visible droplets follows the path of the particle, which we can then ‘see’ in the cloud chamber.
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ANALYSIS QUESTIONS AND EXTENSIONS Analysis Questions 1. What different track shapes and lengths did you observe? Through research on the mass, velocity, and energy of alpha and beta particles and muons, can you guess which tracks were created by which types of radiation? 2. What changed inside the cloud chamber when the Van De Graaf was introduced to the vicinity? Give quantitative and qualitative observations. Why did this occur? Hint: think about how the clouds are formed. 3. Was the magnetic field of the magnet sufficient to curve the trajectory of any of these charged particles? If you’ve taken physics, can you calculate the necessary magnetic field to curve one of these particles? (This depends on their speed, mass, and charge, which you can find online, and their radius of curvature which you can set to a reasonable 2-5 centimeters.) While our analysis is on the next page, we encourage you to make attempts at answering these questions before you view our work.
Thought experiment questions
OUR ANALYSIS • Particles were identified by their trajectory; streaks shooting radially from the americium were alpha particles. Streaks without radiating sources were either alpha particles from ambient radon radiation matching the shape of those coming from the americium, or muons, leaving longer thicker tracks. • Alpha particles emitted from the americium smoke detector were most common. Without the Van de Graaff, they traveled 1-2 cm, but with it, they created tracks as long as 4 cm. In the presence of the electric field caused by the Van de Graaff, the energy required from radiation particles to ionize the air is lowered, like a catalyst. • Shorter thinner zigzagging tracks were visible upon close inspection. These bouncing particles, which looked like spider web, were high-energy electrons (beta particles) and positrons formed when cosmic rays collided with air molecules. Beta particles were also emitted from a radioactive source. • We observed no curving effect from the magnet, although few particles passed by. Curving an alpha particle in a 2 cm radius would require 15 Teslas, possible only with extremely powerful electromagnets.
• How would the frequency of visible interactions (tracks) be changed in a higher pressure environment? • How could you increase the intensity and frequency of track appearances? Can you design this system? • What does this experiment teach us about the universe?
More designs • http://www.lns.cornell.edu/~adf4/cloud.html • http://www.nothinglabs.com/cloudchamber/ • http://www.bizarrelabs.com/cloud.htm
Want to see a cloud chamber in action? Check out this video on the EOPS YouTube channel!
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Project 3 - INNOVATING A MAGNETOPLASMADYNAMIC THRUSTER At the end of our ninth grade year, we (Avery and Billy) started looking for a science project related to outer space. The following pages show the main facets of the project – a lengthy, difficult commitment that we couldn’t be more happy to have done.
How it works This circuit diagram explains the fundamental principles of an MPDT. Current in the conducting bars creates a magnetic field between them, which interacts with the current through the rod and accelerates the rod along the bars.
Abstract The magnetoplasmadynamic thruster (MPDT) is one of the most powerful and efficient forms of electrical spacecraft propulsion. Designed for deep space travel, it promises extensive application in the up-and-coming space race. We created a low-cost version of a MPDT and modified it to include a swirl ring, a part used to increase plasma cutting accuracy. We tested this idea in an MPDT using the following procedure. We placed a sacrificial wire between the electrodes for discharge initiation (it vaporizes and allows propellant ionization). A low-friction cart with a vertical plate faced the nozzle for thrust measurement. After setting the argon propellant flow rate entering the nozzle, we pulled a switch, releasing a powerful capacitor’s stored energy through the completed circuit and pulsing the rocket. For three tests, cart mass, initial capacitor voltage, and flow rate were constant. We compared the cart’s movement to whether the swirl ring was used and found the swirl ring increased the thrust significantly, as predicted. We recorded the change in capacitor voltage, and the lowest final voltage was 45 volts, far from zero. This means argon could not maintain the arc between the electrodes, i.e., ionized particles were ejected faster than new ones formed. This evidence supports the hypothesis that as flow rate increases, efficiency increases. Going forward, we want a better gas delivery system to match the flow rate to the current. A hall-effect sensor could also be used to measure current and compare thrust to the predicted value from the Maecker formula.
