Space Technology: Raising the WOW factor in Computer Science Education

Dr. Alexandra Read, Head of Learning Technology, GDST

Dr. Alexandra Read, Head of Learning Technology, GDST

Space is a hot topic for business entrepreneurs, industry professionals and politicians. The general agreement is that space presents attractive conditions for innovation and enterprise. There is a ‘wow factor’ associated with space technology that captures our imagination and our attention. Additionally, practical advances in technology have made space exploration and utilisation much more accessible and affordable. The continuing reduction in the size of electronic components, quantum computing, improvements in propulsion systems, and the development of reusable rockets have drastically reduced the cost of launching payloads into space, opening up opportunities for both government, private and educational entities to participate in space-related initiatives.

Space provides us with a vantage point to look prospectively outwards using discovery spacecraft like the James Webb Space Telescope to reveal hidden galaxies that until now, have been masked by matter shielding us from understanding their composition.

Holding a position in space also allows us to look back at our Earth and see the big picture strategically from satellites. Gathering information about our world from the sky helps us understand how we are constantly changing and identify trends to prepare for the future by generating predictions and planning for contingencies.

Given the advantages that space offers us for strategic innovation combined with opportunities for business and industry it makes sense to include the science of space technology in education. There is also the added bonus of the ‘wow factor’ that is generated and emphasised because it is a real world experience. Teaching facts and theories in isolation is not, by definition, practical and refutes the tried and tested educational best practice of reinforcing concepts as they are introduced using guided application. Limitations presented by educational settings in the classroom often mean that applications for learning objectives are as theoretical as the concepts themselves with guided practice applications that involve how a concept ‘could’ be used rather than creating the actual experience.

The rocket science that lies behind the ‘wow factor’ of space technology is generally deemed beyond average levels of understanding, possibly reserved only for elite scientists. There is no doubt that the science of space is highly advanced but the fundamental principles of computer science that underpin the technology evidenced in space that returns jaw dropping mission outputs can also be delivered in the classroom using modern programming languages and techniques that yield equally exciting and impactful outcomes.

The James Webb Telescope, for example, measures light intensity stored as whole numbers that are sent to earth to be translated into images. The process of transforming numbers into images can be replicated in a short computer programme involving a 2 D array and applying a programming function. A relatively simple activity with an exciting outcome seeing numbers ‘magically’ transform into pictures.

"Real world applications enhance the relevance and engagement of learning. They foster problem-solving skills, bridge the gap between theory and practice and promote deeper understanding and retention of knowledge"

Satellite images capture the surface area of greenery, ice and water on the Earth. Comparing modern image data to historical image data allows us to understand how our world is changing over time. By combining satellite image data with climate data such as temperature or precipitation we are able to establish patterns that provide explanations for changes in the green surface areas and size of the polar ice caps and identify trends. This is interesting, but ‘My Nasa Data’ raises the ‘wow factor’ by offering vast datasets from satellites that can be downloaded in a range of file formats. These can be used in short computer programs that produce a linear regression to illustrate how they fit together and could predict growing conditions or climate changes on other planets such as Mars or Jupiter. If you add libraries such as Python OpenCv into the mix it is easy to see how computer vision and machine learning activities used to detect obstacles and planets in space are possible in school given these extensive and publicly available datasets.

Data collection vehicles with sensors such as satellites and planetary rovers carry a substantial ‘wow factor’ on their own. Talking to or listening to anyone involved in building or operating these wondrous technological marvels is always a great first step for education. Often it is the only option until you consider the possibility of building a data collecting device, launching it and then analysing and manipulating the data that it gathers. Now that’s exciting!

A Raspberry pi equipped with a Camera Module and a SenseHat is programmable and lightweight, making it an ideal payload for a relatively small rocket. In addition to taking pictures with a camera module, this mini computer with a senseHat added becomes a gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, barometer, and temperature and humidity sensor, offering a wealth of information that can be captured by a short computer program that initiates the camera and directs the data from the sensors onto an SD card.

Far Left: The rocket that launched a raspberry pi (pictured right) in the payload pictured in the centre.

SpaceCAD and RocketSim are popular software packages for designing and simulating rockets and launches. You can also optimise the position of the payload and the launch with a program that uses geospatial libraries such as Rocektpy and GPkit to compute the best possible height and speed of the rocket along with a range of other variables such as weight, height and climate conditions. The ‘European Rocketry Challenge’ is another way to raise the ‘wow factor’ by joining other rocketeers in an annual competition.

Real world applications enhance the relevance and engagement of learning. They foster problem-solving skills, bridge the gap between theory and practice and promote deeper understanding and retention of knowledge. Technology and computer science are woven into the entire journey of a spacecraft from its design and manufacture to its launch, orbit and mission. The blast-off is possibly an ultimate WOW that leaves most viewers in awe of a spectacle that has few equivalents, but there are many in-betweens that cause us to gasp in disbelief or wonder at the possibility of images of other planets, galaxies and stars or shocking information about our rapidly changing environment here on Earth. Start today, raise the ‘wow factor’ with space-related data devices and programming activities with your students.