Providing hands-on learning experiences for students in space-related education programs is a challenge and particularly so for programs that are offered 100% online. The American Public University System (APUS) offers Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree programs in Space Studies that are delivered completely online. To date, 559 graduate students and 405 undergraduate students from around the globe have completed degrees since the inception of our program. The unique aspect of our program is its emphasis on the use of astronomical observations to provide opportunities for students to participate in authentic research opportunities and to develop instrumentation for their research. APUS operates a 24-inch Planewave robotic telescope fitted with an SBIG STX-16803 charge-couple device camera, located in Charles Town, West Virginia. This instrument is an integral component of the undergraduate and graduate education in space studies that we provide. Currently, we use this instrument in a supernova search program where students process images of several dozen galaxies obtained from a periodic survey of the sky and then compare the observations to reference images using blink-comparison software. This program is an excellent research opportunity for both graduate and undergraduate space studies students. Students in the leadership group research, design, and test components of the supernova search program; under faculty direction, they engage in evaluating software and supervise small groups of students who analyze and study the images as they search for possible supernova events. This opportunity supports their classroom learning and provides a means for all students in the program to participate in
From September 30, 2021, through October 10, 2021, the American Public University System (APUS) Analog Research Group conducted an eleven-day space analog mission simulating a mission to the Moon and/or Mars. The mission took place inside the Inflatable Lunar/Mars Analog Habitat located at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. This was the first mission organized and operated by the student-run and faculty-advised APUS Analog Research Group (AARG) titled "ARG-1I." This mission was centered around a research program that conducted experiments across six disciplines: psychology, botany, habitat architecture and design, remote education, extravehicular activity operations, and spacesuit design. Each research project was developed to further the current knowledge of human exploration in space. This paper serves as a mission overview of AARG's first analog mission emphasizing the documentation of crew operations, research overview, and lessons learned.
From September 30, 2021 though October 10, 2021, the American Public University System (APUS) Analog Research Group conducted an eleven day space analog mission simulating a mission to the moon and/or Mars. The mission took place inside the Inflatable Lunar/Mars Analog Habitat located at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. This was the first mission organized and operated by the student run and faculty advised APUS Analog Research Group (AARG), and was titled ARG-1I. ARG-1I was centered around a research program that conducted experiments across six disciplines designed to fill research gaps that are required before astronaut crews are sent to the moon and Mars. The mission was designated as an overwhelming success by all stakeholders, and this paper offers a full mission overview emphasizing crew operations, research, and lessons learned.
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