From myelectricengine.com The same process occurs in the nozzle of an MPDT (shown on right). Imagine we’ve taken one of those bars and rotated it around the other. Now instead of a rod that rolls, we need a new conductor to allow current to flow from the cathode to the anode. In our case, argon gas is injected between the electrodes, and an electric potential between them creates a spark of ionized gas, which by the Lorentz force is accelerated out, producing thrust.
From myelectricengine.com
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Goal
Discussions
• Our goal for this project was to design, build, and test a low cost version of this propulsion system, comparable in thrust output to other modern models, and to modify and innovate it to maximize its efficiency for near future applications. • This was an interdisciplinary project involving physics and electronics, chemistry, material science, mechanical engineering, and math.
For six tests, cart mass was held constant, and initial capacitor voltage and flow rate varied by little. The first three tests showed the trend that including a swirl ring increased efficiency, but after conducting a control test with no gas flow and two other tests, we realized we had to rethink the experiment. We are pumping 610 Joules of electrical energy at a ¼ kg cart. Magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters are known for their high efficiencies. If we assume as little as ten percent of this energy converts into the kinetic energy of the cart, we can calculate that the cart should move at 22 m/s. In reality, the cart moved a few centimeters for each test. In the following discussion, we will reason how and why. Since correct functioning of the MPDT entails a high efficiency, and barely any energy at all was transferred to the cart, it is clear the expected Lorentz force acceleration did not actually occur. This leaves two other options for where the thrust came from. The cold gas flow case and thermal expansion. Argon that passes through the nozzle without touching the wire remains at the same temperature and hits the cart, but as the gas flowing at the cart prior to discharge did not move it, this is not the case. Thermal expansion, on the other hand, could account for the movement. When using the equation on the left panel to calculate the necessary sacrificial wire thickness, we set the two sides equal to each other, meaning all electrical energy would be deposited in to the wire as thermal heat. This is enough to burn the wire in a loud bang, but leaves only small amounts of power to feed the argon arc. We should have tested with thinner wire to allow more energy for the lorentz force acceleration. Evidence for this theory, that the thrust came from the expanding heat energy, is found in many different data points. The control test, with no argon gas flow, gave the highest thrust. Given our theory, this makes sense because with no argon, there is more oxygen to feed fire and an explosion, like seen in the picture below. In analyzing the relationship between wire gauge, voltage drop, and quantity of vaporization, we find that a greater voltage change corresponds to a greater quantity of wire vaporized, supporting the theory that all the energy released from the capacitor went to vaporizing the wire and not ionizing the argon. So no Lorentz force acceleration occurred.
Questions • Is it possible to create a low cost model of an MPDT that is comparable to other modern systems? • Will the addition of a swirl ring, a part used in arc welders that will rotate argon gas around our rocket’s tungsten cathode as the gas is accelerated, increase the efficiency of the thruster? • How will the mass flow rate of the argon propellant affect the efficiency of the thruster?
Hypothesis • Ideally, gas should be supplied to the arc at such a rate that positive ions can be created at no less than the rate that current flows. However, when the flow rate is not large enough, the current can strip ions from its surroundings to maintain itself, eroding the electrodes and wasting energy. • When a swirl ring is inserted behind the nozzle, the resulting axially swirling gas has two effects. First, the argon replaces more of the ambient air between the electrodes, which requires more voltage to ionize, and could oxidize the cathode, shortening its productive life. Second, instead of a straight flow, where much of the argon misses the arc and won’t help sustain it, with a swirling flow, a greater percentage of the argon will go by the arc to do so, reducing the need to strip electrode material and waste energy. 1. If the argon mass flow rate increases, the thruster’s efficiency will increase. 2. If a swirl ring is inserted behind the nozzle, the thruster’s efficiency will increase.
