The resources listed here were developed exclusively for Space Place Astronomy Club Members.
Instead of a three-axis gyroscope, the new Inertial Stellar Compass uses a microelectromechanical system.
"Stellar Compass for Space Explorers"
In most businesses, time equals money. In the space business, weight (or mass) equals money. So spacecraft designers are always trying to come up with ways to make the spacecraft’s vital systems smaller, lighter, and less power-hungry. One of those vital instruments is the stellar compass. Read the article and find out how a radically new technology can replace those traditional three spinning wheels.
Simple and fun learning activities to share with children.
Clues from Ancient Light - With the GALEX space telescope, astronomers know the age of a source's light by its degree of red shift. In this learning-by-analogy activity, kids arrange pictures of familiar objects by judging which is older.
Paint by Pixels - Make a picture using a technique similar to that used by many NASA spacecraft to record and send pictures back to Earth.
