EDUCATORS
GAVRT (Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope)
Control a radio telescope from the classroom!
GAVRT teaches students to use radio astronomy; to control a huge antenna, and to collect science data from objects in the universe at which the antenna is pointed. GAVRT trains teachers, provides curriculum, and supports classroom implementation. GAVRT uses the Internet to connect students to Mission Control and the antenna. Students are actively involved in handling data for real science applications.
GAVRT Video
[4.8 MB]
[8.4 MB]
[Download QuickTime]
GAVRT Fact Sheet [PDF, 4.8 MB]
GAVRT Home Page
Deep Space Network - Telecommunications
A poster is now available for classroom use. The poster back features a description of the Deep Space
Network; a section on careers in space; and a classroom math activity. Each of the nine panels on the back
can be downloaded as part of this PDF file and printed.
Deep Space Network - Telecommunications
A lithograph is available featuring illustrations of the large 70-meter antenna and the 34-meter Beam Waveguide
antenna. The reverse side describes how the Deep Space Network provides two-way communication with spacecraft
traveling across the immense distances of space.
Deep Space Network - Radio Astronomy
A lithograph has been published featuring Radio Astronomy and the role of the DSN in exploring the
Universe using radio waves. The colored illustrations on the front show radio images of a galaxy and of
Jupiter's radiation belts. The reverse side describes how we can use radio astronomy to further our
understanding of the Solar System and the Universe.
Click on the above pictures to get a PDF file you can download and print. To obtain hard copies of a lithograph or poster, Email us and provide your name, the name of your school, and a mailing address where a copy can be sent to you.
Bringing Images from Space
Have you ever wondered how NASA obtains those beautiful pictures of planets and distant moons? This
brief tutorial takes you through the process step by step from spacecraft camera to finished photograph.
To obtain this information in a four-fold flyer, Email us and provide your name, the name of your school, and a mailing address where a copy can be sent to you.
Build Your Own DSN Station
Learn all about Deep Space Network tracking stations by building this educational scale model of a
34m Beam Waveguide Deep Space Station.
Cosmic Colors
See the Universe in all its colors. View images of planets in our Solar System, as well as distant galaxies, in
the various wavelengths of the Electomagnetic Spectrum with the
Cosmic Colors Viewer.
Speaking in Phases - a Classroom Activity
How do spacecraft put actual information into the radio signals they send back to Earth? Beat out rhythms
on drums or desks and send messages using the same principles used in space exploration. Click to obtain a
printable PDF file. Published with permission of JPL's "Space Place"
and the International Technology Teachers Association.
For more activities for students and teachers from other JPL missions and programs, visit the JPL Education Office.
