Educational Payload Operations-Educator (EPO- Educator)
Research Area: Educational Demonstrations
Expedition(s): 15
Principal Investigator(s): ● Jonathan Neubauer, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston,
Texas
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Education Payload Operations - Educator (EPO - Educator) uses video and still photography to
capture data of experiment activities in orbit. Students also design and complete ground-based
investigations developed by the NASA Education Office, focusing on grades K-12. The activities
support the educator crew member in their mission in orbit. An educator crew member is a full-
time astronaut who has experience teaching in K-12 classrooms.
EARTH BENEFITS
Using a new approach in the classroom on spaceflight, science, and mathematics captures the
imagination of students. Allowing students to participate in activities that directly involve NASA
inspires them to pursue careers in science and engineering.
SPACE BENEFITS
The participation of the students in the design processes for the EPO-Educator activities is
preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers.
RESULTS
Through the EPO-Educator
investigation, nearly 1 million
students in grades K-12 have
participated in the NASA Engineering
Design Challenge Lunar Plant Growth
Chamber. This engineering design
challenge asks students to design,
build and evaluate a plant growth
chamber for future missions to the
moon. Students learn about the
engineering design process and how
to conduct a scientific experiment. In
conjunction with the engineering
design challenge, approximately 10
million cinnamon basil seeds were
flown in space. As part of a
comprehensive suite of education activities, the seeds are being delivered to students and
educators across the country. To get involved in this activity and to see video captured during
EPO-Educator visit http://www.nasa.gov/education/plantchallenge.
This investigation is complete and all results are published.
Educator astronaut Barbara Morgan speaks with students during
Space Center Houston's “Meet an Astronaut Day” on January 19,- NASA image.