Fact Sheet

Text Size

Education Payload Operation - Demonstrations (EPO-Demos)
10.03.08

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Experiment/Payload Overview

Brief Summary

Education Payload Operation - Demonstrations (EPO-Demos) are recorded video education demonstrations performed on the International Space Station (ISS) by crewmembers using hardware already onboard the ISS. EPO-Demos are videotaped, edited, and used to enhance existing NASA education resources and programs for educators and students in grades K-12. EPO-Demos are designed to support the NASA mission to inspire the next generation of explorers.

Principal Investigator

  • Matthew Keil, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

    • Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

    Information Pending

    Payload Developer

    Teaching From Space Office, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

    Sponsoring Agency

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

    Expeditions Assigned

    |7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|20|

    Previous ISS Missions

    EPO-Demos have been performed on multiple Space Shuttle flights and on the ISS since Expedition 7.

    ^ back to top


    Experiment/Payload Description

    Research Summary

    • Education Payload Operations - Demonstrations (EPO-Demos) utilizes tools and other common items in the microgravity environment of the ISS to create educational video and multimedia products that inspire the next generation of mathematicians, physicists, engineers, and other scientists.


    • EPO-Demos are a continuation of education demonstrations that have been conducted by ISS crewmembers since Expedition 7. The products are used for demonstrations and to support curriculum materials that are distributed across the United States and internationally to educators to encourage students to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and inspire the next generation of space explorers.

    Description

    The objective of Education Payload Operations - Demonstrations (EPO-Demos) is to use toys, tools and other common items in the microgravity environment of the ISS to create educational video and multimedia products that inspire the next generation of engineers, mathematicians, physicists, scientists and space explorers. The EPO-Demos support curriculum materials that are distributed across the United States and internationally. Each ISS Expedition involves different on-orbit activities and themes, as well as different partners, such as museums, universities, and public school districts.

    Some of the activities cover physical properties, such as Newton's Laws of Motion or Bernoulli's Principle for air pressure, and others are specific to life in space, such as explaining how the ISS solar panels work or demonstrating extravehicular activities.

    ^ back to top


    Applications

    Space Applications

    These investigations and related activities will have strong ties to NASA?s Vision for Space Exploration and will be designed to encourage students to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

    Earth Applications

    EPO is part of NASA's continuing effort to use space as a unique educational tool for K-12 students. Everyday items, such as toys and tools, are given a new twist by combining them with the allure of space flight and the unusual weightless environment to produce educational materials that inspire interest in science and technology and encourage curiosity and creativity.

    ^ back to top


    Operations

    Operational Requirements

    EPO-Demos does not require power, telemetry, or specialized hardware. However, each demonstration requires several hours from at least two crew members, one of whom will operate the video equipment and the other will demonstrate the activity.

    Operational Protocols

    After setting up the demonstration, at least one crew member will perform the demonstration while another films it. Each demonstration will have its own props (e.g., toys or tools). The demonstration is then dismantled and returned to stowage. After the videos are returned to Earth, they will be used to develop teaching guides, project plans, and educational packages focusing on the physical sciences and technology.

    ^ back to top


    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

    ^ back to top


    Related Web Sites
  • NASA Education Program
  • Central Operations of Resources for Educators (CORE)

    • ^ back to top


    Publications

    Results Publications

      ^ back to top


      Related Publications

        ^ back to top


        Images

        imageNASA Image: ISS012E19194 - Expedition 12 Commander, Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev conduct an EPO-Demo on space suits.
        + View Larger Image


        imageTeaching From Space Office team members in the Johnson Space Center TeleScience Center supporting an EPO-Demo conducted by astronaut Suni Williams. Image courtesy of Teaching From Space Office, NASA Johnson Space Center.
        + View Larger Image


        Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
        ›Back To Top