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Conclusions As discussed above, no conclusions can be made about the effect of a swirlring or propellant mass flow rate on the thruster’s efficiency, although theory explained on the left panel heavily suggests they both have a positive effect. • In the future, the first way we will develop this project is by experimenting more. Due to limited supervisor availability, we could only complete six tests, whose results need to be verified. Next, we will research and buy a gas flow system which can supply much higher flow rates to eliminate all electrode erosion and maximize efficiency. One set-up idea is to have a large argon tank, a gas regulator, a surge tank, and a gas solenoid all attached in sequence. Then, we will invest in a better way of measuring thrust, like a pressure sensor or an accelerometer, but either would have to take thousands of data points per second. In addition, a hall effect sensor could be used to measure the current during the pulse and compare measured thrust to the value predicted by the Maecker formula. With more clever design and research, we think we could also test inside of a vacuum to mimic the outer space environment. • There are a number of areas of research we would like to explore going forward. For example, magnetized arc stabilization, which keeps the flow focused straight out of the thruster to maximize efficiency. Finally, we could try varying nozzle geometry, but a lot of work has already been done in that area.
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LOOKING BACK AND WHAT WE LEARNED The MPDT project was the most significant project commitment of our lifetimes, but it was also definitely the most rewarding. We hit a number of walls, but learned how to engineer around them. We learned • Time Management: Clocked in a combined 850 hours of work from June 2017 to May 2018, and submitted the complete project on time. • Money Management: our budget for the whole project was less than $450, and nearly $400 of that had to go to the expensive capacitor and gas supply systems. We’re proud to have found ways to keep the other fees so low. • How to reach out to experts with whom we could speak of our ideas. • Our project won at the regional science fair and took us to Intel ISEF 2018 in Pittsburgh, which was a blast.
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PROGRAMS & INTERNSHIPS
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Resources Galore
Summer Programs
In addition to the in-class learning that happens at school, camps, programs, and internships are great ways to get experience in subjects or fields you’re interested in. In the following pages you’ll find some of the more well-known science/space summer camps available for application. In addition, there are likely many STEM (and maybe space-specific) camps in your area – all you have to do is ask the internet.
Internship Programs
Research Science Institute
Clark Scholar Program
Cost + availability : Free International
Cost + availability : Free International
Location : MIT campus
Location : Texas Tech Campus
Dates : Mid June to early August
Dates : Mid June to early August
Ages : Summer before 12th grade
Ages : Must be 17 by start date
Description : Intense science research
Description : Intense science
experience
research experience
Check out the internships described at the following links. This is your chance to do some digging, find out what interests you, and apply. Good luck!
Camp Kennedy Space Center
Camp KSC International
Cost + availability : $350 United States
Cost + availability : $455-$695
Check out the internships described at the following links
Location : Kennedy Space Center,
International
• https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2018/hs-intern-
Orlando
Location : Kennedy Space Center,
spotlight.html
Dates : Weeklong camp in June or July
Orlando
• https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/labs/opportunities/
Ages : 7-16
Dates : 3 or 5 day camp
• https://cty.jhu.edu/resources/academic-opportunities/internships/science.html
Description : Astronaut training and
Ages : 10-17 (must come in group of
• https://www.pathwaystoscience.org/Discipline.aspx?sort=ENG-Aerospace_
STEM learning
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Aerospace%20Engineering
Description : Learn STEM with NASA
• https://www.pathwaystoscience.org/programhub.aspx?sort=NAS-OSSI • https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/education/internships.html • https://www.nasa.gov/content/2020-volunteer-high-school-internship-project • http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/sees-internship/ • https://people.rit.edu/~gtfsbi/Symp/highschool.htm
PROMYS
science
Cost + availability : $5000 but stipends
Simons
offered. International
Cost + availability : Free. United States
Location : Boston University
Location : Stony Brook University
Dates : Late June to early
Dates : Late June to early
August
August
Ages : High Schoolers
Ages : Summer before
Description : Intense math
12th grade
research
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STUDENT CLUBS
The Value Of Clubs In the following pages, you will find club spotlights for subjects that play essential roles in our scientific progress in outer space. • Clubs are great for developing specialized skills and diving deeper than what school offers. • They’re an excellent way to gain exposure to working in teams and working on long-term group projects. • They have leadership positions where you can learn to be accountable, to organize and mobilize a group of people, and to take initiative on something you care about. • Clubs allow you to explore new things you never knew you might take interest in and could help you find a passion. • School clubs are also extraordinary preparation for college. Finally, these clubs often participate in national tests or competitions, good ways to test what you’ve learned and also a lot of fun. If your school doesn’t already have these clubs, try starting one yourself!
