KidSat Project Files, 1991-1996

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Summary

Title:
KidSat Project Files
Dates:
1991-1996
Creators:
California Space Institute
Abstract:
The KidSat Project was sponsored by NASA in partnership with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), UC San Diego (UCSD), and the Johns Hopkins University Institute for Academic Advancement of Youth (IAAY). The program enabled K-12 educators and students to participate in the space program. The records include organizational proposals, policies, and agendas, meeting minutes, hardware and software control documents and manuals, mission procedure manuals and reports.
Extent:
2 Linear feet (5 archives boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

KidSat Project files, RSS 2303. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Background

Scope and content:

The KidSat Project was sponsored by NASA in partnership with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), UC San Diego (UCSD), and the John Hopkins University Institute for Academic Advancement of Youth (IAAY). The program enabled K-12 educators and students to participate in the space program. The records include organizational proposals, policies, and agendas, meeting minutes, hardware and software control documents and manuals, mission procedure manuals and reports.

Arranged in 4 series: 1) ADMINISTRATION, 2) HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE, 3) MANUALS, and 4) REPORTS.

Biographical / historical:

KidSat began in 1995 as a collaborative three-year pilot project. It was funded by NASA and managed by the California Space Institute at UC San Diego, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, and the Johns Hopkins University Institute for Academic Advancement of Youth (IAAY). The purpose of the project was to revitalize the K-12 public school curriculum by providing K-12 students an opportunity to participate in shuttle missions. Middle School students through the School Mission Operation Centers (SMOC) were able to direct a camera onboard the shuttle through the use of computers linked to the internet and to Johnson Space Control in Houston, TX. Use of the camera required students to become familiar with navigational plotting, computers applications, and working in teams. As part of the project, a Mission Control Gateway Center was established on the first floor of the Chemistry Research Building near Thurgood Marshall College. UC San Diego student responsibilities included managing communication with Johnson Space Center and the SMOC sites, software monitoring, and overall team coordination. Sally Ride served as an advisor, overseeing the progress of several student teams.

The first KidSat Shuttle Payload (STS-76) occurred in 1996. Three middle schools participated in the mission, capturing several hundred photographs.

In 2001, the KidSat program was renamed ISS EarthKAM (formerly known as EarthKAM) corresponding to the move of operations to the International Space Station. In 2013, the program was again renamed to Sally Ride EarthKAM, in honor of Sally Ride who passed away in 2012.

Acquisition information:
Acquired 1996
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Special Collections Archives, UC San Diego
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-06-17 09:15:34 -0700 .

Access and use

Terms of access:

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

Preferred citation:

KidSat Project files, RSS 2303. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Location of this collection:
9500 Gilman Drive, Dept. 0175
La Jolla, CA 92093-0175, US
Contact:
(858) 534-2533
spcoll@ucsd.edu
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