February 2025 Newsletter

In this Issue

Important Dates

  • Feb 3, 2025: Team Sign-up and Supply request closes
  • Feb 12, 2025: Artemis ROADS Challenge Checkpoint 1 closes at 5pm Pacific
  • Feb 25, 2025: NASA Expert Talk #2 at 4pm Pacific via Zoom
  • Mar 3, 2025: Mission Advisor Support Session 2

Artemis ROADS III Challenge is officially underway!

We have over 200 teams participating in this year’s challenge. We can’t wait to see your creative solutions to the Mission Objectives!

NASA Expert Talk #2: Ross Kovtun Lunar Geotechnical Scientist

Join us for our second NASA Expert Talk of Artemis ROADS III!
Feb 25, 2025 at 4pm Pacific!
Zoom: https://cwu.zoom.us/j/87919921622?pwd=5xNIbu7RuO24gXsl5EnYfrr6eOVGSa.1

Ross Kovtun, a Lunar Geotechnical Scientist for NASA, will be talking about how he studies the physical properties of the lunar surface to enable science exploration for the Artemis missions. His goal is to describe how the lunar environment will affect the hardware and people that will land on the moon. By having a good understanding of the lunar surface, we can plan safe, science-impactful missions that can use the natural materials on the moon to their benefit.

Catch the Replay on Our YouTube Channel

Did you miss NASA Expert Talk #1 Logan Jaeren with STEM4SPACE or the Mission Advisor Support Session 1 presentation? Not to worry. Hop over to our YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/nwessp) and watch them when it’s convenient for you! Don’t forget to check out all the other great posted videos and resources.

Challenge Checkpoint 1 Open Jan 30 – Feb 12, 2025

Upload your student crew info, Mission Patch (MO-2), and signed Risk and Release forms to receive a social media shout-out from NESSP, plus stickers, a team certificate, and a NASA calendar (while supplies last).

  • Do not include copyrighted or trademarked images, school logos, mascots or the personal likeness of someone living or deceased as part of your Mission Patch. Unfortunately, these violate copyright laws and we would not be able to showcase your Mission Patch on our social media sites.

Checkpoint 1 submission is required for all Artemis ROADS III teams. Submissions will be accepted beginning Jan 30, 2025 until Feb 12, 2025 at 5:00 pm Pacific, via the Artemis ROADS Educator account page (nwessp.org/roads-educator-account-page).

Student crew information includes:

    • Student name
    • Age
    • Gender
    • Ethnicity

NESSP is funded by the NASA Science Mission Directorate, NASA award NNX16AB86A. Participant information is required for grant compliance and is made available to Horizon Research, Inc., our grant evaluators, for aggregation and reporting purposes.

Victor J. Glover, Jr.
NASA Astronaut and U.S. Navy captain
Victor J. Glover Jr. has been assigned as the Pilot for NASA Artemis II mission. Born in Pomona, California, he is married to Dionna Odom, and together they have four children. Glover graduated from Ontario High School in 1994, then earned a Bachelor of Science degree in General Engineering from California Polytechnic State University. He Furthered his education by obtaining three master’s degrees: a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering from Air University, a Master of Science in Systems Engineering (PD-21) from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from Air University In 2013, while serving as a legislative fellow, Glover was selected as one of the eight members of NASA’s 21st astronaut class. He went on to serve as the pilot of the Crew-1 Dragon spacecraft, Resilience, which successfully transported astronauts to the International Space Station. During this mission, he also served as Flight Engineer for Expeditions 64 and 65.

Dr. Jami Valentine Miller
John Hopkins University
Dr. Jami Valentine Miller made history as the first African American woman to earn a PhD in physics from Johns Hopkins University. In May 2019, she published the article “Commentary: Celebrating and Supporting African American Women in Physics,” where she shared her journey of creating a database to track African American women who earned PhDs in physics. Her efforts aimed to recognize the underrepresented achievements of these women and provide a support network. According to a 2017 study, out of the 59,894 physics PhDs awarded between 1972 and 2017, only around 90 African American women had earned PhDs in physics by that year. Prior to the year 2000, only about 25 African American women held doctoral degrees in physics or applied physics. Dr. Miller’s goal was to track the first 100 African American women in this field. Notable women featured in Dr. Miller’s article include:

  • Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Evelyn Hammonds, former dean at Harvard
  • Claudia Alexander, late NASA project manager for the Rosetta Mission
  • Andrea Sealy, atmospheric scientist at the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology
  • K. Renee Horton, NASA engineer and children’s science author

Dr. Miller’s work highlights the accomplishments of these women and serves to inspire future generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

African American Women in Physics
(aawip.com)

African American Women in Physics (awwip.com) was created by Dr. Jami Valentine Miller around 2005 when she was a graduate student at John Hopkins University. The goal of the AAWIP is to inspire future physicists, while connecting with others who want to promote diversity within the field of physics and other STEM fields. AAWIP celebrates the presence of African American women who have or are working towards advanced degrees, such as a PhD in physics, astronomy or astrophysics.

Featured members on their website include Dara Norman, PhD (University of Washington alumna) and Evelynn Hammonds, PhD (professor at Harvard University). Dr. Norman researches the formation and evolution of active galactic nuclei (AGN). She is particularly interested in what triggers these active galaxies, why some galaxies are luminous while others are not, and if the galaxy’s environment plays a role. Professor Hammond is an author of Childhoods Deadly Scourge: The Campaign to Control Diphtheria in New York City, 1880-1930 (John Hopkins University Press, 1999). She has also published articles that discuss the history of disease, race and science, and African American feminism.

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