Pictured: Up-close of a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display
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ASTRONOMY CLUB
BIOLOGY CLUB
Time Comittment:
Medium
Time Comittment: Time commitment: High for competition groups, medium for learning groups.
Competition Based:
Your choice
Main Competitions:
Competition Based:
Your choice
Main Competitions:
Biology Olympiad and Science Fair Competitions
Astronomy Olympiad
Learn about blasars, quasars, black holes, the history of the universe, and how stars create light. Learn about exoplanets and telescopes and rocketry and the life cycle of stars. Topics are endless and fascinating and deal with some of the biggest questions humans have ever asked. Where do we come from? What conditions allowed life to form? What is our purpose? And other unanswered scientific questions about wormholes, time, dark matter, and more. Activities may include star-watching with or without telescopes or analyzing massive data that NASA dumps online for free. You could be the one to identify a new exoplanet by looking at a fade in star luminosity or make another exciting
Within biology club at your school, there may be up to three sections focused on problem-based competitions, project-based competitions, and concept-learning. Learning groups will likely do experiments and lectures to supplement knowledge from class, one competition group will focus on learning to answer competition questions, and one will provide support to individual, long-term projects. Each of these groups are excellent ways to expand your biology knowledge, but they will highlight and tune different skillsets. To learn about the value of science projects, see page 10.
discovery! Astronomy club is both scientific and philosophical and makes for an allaround exciting experience.
Here are some biology concepts we enjoyed learning. • Genetics
These past exams can help you test your knowledge for astronomy competitions.
• Evolutionary Theory • Central Dogma • Skeletal Structure • Cellular Transport Mechanisms Looking to train? Here are some problems from past tests. Check out these resources from for more biology competitions in which you can participate.
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CHEMISTRY CLUB
COMPUTER SCIENCE CLUB
Time Comittment: Time commitment: High for competition groups, medium for learning groups.
Time Comittment: High for competition groups, medium for learning groups, as much as you want for projects
Competition Based:
Your choice
Competition Based:
Your choice
Main Competitions:
Chemistry Olympiad
Main Competitions:
Computing Olympiad
“Chemistry club is the only place where you can blow things up educationally!”
–Lucy Gilchrist, co-head of Phillips Exeter Chemistry club
Chemistry club is sometimes split into competition and learning groups, but they often overlap. Learning groups will often be heavily lab based, which is a lot of fun. Most lab experiments involve working with mixtures of substances, like titrations and precipitations, but demonstrations with fire and gases (when performed safely) can also be a lot of fun. There’s no way to list everything you may learn through all the labs, problems, and mini lectures, but here are a few of the topics we enjoyed. • Titrations • Organic chemistry nomenclature • Sigma and Pi bonds • Energy and Enthalpy • Reaction rates • Models of the atom • Batteries and electricity For competition groups, meetings, often once or twice a week, will consist more of lectures and problem-solving. Looking to train? Here are some problems from past
“I believe technical literacy is an essential skill in the digital era, and computing clubs not only provide students a space to hone their skills, but also a community to discuss relevant topics, and apply their technical knowledge to projects that make positive impacts.”
–Penny Brant, co-head of Phillips Exeter Academy computing club.
