Udvar Hazy
  • About Aerospace Academy
  • Design a Satellite
  • Paper Airplane Design
  • We Can Fly

Aerospace Academy LogoInvestigate, discover, and soar! Aerospace Academy is a series of learning labs with hands-on activities, experiments, and inquiry-based demonstrations.

Based at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Aerospace Educators-in-Residence teach the scientific theories, historical aspects, and key terminology of aerospace aviation.

 Order Aerospace Academy Programs
Aerospace Academy: Design a Satellite
Aired November 17, 2011 for Students in Grades 3-5 · 30 minutes

This program shows the unique aspects, benefits and importance of satellites through demonstrations and simple experiments. Students learn about all key parts of a satellite and how they work. Then, in a hands-on activity, students create their own satellite.

The “Design a Satellite Contest” is closed. Congratulations to first place winner Halla E.—Space Junk Tracking Mission; second place winner Alex P.—Gerund; and third place winner Lauren C.—PPOS (Photographic Pictures of the Sun). Click here to see all of the designs.

Suggested Resources from the National Air and Space Museum:

Order Aerospace Academy: Design a Satellite

Additional Resources:

  • The Great Satellite Search— The Exploratorium’s  Satellite Presentation Project where students become Internet researchers and learn about NASA satellites
  • How Satellites Work— Gulf of Maine Aquarium’s site with background information, satellite images, and classroom resources
  • Satellite Learning Center— Federal Communications Commission site for students in information on commercial communications satellites
  • Space Operations Learning Center — NASA’s online learning environment designed primarily for students to learn about NASA, space, and engineering.

 

Aerospace Academy: Paper Airplane Design
Aired January 31, 2011 for Students in Grades 3-8 · 30 minutes

In this Aerospace Academy lab, students create paper airplanes then manipulate the weight to test the center of gravity and center of lift of the design. Using the scientific method, students conduct the experiment, collect data, and track results to prove or disprove their hypothesis.


Suggested Resources from the National Air and Space Museum:

Suggested Resources from the Fairfax Network:

 

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Aerospace Academy: We Can Fly
Aired March 22, 2011 for Students in Grades K-3 · 30 minutes

In this Aerospace Academy lab, students learn the important steps of going on a commercial flight through a story-based lesson. Plus, the four basic forces of flight are demonstrated in clever examples that will captivate younger students. Students become pilots as they navigate the airport traffic patterns.

Suggested Resources from the National Air and Space Museum:

Suggested Resources from the Fairfax Network:

Other Suggested Resources:

 

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