Call for Mentors/Advisors – Reduced Gravity Educational Flight Campaigns 2009

Who
JSC’s educational flight programs are looking for JSC scientists and engineers of all levels who would like to work with (mentor/advise) a flight team. Teams can be composed of college undergraduate students or K-12 teachers. Preference will be given to individuals who are currently working as scientists and engineers and are familiar with the type of experiment appropriate for C-9 flight.

Mentors are invited to fly one day on the NASA’s reduced gravity aircraft (C-9) with their team; both NASA and contractor-badged personnel are eligible. Advisors do not fly.

What
In general, mentors are asked to guide their teams to flight. Mentors are being asked to…

• Author/Review Test Equipment Data Package (TEDP). This is a mentor’s primary task. The responsibility for the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the TEDP lies with the NASA mentor.
• Monitor team progress
• Respond to questions from the team
• Give advice to the team
• Assess team understanding (informal)
• Suggest resources for the team
• Invited to fly with their team, but not required

Advisors…

• Monitor team progress
• Respond to questions from the team
• Give advice to the team

When
Respond to this call by: Thursday, August 28
Optional Mentor Overview Briefing: Tues., August 26, 11, 3:30-4:30pm (Bldg 12, Room 188)
Wed., August 27, 11:00am-12:00pm (Bldg 12, Room 188)
Mentor Physical Complete: Dependent on Program
Work with the team: Sometime between September and their flight
Visit team (Mentors Only): Sometime between October and their flight
Test Equipment Data Package Due: Varies – 6 weeks prior to flight
Team physiological training: At JSC prior to flight
Team Test Readiness Review: Monday before flight

How
If you want to volunteer, send a 1-page volunteer information summary (guidelines below) to: Sara Malloy (sara.w.malloy@nasa.gov)

Volunteer Information Summary
Please include information on the following:

• Your contact information (name, org, phone, email [if not in JSC global])
• Any relevant degree(s)
• Your job experience background; especially hardware testing experience
• An approximation of the number and types of TEDPs you have written. If you have never written a TEDP, please include a description of how you will gain the knowledge and experience needed to write one (i.e., your coworker has the experience and will give advice when needed).
• Your team preference (college students, K-12 teachers)
• The science or engineering topics with which you prefer to work
• Your experience with reduced gravity flight experiments
• Your experience as a mentor

Time Commitment
Time commitment will vary, so use the following activity guide for your reference and estimation. Scientist/engineer Mentors in this program will be expected to:

• Complete this application process
• Advise/guide a flight team prior to flight (via phone, fax, email)
• Possible travel to the team’s location to discuss the experiment
• Complete your own physiological training, if not already certified to fly on the C-9 aircraft (including required medical exam)
• Complete (or supervise the completion of) the Test Equipment Data Package (TEDP) required to certify your team’s experiment for C-9 flight
• Attend the Test Readiness Review (TRR) at Ellington Field
• Fly with your team (one flight)
• Discuss results with your team after the flights

Optional Tasks:

Accompany the team during physiological training.

Arrange for your team to visit your workplace

Science/engineering Advisors are expected to:

• Complete this application process
• Advise/guide a flight team prior to flight (via phone, fax, email)
• Attend the Test Readiness Review at Ellington Field
• Discuss results with your team after the flights

Permissions and Authorizations
Please note that this program will require daytime work with the teams. This includes travel to the team’s site (NES and NEAT only), work at Ellington Field, participation in the reduced gravity flight and other daytime activities. When you submit your information summary, it will be assumed that you have discussed these matters with your supervisor and reached agreement on any work issues. This is a volunteer opportunity; there will not be an education charge code for your time.

Questions/Contacts
These flight programs are being managed through JSC’s Higher Education Office. The primary contact for the flight campaigns is Sara Malloy (x37847). More information can be obtained by contacting Sara, calling Doug Goforth (x39111) or through the program web sites:

microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov
microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/NES
microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/NEAT

Final Notes
Mentors/advisors may (at their discretion) invite their teams to visit their work areas or other locations of interest at JSC. In general, students will be badged for Ellington Field activities only, so you will need to escort and/or badge them separately.

Mentors/advisors will not be required to chaperone their teams during their Houston-based activities (other than as mentioned above), but are invited to spend as much time as practical with their teams.

Teams are expected to provide any and all resources to propose, design, construct, ship, run/maintain, and disposition their experiment.

Mentors/advisors can recommend grounding an experiment if safety issues arise.