Like many of these clubs, computer science club can be split up into a learning group that takes on a specific computing language or skill to learn, competition groups, and project groups seeking to learn through coding. For projects, you may want to design software for a practical application like an app or a website, but you may also just want to take on a challenge to practice using certain data structures or methods or other skills. Projects, both small and large, are an excellent way to learn; if you’re stuck and your friends can’t help you, there’s plenty of information and resources online. Looking for training? Try starting here. Additionally, computer programming is an increasingly popular major in college and career choice in this ever-more technological world. It promises usefulness whether in a space-related career or not. Java, Python, and C/C++ are a few languages students often begin with when studying computer science.
tests you can try.
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MODEL ROCKETRY CLUB
PHYSICS CLUB
Time Comittment: Time commitment: High for competition groups, medium for learning groups.
Time Comittment: Time commitment: High for competition groups, medium for learning groups.
Competition Based:
Your choice
Competition Based:
Your choice
Main Competitions:
The American Rocketry Challenge
Main Competitions:
Physics Olympiad
Model rocketry is a great way to get familiar with many concepts in aerospace
engineering. The National Association of Rocketry (NAR) hosts competitions for a variety of different classes of rockets, and has local organizations throughout the country. From the National Association of Rocketry’s Website: The American Rocketry Challenge (TARC) is an aerospace design and engineering event for teams of US secondary school students (6th through 12th grades) run by the NAR and the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). Teams can be sponsored by schools or by nonprofit youth organizations such as Scouts, 4-H, or Civil Air Patrol (but not the NAR or other rocketry organizations). The goal of TARC is to motivate students to pursue aerospace as an exciting career field, and it is cosponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers, Estes Industries, the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, and NASA. The event involves designing and building a model rocket (650 grams or less in weight, 650 millimeters or more in length using NAR-certified model rocket motors totaling 80 N-sec or less of total impulse) that carries a payload of one Grade A Large egg for a flight duration of 40-43 seconds, and to an altitude of exactly 800 feet (measured by an onboard altimeter), and that then returns the egg to earth by parachute, without cracking it. Onboard timers are allowed; radio-control and pyrotechnic charges are not.
“I think physics club provides the opportunity for students to learn material typically not taught within the classroom and participate in awesome extracurricular activities such as the US Young Physicist’s Tournament and the USA Physics Olympiad. The passion members bring to the meetings inspires me and makes leading the club a truly enjoyable weekly experience.”
-Brian Liu, Co-head of Phillips Exeter Academy’s Physics Club
Learn about special relativity, diodes and transistors, and the laws of thermodynamics! Physics club covers many topics you learn in the classroom, but more complex and challenging. Prepare for the Physics Olympiad with competition problems, some of which you can access here. More things you may learn. • Rocket science • Nuclear Physics • Fluid mechanics • Quantum Mechanics • History of Physics Check out these resources from Art of Problem Solving for more physics competitions you can be a part of.
Learn more about this competition here.
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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
ROBOTICS CLUB
Used for creating objects with various properties. 3D printers can be used to prototype rapidly or find permanent solutions based on the application. - Filament-Based 3D Printing, Stereolithographic 3D Printing
Time Comittment:
High - Varies Depending on Competition
Competition Based:
Yes
Major Competition:
FIRST Robotics, MATE Rov, Seaperch,
Essential for the design and build process. Enables automated cutting and milling and additive manufacturing.
Robotics club is a perfect place to develop the technical and interpersonal skills
Computer Aided Design (CAD)
necessary for a career in space.
Joining a robotics club will:
Slicers
1.
Give students experience with tools commonly used in the aerospace field
2.
Familiarize students with the language of engineering and design
3.
Facilitate the development of collaborative skills
Computer Programming
- Collaborative skills help students tackle complex problems as they pursue a
- C, C++, Java, Python,
- VEX IQ or other proprietary hardware-based coding
MACHINE SHOP TOOLS
- NXT, Scratch, or other drag and drop based programming languages
Each tool is used in different ways to help create a custom piece of material. These
ELECTRONICS
career in space.
custom pieces can be purpose built for robotics, but these skills are applicable to making anything!
