NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS) – Students Experience a Space Connection in the Desert
Arizona’s high desert isn’t quite as tough on equipment as the harsh environments of the Moon or Mars. But few places on Earth can give prototype spacesuits, field assistant vehicles, communications, and science equipment a better workout.
Students from eighteen NASA Explorer schools and a national webcast audience will connect to NASA’s Desert Research and Technology Studies (RATS) team members, who are field testing a variety of equipment being designed to support future planetary exploration. The NASA Desert Rats team will conduct a series of real-time satellite videoconferences linking NASA scientists and engineers with students and teachers across the country. Students will have the opportunity to converse with the NASA scientists and ask questions (live and via email) about the technology and equipment.
These 60-minute Desert Rats events are coordinated by the Digital Learning Network teams at Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, and Johnson Space Center, Houston.
Since the vision for NASA’s future involves returning to the Moon and then human exploration of Mars, the Desert Rats event will give the students “up close and personal” contact with the future of NASA—today.
