gravitate to one particular aspect of ballooning there must also be the desire to be
involved with a mission, its execution, and analysis. The following examples for
both high school and university programs demonstrate how students gain the
opportunity of hands on experience with a launch.
10.1.1 NASA
In a December 2018 report entitled “Charting A Course for Success: America’s
Strategy for STEM Education” prepared by the Committee on STEM Education
(COSTEM) of the National Science and Technology Council, the three primary
objectives were identified for NASA as:
• Foster STEM ecosystems that unite communities.
• Increase work-based learning and training through educator/employer
partnerships.
• Encourage transdisciplinary learning.
While ballooning contributes to all three, the report highlighted a NASA balloon
platform as an excellent example of transdisciplinary learning. Hence, in addition
to supporting multiple significant scientific objectives, ballooning makes a direct
contribution to the aerospace workforce development pipeline, it enhances public
awareness of NASA programs, and it trains the next generation of engineers and
scientists.
The Workforce Development Pipeline
Ballooning is a unique NASA capability that supports workforce development
“from kindergarten to 12th grade” (i.e. K-12) through early career faculty and
engineers, and scientific ballooning provides high quality, experiential projects for
students from K-12 through graduate school that provides interdisciplinary STEM
workforce training consistent with the COSTEM objectives assigned to NASA.
Furthermore, nationwide programs which use the established National Space
Grant College and Fellowship network offer special opportunities to not only support workforce development but to convey the advantages of scientific ballooning
to new and large audiences.
Enhance the Public Awareness of Ballooning
For the August 21, 2017 North America total solar eclipse, some 54 teams from 32
states involving over 900 students were positioned across the path of totality from
Oregon to South Carolina, and also flew payloads to altitudes up to 30 km (100,000
ft) to downlink HD video of the shadow of the Moon on Earth that was
10.1 Funding Sources 231
involved with a mission, its execution, and analysis. The following examples for
both high school and university programs demonstrate how students gain the
opportunity of hands on experience with a launch.
10.1.1 NASA
In a December 2018 report entitled “Charting A Course for Success: America’s
Strategy for STEM Education” prepared by the Committee on STEM Education
(COSTEM) of the National Science and Technology Council, the three primary
objectives were identified for NASA as:
• Foster STEM ecosystems that unite communities.
• Increase work-based learning and training through educator/employer
partnerships.
• Encourage transdisciplinary learning.
While ballooning contributes to all three, the report highlighted a NASA balloon
platform as an excellent example of transdisciplinary learning. Hence, in addition
to supporting multiple significant scientific objectives, ballooning makes a direct
contribution to the aerospace workforce development pipeline, it enhances public
awareness of NASA programs, and it trains the next generation of engineers and
scientists.
The Workforce Development Pipeline
Ballooning is a unique NASA capability that supports workforce development
“from kindergarten to 12th grade” (i.e. K-12) through early career faculty and
engineers, and scientific ballooning provides high quality, experiential projects for
students from K-12 through graduate school that provides interdisciplinary STEM
workforce training consistent with the COSTEM objectives assigned to NASA.
Furthermore, nationwide programs which use the established National Space
Grant College and Fellowship network offer special opportunities to not only support workforce development but to convey the advantages of scientific ballooning
to new and large audiences.
Enhance the Public Awareness of Ballooning
For the August 21, 2017 North America total solar eclipse, some 54 teams from 32
states involving over 900 students were positioned across the path of totality from
Oregon to South Carolina, and also flew payloads to altitudes up to 30 km (100,000
ft) to downlink HD video of the shadow of the Moon on Earth that was
10.1 Funding Sources 231