- Drill press, Lathe, Milling machine, Handheld Saw, Jigsaw, Bandsaw, Scroll Saw, Circular Saw, Chop Saw,
AUTOMATED CUTTING AND MILLING These are used in conjunction with software to make highly customized shapes and parts. They allow specialized and complex manipulation of a variety of materials.
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SOFTWARE
- CNC Router, Laser Cutter, Waterjet Cutter, Table Saw
- Fusion 360, FreeCAD, Rhino, AutoCAD, Sketchup, OnShape, Solidworks - Cura, Simplify3D, Slic3r, 3DPrinterOS, OctoPrint, Repetier-Host, KISSlicer, IdeaMaker
Inputs
- Temperature, Light, Acceleration, Distance, Contact, Camera, etc.
Outputs
- Lights, Speakers, LCDs, etc.
- Motors, Servos, Hydraulics, Electromagnets, Linear Actuators, etc.
Communication
- Wifi, Bluetooth, Radio, etc.
Control Boards
- Arduino, Custom PCBs
- Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs)
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A few other clubs that teach valuable skillsets for the future of space (and there are
MORE CLUB RESOURCES
many more). • Speechmaking • Future business leaders of America
Student Government – Learn to work in teams with other students trying to make
• Ethics club
change. Learn leadership and organizational skills. Learn to work with the school
• Science Bowl
administration to budget money and allocate resources towards certain projects or
• MIT LaunchX
events.
• Quiz Bowl • Geology Club
Debate – Learn the arts of persuasion and argumentation. Communication skills are essential for any job, but especially important in generating excitement and support for exploring outer space. Debate will train your brain to consider benefits and drawbacks and articulate your reasoning, like to answer why we should or shouldn’t expand into outer space. Model UN – Diplomacy is essential, and the power to negotiate a deal about space between countries or companies could accelerate our expansion enormously. Business, Economics, and Entrepreneurship clubs – for those of you out there interested in how space is funded, how big space companies manage their budget, or even if you want to start a company of your own. Journalism or School Newspaper – Journalists build plenty of public excitement for space. If you have a knack for writing, consider this path. Community Service – be a good member of the community! We like space because it can benefit us all; get used to giving.
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EDUCATION
School Coursework Get involved in core science classes!
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Computer Science
As you pick courses, don’t forget to include more specific classes that will help you find your passion.
• Robotics, Electronics
• Psychology
• Government and Policy
• Design and art
• Business, finance, management, entrepreneurship.
• Genetics
Don’t think for a second you can skip the humanities. English, history, philosophy, art, they’re all useful in building necessary life skills like writing and communication as well as encouraging you to use your imagination and once in a while just sit down and think. Space is foreign territory, and creativity will rule the way.
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Courses Online Online coursework is a great way to supplement your school learning with extra depth or extra specificity. It is especially beneficial in the summer if you’re sitting around with nothing better to do. Try courses in subjects you’ve loved your whole life or that you’ve never dabbled with before with consequence-free learning (stop sweating, it won’t change your GPA.) Check out these online course bases.
Skillshare With emphasis on hands-on, project-oriented learning, Skillshare deviates slightly from more traditional academic coursework to focus on professional skills to help in life and in the workplace. Skillshare offers classes in business, technology, and more, and it is best for creative topics like photoshop and graphic design, photography, and cinematography. Classes range in length and difficulty, and they are taught by experts who know the skill rather than teachers. There are free trials, but eventually users must have a subscription.
EDX Free, full of in-depth courses, and with real professors to answer questions
Space News
along the way, edX is a brilliant educational source for anyone who wants to
If you like keeping up with the news, here are a few of our suggestions.
take college-level academic courses. You can start courses at any time, and you have the option of paying for college credit certificates at the end of the course.
• Space.com - online and free, with current and trustworthy information.
