Student Space Missions—Facilitating Pathways to Success for Next Generation Professionals in Space

The Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) was a NASA program created to engage undergraduates in rigorous scientific research for the purpose of developing the next generation of professionals in space research. It is now run by the University of Houston using local resources. The development of next generation space professionals is addressed by using inquiry- based learning. Students are guided through the process of selecting a question of interest to them from disciplines such as heliophysics; atmospheric physics, chemistry, and biology; and geoscience. The students are then guided through the process of developing an experimental investigation to address their question. This student-led project is executed by the students from initial ideation of research objectives to the design, testing, and deployment of scientific payloads. The 5E Instructional model places the student at the center of knowledge building, while instructors facilitate interaction with content and guide the inquiry process. The project is designed to integrate engineering, technology, physics, material science, and earth and atmospheric sciences as an important opportunity for the students to gain access to cross-disciplinary experiential research. In addition to classroom engagement, the students build their own payloads and ground instruments. This project increases students’ command of essential skills such as teamwork, problem solving, communication, innovation, and leadership. For the students, this formative experience continues to encourage the development of a broader range of technical skills than is typically offered within an undergraduate degree. These skills include project management, systems engineering, balloon payload design, and balloon flight operations. More specifically, we teach sensor and instrument design, avionics, circuit, and power systems design, payload mechanical and thermal design, and telemetry and navigation. The students are also taught to prepare and present standard NASA project review materials, such as Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review and Mission Readiness Review presentations. Furthermore, the time and energy that students commit to this project promotes professional responsibility and emphasizes the necessity of coherent teamwork. Not only do students make connections with each other during this process, but also to the broader space science community. They often work with professionals from outside of the USIP structure, and regularly attend and present at conferences and student competitions throughout the project. Student projects included subjects ranging from atmospheric trace gas chemistry, ground penetrating radar and thermal infrared imaging coupled with multiwavelength LiDAR study of surface topography and chemistry, auroral electron precipitation, quantitative multi-wave- length airglow studies, search for stratospheric microplastics, monitoring auroral radio emissions, and stratospheric conductivity. This program is a for-credit course of two to three years duration.