Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles Available for Educational UseNASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions and museums to request space shuttle thermal protective tiles and other special items offered on a first-come, first-served basis while quantities last. Organizations previously allocated thermal protective tiles may request an additional three tiles.There will be a nominal shipping fee that must be paid online with a credit card. To make a request for special items online, visithttp://gsaxcess.gov/htm/nasa/userguide/Special_Item_Request_Procedure.pdf.Questions about this opportunity should be directed toGSAXcessHelp@gsa.gov._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience ExhibitionDeveloped by the Science Museum of Minnesota in collaboration with the International Space Station Office of NASA's Johnson Space Center, the California Science Center, and the partner museums of the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative, the 10,000-square-footSpaceexhibition invites visitors to experience traveling to and living and working in space. Participants are immersed in the challenges that astronauts -- and the engineers and scientists that make their journeys possible -- face. Premiering at the Science Museum of Minnesota on Feb. 20, 2015,Spacefeatures interactive exhibits, whole body experiences and authentic artifacts that engage visitors with the adventure of space exploration.Exhibition Features-- Two massive rotating labs modeled after the International Space Station Destiny module-- Hands-on space interactives including a robotic arm, water rockets, drop towers and ion engines-- A space station doll house and other activities specifically designed for younger visitors-- Immersive media featuring spectacular views from space-- Bilingual -- English and SpanishFor more information, visitwww.smm.org/spaceorhttp://www.spaceexhibit.org/.Questions about the exhibit can be directed to Joe Imholte atjimholte@smm.org._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student Presentations to Stream Live From National Space Grant Directors' MeetingThe National Space Grant Directors Meeting will stream students presentations live through the NASA Digital Learning Network, or DLN. Anticipated topics include micro propulsion applications, automated landing systems, and Space Grants impact on education, NASA and industry.Live streaming of the presentations will take placeFeb. 26, 2015, at 3:30-4:15 p.m. ESTandFeb. 27, 2015, at 1:05-2:05 p.m. EST.These meetings are held to highlight the accomplishments of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program and its 52 consortia. Institutions of higher learning from all across the country will be represented. NASA Space Grants goal is to provide opportunities in aerospace education and awareness.To view these presentations live, please access NASA DLN athttp://dln.nasa.gov.Questions about this event should be directed to Aleksandra Korobov ataleksandra.korobov@nasa.gov._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Free Webinar Series -- NASA STEM Mania: STEM in Sports

Kick off your classroom activities with NASA STEM Mania: STEM in Sports! This series of free virtual professional development webinars for educators will help you hit an education home run. Pre-game connections begin at 3:30 p.m. EST and webinars begin at 4 p.m. EST.Upcoming webinar events include:Feb. 26, 2015 -- Robotic Arm and WeightliftingExplore the use of robotic arms on the space station and how they function like real human arms. During this session, participants will design their own robotic arm and participate in a weightlifting challenge.March 2, 2015 -- Sports: STEM Is Newtons Laws at PlayIn this session, participants will learn how to use sports to get students excited about learning Newtons Laws of Motion. Making connections between sports and STEM is a great way to teach complex concepts through concrete experiences.March 3, 2015 -- Hydration Station: The Importance of Hydration in Sports and on the Space StationHow is living in space like playing in an NFL championship football game? Both involve circumstances that cause the body to lose water involuntarily. Astronauts and athletes with low body water can suffer physical impairment that can affect their performance.March 4, 2015 -- NASA eCLIPS: Keeping the Beat -- a Cardiac RelayMeasure and record pulse rate before and after physical activity to learn more about the heart. This elementary STEM activity uses a math model to look for patterns in the pulse rate data.March 5, 2015 -- Spaced Out SportsLearn to apply Newton's Laws of Motion by designing, or redesigning, a game for astronauts to play on the International Space Station. As students design a new sport, they will explore Newton's Laws of Motion and how Earth's gravity affects objects.To register for these webinars, and to see a full list of webinars taking place through March 19, 2015, visithttp://tinyurl.com/qz74zzb.Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Kelly Hartford atkelly.a.hartford@nasa.govand/or Lester Morales atlester.morales@nasa.gov._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional DevelopmentNASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Pre-registration is not required for these webinars. Simply go to the link provided for each webinar approximately 15 minutes before the session begins. Sign in as a guest using your first and last names.Robotic Arm Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-5Event Date:Feb. 26, 2015, at 6 p.m. ESTExplore the use of robotic arms and how they function like real human arms. Robotic arms are used to move equipment and supplies, and assist the astronauts on the International Space Station. During this session, participants design a robotic arm and participate in a weightlifting challenge.https://connect.its.txstate.edu/amesnasaepd/Here an Earth, There an Earth, Everywhere an Earth: The Kepler Telescopes Search for Planets Beyond Our Solar System Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12Event Date:March 3, 2015, at 6 p.m. ESTExplore how the Kepler Telescope searches for planets orbiting other stars. Participants will learn how to use actual Kepler Telescope data and Keplers Third Law to construct graphs and interpret data that determines if a planet, orbiting a star in another solar system, is a candidate to support life.https://connect.its.txstate.edu/stennisnasaepd/Parachuting Onto Mars Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-8Event Date:March 4, 2015, at 6 p.m. ESTParticipants in this webinar will calculate surface area and measure the mass of a spacecraft. Participants will learn the design process behind the parachute system used on NASA spacecraft. A NASA engineer will also participate in this session. Dont miss out on the opportunity to ask questions! Math concepts to be covered during the session are expression and equations, geometry, quantitative relationships between dependent and independent variables, and problem solving.https://connect.its.txstate.edu/amesnasaepd/Spaced Out Sports Audience:Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8Event Date:March 5, 2015, at 7 p.m. ESTSpaced Out Sports is a curriculum using a variety of sports clips filmed on Earth and on the International Space Station that will challenge your students to explore Newtons Laws of Motion. Using a series of classroom activities and career videos, students will discover how Newtons Laws of Motion can be applied to any sport or physical activity.https://connect.its.txstate.edu/stennisnasaepd/Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan atStephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Free Exploring Space Lecture Series -- Attend in Person or View Online