Often, courses don’t have to be in session to look over them, but there won’t be a
• Scientific American Magazine - the latest of cutting-edge science and
teacher to help out if the class isn’t running at the time (and no certificates will be
technology, often dealing with astronomy and rocketry and developments in
available).
outer space. Must pay for a subscription • The Economist Magazine
Coursera
• The science page of the New York Times - professionally-written, trusted, and
The biggest MOOC (massive open online courseware). Compared to edX, Coursera
interesting, the New York Times often reports on the recent developments in
features more professional content, like business and technology courses,
outer space. Must pay for a subscription
but courses are still created by universities. Courses are video-based and run
• News video channels are covered later, in Video Channels
repeatedly – so waiting times are usually low.
Code Academy Codecademy – An online education platform that provides courses specifically focused on computer programming. In addition, the company offers a paid “pro” version with additional learning resources like quizzes, projects, and advisers. The venture continues to grow with new material like electronics and hardware courses.
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Online Resources Look, more places to learn online! We love these two. • Khan Academy – A non-profit education platform with a massive base of videos on all academic subjects, test prep, and more. The videos feature step-by-step explanations of concepts that allow viewers to learn at their own pace. An allaround wonderful resource. • Brilliant – Math, science, and computer science courses designed to teach you subjects while boosting your problem-solving skills. Challenging problems to sharpen your mind. Must pay a subscription.
Reading List Here are a few we loved. • Astrophysics for people in a hurry • Elon Musk • Hidden Figures • The Martian • The Three Body Problem • List from NBC here • List from Space.com here
One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time. Carl Sagan 51
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VIDEO CHANNELS
How They Help Yes, we’re encouraging you to watch YouTube, but for good reason! Video Channels are a great resource for passive learning. Maybe you’re eating Honey Nut Cheerios in the morning and you want to hear how they took pictures of black hole Sagittarius A. You’re going on a jog and you want to learn about terraforming Mars. These online journalists and educators put a lot of work into these videos, and they’re honest, and full of knowledge, and entertaining!
Video Channels Not only are these some of the best educational channels on YouTube, these are some of the best channels on YouTube. For their descriptions, just click the link and the channels themselves will explain what they’re all about.
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• Kurzgesagt
• Minute Physics
• Veritasium
• Crash Course
• Smarter Every Day
• Vsauce
• Mark Rober
• Deep Astronomy
• Sci Show
• Fraser Cain
• 3Blue1Brown
• NASA
• Minute Physics
• Space RIP
• NOVA PBS
• Hubble Space telescope channel
• Real Engineering
• TMRO
• The Every Day Astronaut
• And of course, Exeter COSMOS
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PREPARING FOR COLLEGE
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Our Advice For College
Careers
With College right around the corner, you’ll have to figure out what school is best for you, what major(s) you want, how much you’re willing to spend, applying, test-
To jumpstart your thinking in terms of majors and topics of study, here are some
ing, and so much more. Most of the information you’ll need will come from you ad-
careers that may lead to employment in a space-related field.
viser or college counselor, but to supplement that, here’s our take.
Atmospheric Science
First of all, do what you love. Pick your major because it fascinates you, and devote
Atmospheric Scientists do lots of work for the government and more specifi
your time to intellectually stimulating extracurricular activities. But keep in mind
cally NASA with satellites, phenomena like the Northern Lights, and predicting
how this subject and these activities will set you up for the rest of your life. Think
surface conditions on other planets.
strategically about your priorities. What do you want most in life? To be successful? To be happy? Rich? Fulfilled? Accomplished? To make a breakthrough? To
Avionics technology
have a family? Different wants require different pathways that are helpful to plan
Avionics technicians are people who specialize in airplane or spaceships
out early on.
technologies, specifically the electronics, and can either make quick fixes or
long term analytical tests of certain equipment.
Especially on the space side of things, if you like science, we encourage getting an engineering degree. There are a lot of jobs open for engineers on the market, and
Biology
they are often well paid. More than setting you up for STEM careers, engineering
So many of the experiments that NASA and other space organizations do is
degrees show employers you are a problem solver, and they can
focused on life and its possibilities, and biologists are extremely needed in
be a plus for branching into other career types like business.
space.
