Want to chat with NASA and the International Space Foundation? I have an opportunity for you.

[jjones]

I have been "stalking" this forum for at least a year now, but haven't been active in posting or commenting. I'm a Solar System Ambassador for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and an International Space Foundation Teacher Liaison Officer. I was interested in the thread because I was looking for cool model rocketry I could share with my students.

I have recently been involved in a project with my home city of West Haven, UT, creating a scale model of the Solar System across 5.2 miles of city exercise trails. My students have helped create this trail and have also completed research projects and designed hands-on activities to share with guests. If any of you are in northern Utah, you are very welcome to attend. Steven C Smith of NASA's education outreach arm will be there in person to talk to guests and answer questions.

Regardless of your location, you are welcome to attend the online live-stream/webinar portion of the event later that same evening. Our presenting guests include

• Lyle Tavernier, NASA Education Specialist
• Aaron Sheperd, NASA Langley, Founder of Cogito, Robotics, and In-space Assembly Robotics intern
• Jodie Guillen, Space Education Specialist for the International Space Foundation

The web site is also full of student research projects and hands on activities you can do at home. I would like to invite you to visit with our webinar guests and peruse the site. Please see the event details below.

Come see the new 5+ mile long scale model of the solar system with 3D planets across the city of West Haven, UT!

The trail starts at the park
2125 W 3100 South, West Haven, UT
End at Confluence Ogden River Parkway
903 W 17th St, Marriot-Slaterville, UT

Live, online from 4 pm to 6 pm at https://cutt.ly/sstars

Join us May 22nd from 10 am to 2 pm on the trail for the grand opening of the S.S.T.A.R.S. project. (Solar System Trail for Astronomical Research by Students)

First 1,000 guests get free 3D glasses to enjoy the planets as they pop out at you.
Swag prizes for the first 500 to complete the trek from the center of the solar system all the way to the outer reaches.
Student presentations and activities at the trail head in the park.
See bomb disposal robots, make an asteroid, follow Ingenuities flight path on Mars, and make an impact crater.

Then join us again online from 4-6 pm at https://cutt.ly/sstars for live presentations from students and special guests.
Talk to special guests from NASA and the International Space Foundation.
Interact with special presentations by students.
Do at-home experiments to learn about space.
Learn about robots you can control with your mind.

 

[Engineer457]

Thank you for sharing this valuable information, it will be quite fascinating for me to visit this webinar and check the activities you've mentioned.

 

[Antares JS]

Nice, these scale models of the solar system are always fun to walk through. You really understand why we haven't sent any orbiters to Uranus and Neptune!

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Thanks for posting! The scale model solar system is a really great idea! I'm a bugger about scale - a 1:100 Mercury Redstone sits alongside a 1:100 Saturn V on the corner of my desk, with a 1:100 photo of me next to the F1 engine sitting outside at JSC in Houston. Mt grandkids always come in to see "tiny Pap-pap" next to the huge rocket.

People don't realize the huge distances involved in space travel!

Hope to see more of you around! I recall early on in the virus shutdowns reading of JPL folks running the rovers from their laptops in their dining rooms or home offices - how cool is that?

 

[jjones]

Thank you for sharing this valuable information, it will be quite fascinating for me to visit this webinar and check the activities you've mentioned.

Great! I look forward to seeing you there.

 

[jjones]

Thanks for posting! The scale model solar system is a really great idea! I'm a bugger about scale - a 1:100 Mercury Redstone sits alongside a 1:100 Saturn V on the corner of my desk, with a 1:100 photo of me next to the F1 engine sitting outside at JSC in Houston. Mt grandkids always come in to see "tiny Pap-pap" next to the huge rocket.

People don't realize the huge distances involved in space travel!

Hope to see more of you around! I recall early on in the virus shutdowns reading of JPL folks running the rovers from their laptops in their dining rooms or home offices - how cool is that?

Ha ha, Love it! I'm jealous of your models. Yes, it has been quite an adventure working through COVID. This event was originally planned for May of 2020...you know what happened to that event. JPL took advantage of the quarantining to remodel the Solar System Ambassador offices through! Woo hoo!

 

[jjones]

Nice, these scale models of the solar system are always fun to walk through. You really understand why we haven't sent any orbiters to Uranus and Neptune!

Funny that we have such detailed images of Pluto (2/3rds of it at least) and it's still difficult to find good images of Neptune and Uranus. Sometimes a little orbital luck goes a long way. LOL

 

[OverTheTop]

Nice.

We have a model of the solar system here in Melbourne Australia too. One billion to one scale.

http://stkildamelbourne.com.au/wp-c...lar_System_Self_Guided_Trail_web_friendly.pdf