MO-5: Capturing Data from Afar
It’s smart to have a plan before you go somewhere new, but how do we learn about places, like Venus, where humans have never been? Venus’s extreme environment makes direct exploration challenging, so scientists mostly learn about its surface by taking images and gathering other data from space. In this MO, you will learn how to capture and interpret images from afar to help guide detailed exploration later. Your team will model NASA’s remote sensing techniques using kites equipped with imaging tools to collect and analyze data of the Earth’s surface—just like the proposed VERITAS mission to Venus.
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Computer
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Graph paper
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Colored pencils
Available from NESSP:
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Gloves for kite pilot
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Carabiner
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Delta kite with string
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Aeropod from AEROKATS project
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Mini-camera and micro SD cards
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Engage Section: An introductory activity where students take images and observe how the field of view and spatial resolution change.
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Explore Section: Slides, worksheets, and example calculations that help students understand camera resolution, spatial resolution, and field of view.
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Elaborate Section: Guidance and videos showing how to use the AEROKATS Field Operations Manual to prepare for a successful Aeropod remote sensing data collection mission.
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Evaluate Section: Guidance and videos on how to conduct an in-depth analysis of still images taken with the Aeropod, including how to import data into the AEROKATS Mission Mapper.
Venus is often called Earth’s “twin,” but don’t let that fool you! The surface of Venus is a hostile, extreme world hidden beneath thick clouds of carbon dioxide. With surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead and crushing atmospheric pressure, landing a spacecraft on Venus is incredibly difficult. Instead, scientists use remote sensing technologies, like radar imaging and aerial probes, to study the planet from above. NASA’s Magellan mission mapped nearly 98% of Venus’s surface using radar, revealing vast volcanic plains, mountains, and deep craters. Now, upcoming missions like VERITAS and DAVINCI will take a closer look, using advanced radar and atmospheric probes to uncover Venus’s secrets.
You can learn more about past and upcoming missions to Venus and remote sensing techniques in the Getting up to Speed with ROADS from Earth to Venus document.
In this mission objective, teams will step into the role of NASA scientists using remote sensing tools to explore and map surface features, starting right here on Earth. Just like NASA uses orbiters, drones, balloons, and airplanes to study Earth and planets like Venus, teams will use a kite-mounted Aeropod imaging system to collect aerial photos. The goal is to see how altitude affects the detail and area captured in an image, and how scientists turn these images into usable maps and scientific observations.
Teams will begin with a hands-on camera investigation, photographing a small target such as a playing card from different distances. This will show how image detail changes with distance, helping teams understand spatial resolution and field of view—what can and cannot be seen from far away.
Next, teams will prepare for a flight mission using an Aeropod and kite. Following the AREN Field Operations Manual, they will review safety steps, assign team roles, and plan how to collect their data. Then they will launch the Aeropod and record aerial video of their site, completing the Flight Data Sheet as they go.
Back in the classroom, teams will extract still images, outline features such as roads, trees, or water, and classify them using graph paper. With this data they will create an annotated “Classified Image” and at least one graph showing the area of each feature. They will also reflect on what the aerial view revealed that they could not see from the ground and how it connects to the way NASA studies other worlds.
Teams ready for more advanced analysis can calculate spatial resolution and field of view by comparing known object sizes in the images. Sample examples are provided in the Companion Course.
Finally, teams will upload their images, graphs, and data to the AEROKATS Mission Mapper. They will also assemble their work into a Mission Development Log (MDL) that includes images from different heights, a short explanation of spatial resolution and field of view (with simple calculations), their completed Flight Data Sheet, their annotated image and graphs, and their Mission ID from the Mapper. Teams should also include extra images, notes from multiple flights, and a short reflection on what they observed, challenges they faced, and what they would do differently next time.
As they work, teams should keep track of their results in their Science and Engineering Notebooks (SENs). At the end of the Challenge, teams will be asked to submit a Mission Development Log (MDL) to NESSP that shows how the students worked through the Mission Objective and summarizes their results. NESSP provides an MDL Template to help guide what teams should include in their MDL. Please see MO-1 for guidelines on the format and length of the MDL.
- Selected images taken at different heights or distances, demonstrating how spatial resolution changes with altitude
- A brief explanation of Field of View (FOV) and spatial resolution, including simple calculations using the camera specs
- An image of the completed Flight Data Sheet from the AEROKATS Flight Operations Manual.
- A copy of their original, classified image, and any graphs they made quantifying the area covered by each type of terrain.
- The Mission ID for identifying their entry into the AEROKATS Mission Mapper.
- Optional: Additional images or notes showing how the scene changed over time, if multiple flights or observations were conducted
- What they successfully observed and mapped
- What challenges they faced during the flight or analysis process, and how planetary scientists might overcome similar limitations
- What they would change or improve if they conducted a second Aeropod mission