That’s not to say you have to get an engineering degree. Of course, if you prefer
Communications
pure sciences, study them! If you like journalism or history or art, do one of them.
Communications experts are the people that figure out how to send
These are all valuable. The point is that whatever you study, there’s a way you can
messages deep into space and keep missions functioning. They are the
structure your career such that it benefits a worldwide movement towards appreci-
people that keep all the electronics and satellites talking to each other.
ating and expanding into space, if that’s what you want to do. Computer Science/Engineering
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Finally, remember that college is another exporatory learning oppourtinuty. Take
Designing both the intricate software and hardware that goes into all
classes youre interested in, and use the resources at whatever college you attend
explorations in space. Electronics have to withstand great heat and force
to pursue your interests.
while in space, and software engineers are needed to design function
and architecture of these systems.
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Electrical Engineering
Start-Ups
Similarly to Computer engineering, these people are needed for all of the
Unlike national organizations who have led the space playing-field
wiring and complex electronics of space programs both on earth and in
for decades, start-ups can be free from assigned budgetary limits, bounded
space. They also work with designing new, more efficient electronic systems
only by the reach of your ideas and your grit to fulfill them. Good luck.
and components Public Policy
Mechanical Engineering
Government space programs like the National Aeronautics and Space Ad-
Mechanical engineers are super versatile engineers, jacks of all trades that are
ministration (NASA), the European Space Agency, and the China National
needed in any type of future space exploration. They also often have a role
Space Administration are responsible for space initiatives and research. Their
in testing and optimizing technology made by other types of engineers.
budgets are controlled by their respective governments and are affected by how high space exploration ranks on their list of national priorities. Some say
Film and Photography
space was popular fifty years ago because of the United States’ and Soviet
Needed for capturing the milestones and major discoveries. The photos of
Union’s national competition to be best. When the competition died down,
outer space are extremely inspiring for future people interested in space. The
so did the race for space. But now the world is in need of politicians who will
filmmakers are also extremely important for producing documentaries that
fight to reignite a desire for space, this time for different reasons like science
also raise the interest in space.
and business opportunities and curiosity. Public policy is about connecting with the populous and getting them excited about governmental space proj-
Public Relations
ects, which then affects how much money is given to those programs. If you
Space companies and governmental programs need to talk to the public, get
like space and politics, this career could be perfect for you.
their message out there, and advertise for themselves.
Management, Finance, Investment, Philanthropy
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For those of you that like dealing with money, space can never have to
much. Although pioneers like Elon Musk are innovating cheaper rocket
engines, space is very expensive, and further exploration will require your
fiscal genius and generosity.
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Start a Branch of EOPS at your School
A Global Community We envision many off-planet societies around the world, sharing our message with high school students everywhere. We want to open our generation’s eyes to opportunities of the off-planet realm and show them how to act on that recognition. We need your help to accomplish this mission. Here are some things to think about if you’d like to start an off-planet society at your school. First, you’ll need a small team. Reach out to friends and peers who are interested in space and ask a teacher for their support. Maybe visit some of the clubs we mentioned in our Clubs section and pitch your new club to them, seeking out recruits. If you’re school has a club night, make sure to set up a booth. With these initial conversations, think about what club meetings you could hold. • What projects could you lead with the materials your school can offer? - Try the micrometeorite project that only requires magnets, a microscope, and a roof. - Check out other projects in the guide • If you know a lot about a certain topic, present mini lectures to fellow students. • Enjoy discussion? Organize meetings to sit down and talk about the wonders of outer space. - Use our discussion questions to start • Do you live near a university or a lab? - Organize a conversation with a researcher or professor - Invite them to your school
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
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Avery Clowes and Billy Menken are seniors in high school, attending Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. Avery runs track, is cohead of the robotics club, and is involved in student government. Billy plays soccer and piano and is a proctor in his dormitory. Both are still figuring out what they want to study and pursue for careers, but both know they want to make an impact and create a better world. 64
BE FEARLESS. BE READY.
For more information visit www.eops.club
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