MIT TeamNASA Means Business Competition

Simplymars

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Team Introduction

Faculty Advisor : Col. Peter W. Young• Madhusudhan Nikku (Team Leader) – Civil Engg., Grad• Vijay S. Choudhary – Information Technology, Grad• Erwan Mazarico – Earth and Planetary Sciences, Grad• Shobhit Gupta – Sloan School, Grad• Rongrong Lu – Earth and Planetary Sciences, Grad• Mirna Daouk – Aeronautics and Astronautics, Grad • Will Fowler – Civil Engineering, Undergrad

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Presentation Outline

• Project overview• PSAs – research and philosophy • PSA 1 – logic and structure• PSA 1 – message• Outreach activities – strategies, public reach and media coverage• PSA 2 – logic and structure• PSA 2 – message• Sponsors and concluding remarks

PSA 1

Outreach Video

PSA 2

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Project Overview

• Two PSAs Research Implementation

• Outreach activity Outreach based on age group For general public Media outreach Video interviews

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PSA – Research & Philosophy

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The present goal …

• Linking NASA science and the society

• Building a past for a future Set up the stage for NASA’s 20 year Mars

exploration programs

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Our Starting Point

• Resources “Public understanding of science” “Worlds apart” Video sources (JPL contacts, etc.) Goodwill communications (psaresearch.com) National Association of Broadcasters

• Numerous case studies

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The truth is out there…

• People have Highest respect for NASA as a scientific

organization Inhibitive mass-psychology Lack of facts

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Features of the PSA

Convey domain knowledge Relevance to audience Students as “superspreaders” for MEP

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PSA 1

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PSA 1- Logic & Structure

Video Clip

• Introducing the audience to facts

• The human factor

• Interesting and imaginative

• Emphasizing responsibility of the audience

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Comments on PSA 1 Message

• The message:

Widespread enthusiasm and excitement

Acceptance by the public

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Outreach Activity

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Outreach Strategy

• Outreach for different age groups

• General public outreach

• Outreach through media

• Outreach video

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Outreach Activities

• Venue: the Brookline science fair• Target audience – primary school children (around 300)• Showed animations of the MER mission to Mars –

leaving children spellbound!!

• Distributed educational Mars packages

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Brookline Science Fair cont.

• Lots of interest generated not only among students but also among parents

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Outreach Activities cont.

• Venue: science fair in Cambridge

• Target audience: high school students

• Distributed technical handouts on Mars to more than a hundred students

• Interaction with several teachers

• Lot of future opportunities to conduct lectures on Mars

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Outreach Activities cont.

• Venue: 2003 MIT/ Cambridge science expo

• Target audience: about 150 high school/ college students

• Interaction with science students with well formed opinions

• Result: interesting opinions on Mars and NASA

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General Public Outreach

• JPL conference at MIT Talk by Dr. Joy Crisp (MER project

scientist) on the MER missions

• Web forum providing a platform for: Discussion on Mars and related topics Interaction of the general public with the

research community

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General Public Outreach

• Public mailing list Keeping people abreast of the latest

developments

• Simplymars website providing: Information about team activities Links to Mars related websites

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Media Outreach

News articles featuring Simplymars:

• AIAA New England Section

• Graduate Student Newsletter, MIT

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Outreach Video & Website

• Outreach Video

• SimplyMars Website

http://kola.mit.edu/simplymars/

Video Clip

Video Clip

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PSA 2

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PSA 2- Logic & Structure

• Historical chronology

• Happening facts

• Simple and imaginative

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Comments on PSA 2 Message

The message: Presented a changing perspective on Mars

(from dream, frontier and achievement to destiny)

NASA transforms dreams into reality

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To Summarize…

• PSA 1 – philosophy and the video

• Brief description of various outreach activities and the outreach video

• PSA 2 – philosophy and the video

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Thanks to Sponsors

Department of Aero/Astro, MIT

AIAA, New England chapter

AIAA, National

Massachusetts Space Grant

NASA Means Business, Houston

MIT Mars Society

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Thank You !