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope's release into space. The 2015 Exploring Space Lectures will feature world-class scholars discussing some of the most innovative scientific research conducted using Hubble and exploring the insights the telescope has uncovered about our universe. Presenters will also discuss the telescope's serviceability, design, administration, execution, and place in history.Fixing Hubble Feb. 26, 2015, at 8 p.m. ESTThe Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions represent humanity's quest to discover more about our universe and the limits that we will push to achieve this goal. Frank J. "Cepi" Cepollina, associate director of NASA's Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office, will share the stories, challenges and significance of the Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions.Servicing the Hubble Space Telescope March 26, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTLaunched in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was designed to be serviced by the space shuttle. Former astronaut Michael J. Massimino will discuss the final Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission, during which the crew upgraded Hubble through a record-setting series of five spacewalks including the first ever repair of Hubble science instruments in place.Hubble Telescope: Looking Back in Time at the Distant Universe June 11, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTOne of the Hubble Space Telescopes greatest triumphs has been the clear view it has given of very distant galaxies. Astronomers Sandra Faber and Robert Williams will discuss how this clearer view has enabled astronomers to piece together the formation of structure in the universe.The Hubble Space Telescope: The Agony and the Ecstasy June 30, 2015, at 8 p.m. EDTThe Hubble Space Telescope is the most famous scientific instrument ever built, but its remarkable history has seen numerous ups and downs. Professor Robert Smith, author of the definitive history of the Hubble Space Telescope, will explore some of the most exciting and telling episodes in this rich history.The lectures will be held at the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum in the District of Columbia, and attendance is free. However, tickets are required. Come early to see a free film and to meet the lecturer. The lectures will be webcast live for free viewing. Lecture videos will be archived.For more information about the Smithsonian's Exploring Space Lecture Series, visithttp://airandspace.si.edu/events/lectures/exploring-space/.Questions about this series should be directed to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-2214._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________The Design of Discovery Educator WorkshopThis fifth annual workshop has a special focus on the engineering solutions associated with space exploration. Participants will investigate what it takes for scientists and engineers to work together to move fantastic ideas from dream to reality to meet the challenges of complex missions.Attendees will be the first to learn about a new guided engineering, maker-based "design a mission" project to help students understand the relationship between scientific objectives and the engineering and design process.The Design of Discovery workshop will take place on March 7, 2015, in four locations. -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California -- NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas -- University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado -- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MarylandParticipants will hear the latest on emerging science from the New Horizons mission as it begins to return images of Pluto. Researchers will share how the MESSENGER mission will make a big bang when it runs out of fuel after spending four years in orbit and returning ground-breaking science data from Mercury. And attendees will follow the ion-propelled Dawn mission as it nears orbit around dwarf planet Ceres.All sites offer hands-on activities and resources for K-12 and out-of-school-time educators. The cost of the workshop is $25. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Registration closes onFeb. 27, 2015.For more information, visithttp://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/discovery/design_of_discovery.asp.Please email any questions about the Design of Discovery workshops to Mary Cullen atmcullen@mcrel.org.

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Family Day Events at Smithsonian's Air and Space MuseumThe Smithsonian's Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.African American Pioneers in Aviation Feb. 28, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST National Air and Space Museums Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VirginiaCelebrate the significant contributions African-Americans have made to flight and space exploration despite the overwhelming obstacles they had to overcome. Visitors will enjoy presentations, hands-on activities and stories. They may have the opportunity to meet astronauts, fighter pilots, and others who will share stories of their challenges and accomplishments. Attendees will also learn about inspiring historic figures like Bessie Coleman through re-enactments or story times.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/heritage-days/african-american/Women in Aviation and Space March 14, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT National Air and Space Museums Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VirginiaFrom the days of the earliest pilots to today's space program, women have made significant contributions. Celebrate the incredible contributions of women in aviation and space exploration at the "Women in Aviation and Space" Family Day. During this event, visitors will have the opportunity to meet female role models and learn about the women who inspired them.http://airandspace.si.edu/events/heritage-days/womens-history/Questions about this series of events should be directed to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-2214.

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NASA Education Express Message - Feb. 26, 2015