"Best wishes to Leroy, Reads, Matt, and Keith on their Teaching Expedition to Devon Island. I look forward to learning all about it when I return from space." - STS-118 Astronaut Barbara Morgan

Participating Challenger Learning Center Locations

Kenai, Alaska
Tucson, Arizona
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Tallahassee, Florida
Hammond, Indiana
St. Louis, Missouri
New York City, New York
Suffern, New York
Oregon, Ohio
Houston, Texas
Alexandra, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia

July 27, 2007

Keith Cowing: Polar Deserts and Global TV

I am sitting in a Lincoln Towne Car limo headed home from downtown Washington, DC after spending half a day doing TV interviews at CNN and Fox. A week ago - almost to the minute - I was riding aboard an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) toward a dusty landing strip on Devon Island, less than a thousand miles from the North Pole.

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Posted by Keith Cowing on July 27, 2007 8:07 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 22, 2007

Keith Cowing: The Persistence of Memory

Friday was a day much like all of the others we experienced here on Devon Island. We awoke to a cool, brisk morning with bright sunshine and painfully blue skies. The walk down from Tent City - the small enclave west of base camp where everyone pitches their tents - to the main base camp was routine. Routine except for the fact that this would be the last time I make the trip (unless I return in the future).

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Posted by Keith Cowing on July 22, 2007 8:09 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 21, 2007

Keith Cowing: Heading Back To Civilization

Matt, Leroy, and I left Devon Island yesterday evening around 5:30 pm. After a stay in Resolute Bay (and a shower) we're heading south to Ottawa today. Our plane departs at 10:00 am CDT.

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 21, 2007 8:06 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 20, 2007

Leroy Chiao: Heading Home

We've had a very successful expedition up here on Devon! It is time to go home. I've taken down my tent and packed my gear.

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Posted by Keith Cowing on July 20, 2007 2:39 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

K10 Rovers On The Job

"Two NASA robots are surveying a rocky, isolated polar desert within a crater in the Arctic Circle. The study will help scientists learn how robots could evaluate potential outposts on the moon or Mars. The robots, K10 Black and K10 Red, carry 3-D laser scanners and ground-penetrating radar. The team arrived at Haughton Crater at Devon Island, Canada, on July 12 and will operate the machines until July 31."

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Posted by Keith Cowing on July 20, 2007 2:32 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 19, 2007

Constructing the Challenger Memorial Inukshuk on Devon Island

On Wednesday, 18 July 2007, Leroy Chiao, Matt Reyes, myself and a group of Inuit students constructed a memorial inukshuk on Devon Island to honor the crew of Space Shuttle Challenger. Here is a movie of the dedication and the materials placed at the base of the inukshuk. Keith Cowing is shown placing materials in the container and astronaut Leroy Chiao says a few words about the memorial. Below are some photos from that activity:

Continue reading "Constructing the Challenger Memorial Inukshuk on Devon Island" »

Posted by Keith Cowing on July 19, 2007 8:43 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Keith Cowing: Sheer Audacity

You cannot take a bad picture on Devon Island. This place is one stunning photo opportunity after another. Mostly it has to do with the landscape. Every once in a while, it has to do with humans juxtaposed against the landscape. And then in some special instances, the landscape is so evocative it simply jumps into your camera and takes the picture for you.

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Posted by Keith Cowing on July 19, 2007 8:10 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Leroy Chiao: Photos of Devon

We inspected several special areas on Devon Island today by helicopter. They are inside of Inuit owned land and special permission is required. Our stops included Saphire Lake, Stoker Falls and Astronaut Canyon. The scenery is quite spectacular.

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Posted by Keith Cowing on July 19, 2007 2:40 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 18, 2007

Keith Cowing: Ancient Memorials for Modern Space Explorers

Today was supposed to have been our third live webcast to Challenger Learning Centers across the U.S. However, just as we were testing the satellite link, it died. After some hours of trying to figure out what went wrong, I decided to switch my team's attention to our other main task while on Devon Island. In addition to doing our webcasts, the other main task we had was the building of a memorial inukshuk to the crew of Space Shuttle Challenger.

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Posted by Keith Cowing on July 18, 2007 8:11 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Leroy Chiao: Memorial To The Space Shuttle Challenger Crew

Inukshuks are a part of Inuit culture. They are used to mark trails and also points of significance. Two years ago, Keith and others built an Inukshuk to honor the crew of Space Shuttle Columbia. On this expedition, we created an Inukshuk near the Columbia memorial with the help of some of the Inuit who are currently at the HMP.

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Posted by Keith Cowing on July 18, 2007 2:40 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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