ROADS on Asteroids (2020 – 2021)

The ROADS on Asteroids challenge gave teams of students grades 3–12 a chance to tackle a mission to the asteroids. Teams planned and simulated a mission to the “snowman” feature on the asteroid Vesta. The mission included an impactor from height onto the surface, drone landing and takeoff, and robotic navigation across potentially hazardous surfaces to look for the building blocks for life.

Activities

  • Creating mission documentation
  • Take environmental readings — use gas detectors to locate CO2 and methane
  • Take biological samples and explore them with a microscope
  • Use provided calculations to create your own map of an asteroid site
  • Operate a drone to simulate space flight
  • Robotics & programming — use a robot to navigate your map

All activities align with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

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