Spaceday Home Moonlink Exploring Space Teacher's Resource Guide Lesson Plans Simple Model

LUNAR PROSPECTOR EDUCATORS' CONFERENCE A BIG SUCCESS! The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Lockheed Martin Corporation, Spaceport Florida and Space Explorers, Inc., in cooperation with the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC), hosted the Lunar Prospector Educator's Conference on Jan. 5, 1998. The program included talks, hands-on workshops, a bus trip to view the launch pad at Spaceport Florida, dinner and a bus trip to view the launch. Despite the fact that the launch was postponed until Jan. 6, many educators stayed an extra day to watch Prospector blast off into space en route to the Moon. Speakers included lunar scientist Dr. Jeffrey Taylor and education specialist Linda Martel, both from the University of Hawaii; Scott Hubbard, Lunar Prospector mission manager; Sylvia Cox, deputy mission manager; Steve Dutczak, KSC education services chief; and Marsha Winegarner, science supervisor for the state of Florida. 210 educators, 95 percent from the state of Florida, attended the day-long event. 65 - 70 Florida communities were represented, and some attendees traveled from as far as California. Conference participants sat in on two of five available workshops, which included an introduction to Moonlink, a session on impact craters, a paper model-building activity, a session on NASA education resources and a Lunar Prospector computer simulation session. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. To top off the day, all attendees received "Goodie" bags chock full of 33 pieces of information (graphics, papers, handouts, stickers, pins, CD-Rom).