Outreach

The Alaska Microgravity Team is working hard to involve Alaskan students directly in the Reduced Gravity Program. During the 2009 Flight Campaign, AKμG Team members will take along three experiments designed by students in Fairbanks and Ketchikan!

“Helium Balloon”

by Tom Neufeldt’s class at Ketchikan Charter School in Ketchikan, Alaska.
What happens to a helium balloon when there’s no gravity? Does it go “up”? We’ll be releasing a helium balloon on the plane to see what happens.

“Flight Pattern of a Hand-held Fan In Zero Gravity”

by Chris Pastro’s class at Randy Smith Middle School in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Many spacecraft have fans for circulating air or other fluids. How does the behavior of a fan change without gravity? We’re taking a fan and a video camera on the plane to find out!
“Formation of a Vortex In Reduced Gravity” by Chris Pastro’s class at Randy Smith Middle School in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Will a vortex form without gravity? These students have designed a “blender vault” to try creating a vortex in reduced gravity.

These experiments were selected from proposals submitted by schools across Alaska. The Alaska Microgravity Team is really looking forward to taking up these cool experiments!

See an article from the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner for more information: http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/11/randy-smith-students-prepare-e...

The Team is also producing an outreach video in coordination with the University of Alaska Museum of the North. The video will be distributed to classrooms across Alaska as part of the Museum’s Education programs.

For more information on Team outreach activities please contact Tess Caswell, Lead Flyer, at fstec2@uaf.edu