A revived robust public space program today is the change we need to inspire the next generation of STEM students, teachers, and professionals. The future has always been linked to our identity as a nation. We could always make things better, and whatever it took, we were going to do that work.
Questions lead to innovation. How did everyday items come about in the first place?
Algorithms are pretty good at booking travel, providing friend suggestions, determining what ads should pop up in our feed, and even predicting human reactions. But what about more profound questions, such as the longevity of our species?
Why the decline in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) professionals? As the space program’s goals were pulled back by budgets designed to “save” money, and a post-Apollo generation came of age, the impetus of STEM declined with it.
Microgravity- The condition of free fall, when an object appears to be weightless. Microgravity in space allows the formation of precise crystals, along with other forms of manufacture and experimentation that would be near- impossible on Earth.
Look close... this is the technology that sent astronauts into space! We wear more advanced technology around our wrists each day in the form of Smart Watches than what sent man to the moon in 1969.
Although filled with technology, online references, and cutting-edge resources, the Martian Classroom still has room for a bookshelf or two and turning the pages of these must-have books. Or, if you prefer, most are available on Kindle or Audible. As you read through the list and think of ones to add, share your ideas with the community using the hashtag #MartianClassroom.
“Elon Musk… built an industrial empire from the stuff of little boy dreams: fast cars and rocket ships. Musk is an idealist who told us he had to start his company so that man could colonize Mars and save the Earth. His sister says it’s like her brother traveled into the future and came back to tell us all about it.” CBS News
Politics played a huge role then as they do now. At a time when other countries, notably China, are making strides towards sending humans to the moon, the United States has a renewed interest in not only sending astronauts and robots to Mars, but also in creating an outpost on the moon as a staging platform for missions into deep space.
