Space Foundation Competition Uses NOAA & NASA Data to Solve Hard Problems

At the start of the StellarXplorers competition,
hosted by the U.S. Air Force Academy at the Space Foundation. 

Thanks to the United States Air Force Academy for the invitation to the National High School Space Competition called the StellarXplorers.

Both a great honor and of course just plain geek fun being a mentor for the Space Symposium competition sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Association and held at the Space Foundation that brought together top students in STEM from around the United States.

The intense competition included using both NASA and NOAA data as well as advanced satellite tracking tools.

The real-world situations were a welcome challenge for the students, and the Space Symposium and Space Foundation provided a fun, inspirational setting with NASA astronauts, U.S. Air Force officials from many different divisions as well as SpaceX, Boeing and other top executives on hand to speak to the students.

:Thanks to Gwynne Shotwell from SpaceX for going out of her way to meet these AP Physics students.

The StellarXplorers program is designed to inspire and attract high school students to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers through hands-on learning about technology, emphasizing teamwork and leadership, and exercising critical-thinking skills.

StellarXplorers is sponsored by the US Air Force STEM Program, DoD STEM Program, United Launch Alliance, Orbital ATK, Kratos Defense, and SpaceX, as well as additional educational support of AGI, CEI, and the Space Foundation.

A big benefit of the StellarXplorers was getting to explore the Space Symposium and meet experts from Boeing to - of course! - NASA. Here with my cousin and AP Physics student and national finalist Sareta Gladson. Her grandfather founded the Los Angeles Maritime Institute, so building vessels to explore the unknown is in our blood.

The biggest lesson here? When you turn things over to the students, you get really great uniforms like this; a print of Buzz Aldrin with your name printed across the chest as your formal uniform. Just beyond awesome:

ASTRONAUT FLYNN.YEAHHHH. Sweet team gear; awesome, of course, because students designed! For an @airforceassoc sponsored space contest we are going to put #USAirForce pilot & @nasa astronaut #BuzzAldrin on our uniform for inspiration! Thanks to my cousin @sareta_g & her team that will be competing in the #SpaceSymposium #STEAMD #NASAWomen #SPHS #32SS #StellarXplorers #AirForceAssociation

A photo posted by Kaki (@kakiflynn) on Apr 12, 2016 at 12:05am PDT

KIDS IN SPACE Teaching kids how to build a #FaradayCage for cellphone during break at a pretty intense international #STEAM competition @spacefoundation. AP Physics students from competing teams (LA & Germany) don't mind coming together for fun. Used aluminum foil from kitchen. Added NASA sticker to make it official. #builtbygirls #STEAMD #NASAWomen #NOAAWomen #LosAngeles #Germany #GirlsWhoCode #LAUSD

A photo posted by Kaki (@kakiflynn) on Jul 29, 2016 at 6:29am PDT

DON'T MAKE ME ADULT While students are working hard on solving problem using @noaa & @nasa satellite data for #StellarXplorers national championships, I had to put AP Physics teacher and fellow mentor in snack-room custody for gross mixing of universes. #DarthVader throwing #Vulcan sign? #bobafett says no. #32ss #SpaceSymposium

A photo posted by Kaki (@kakiflynn) on Apr 18, 2016 at 6:32am PDT

MAKE NO SMALL PLANS The women from all the different teams of the #StellarXplorers space competition came together for a group photo and a group agreement to meet again as an all-woman crew on the @iss 🚀🤓. We are on our way to the #HallofFame dinner hosted by @spacex exec #GwynneShotwell who went out of her way to talk to students. Very cool. The contest is held during the #SpaceSymposium #32SS and sponsored by the #AirForceAssociation #NASAWomen

A photo posted by Kaki (@kakiflynn) on Apr 16, 2016 at 5:44pm PDT