October, 2015
Challenger Spotlight

Challenger Center Colorado, with the financial support of the United States Air Force Academy, is proud to host the 2015 LEGO® Design Challenge event and educator grant!
 
This competition is open to Kindergarten through 5th grade students.  Teams of students will work together to build a mystery design using their LEGO kit.  Past mystery challenges have included launch vehicle lifters, asteroid deflectors, and asteroid sample collectors.

Judges will determine the winning team, and a short awards ceremony will follow.  If you or someone at your school has the correct Lego kits, there is no cost to participate!  
 
Like last year, competitions will be held on separate nights. 
 
Lego Simple Machines Challenge
Kindergarten - 3rd Grade  
The evening of December 8th, 2015 
Specific times to be announced

Lego WeDo Challenge
4th - 5th Grade 
The evening of December 10th, 2015
Specific times to be announced

Both Challenges will take place at: 
Pikes Peak Library District Library 21C 
1175 Chapel Hills Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920

To compete, you must register your Lego team(s) with Ron Bush: [email protected]

Do You Need Lego Kits for your Teams?


Kindergarten - 3rd Grade Educator Grant Includes:
  • 8 LEGO® Simple Machines kits
  • LEGO® curriculum aligned to Colorado standards
  • Teacher training and support from Challenger staff

Lego Kit Grant applications can be found here:


Submit your grant to Ron Bush: [email protected] 

2015 ASE AstroSat High School Challenge
The Association of Space Explorers and Northrop Grumman will sponsor two High School Teams from the Colorado Springs area to send their experiment to space!
 
If your team is chosen, you will have the privilege of collecting one week of data from a real satellite in orbit. The data that you choose to collect is up to you and will be based on the experiment that you develop.

Applications are due on October 30th, 2015. If selected, your code must be delivered by January 30th, 2016 or earlier. Your flight data will be returned to you within 8 weeks of software delivery.

To learn more and submit your team's experiment idea, visit

If you have any questions contact Ardusat at
AIAA K12 Grant
The American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is offering six $500 STEM grants for K12 teachers.  

Grant applications must be emailed to Michele Brekke ([email protected]) by October 9th, 2015.
 
More details can be found here:
Events for Teachers
October 8th - Returning Teacher Training
Who: Teachers who have participated in Challenger Missions 
Time: 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Location: Challenger Learning Center of Colorado

Check out or remodeled Briefing Room!  Learn about the 3D printer in our Space Simulator! This training is for educators who have previously brought their students to a simulator mission.  The purpose is to highlight any mission changes, answer questions, and provide educators a refresher of our Comet, Mars, or Moon missions. Dinner will be provided. Attending this training will count toward the Professional Development credit, offered by Challenger. 
 
Call to register: (719)-598-9755
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TBA - Sea Perch Design Challenge
Who: 6th-12th Grade Students
Time: TBA (Late January or Early February)

It's never too early to start thinking about our Sea Perch Design Challenge.  A few weeks of practice with your robot can make a big difference.  

Our Design Challenges are a great way to engage secondary students in engineering and robotics. Students will work together to assemble their Sea Perch from a kit.  On competition day the students will navigate their underwater robot through an obstacle course.  They will also receive a bag of supplies to use for a mystery challenge. Examples of past mystery challenges include sliding rings on a ladder, opening a door, picking up rings and herding ping pong balls.

We will announce the details as soon as they are finalized. Stay Tuned!
Our Night Sky
October 1
Comet C/2013 US10 
The comet will be visible this month. It will continue to brighten through early November.

October 8
Draconids Meteor Shower Peak
The best viewing will be in the evening, after sunset.  Expect only 10 meteors per hour or less.

October 21
Orionids Meteor Shower  Peak
Expect up to 20 meteors per hour.  The best time for viewing is after midnight.

Jupiter, Venus, Mars
The three planets will be clustered together and visible just before dawn in the eastern sky.

Saturn
Saturn is visible after dark in the southwestern sky.  It will be near the head of Scorpio.

See the International Space Station!

This website will calculate when and where you need to look to see the ISS in your city.
Space News
Water on Mars!

Observations from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed possible flowing water during the warmest months on Mars.
Featured Free Web Resource
Experience Curiosity

Explore the Red Planet through the eyes of NASA's largest Mars Rover.
  Website
Upcoming Global Launches
 Oct 1
Kazakhstan
A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch cargo to the ISS.
 
Oct 2
Florida
A ULA Atlas 5 rocket will launch a communications satellite for the Mexico.
 
Oct 8
California
A ULA Atlas 5 rockets will launch a classified payload for the US government.
 
Oct 9
Kazakhstan
An ILS Proton rocket will launch a communications satellite for Turkey.
 
Oct 29
Hawaii
A Super Strypi launch vehicle will launch multiple satellites that will be used for scientific research.
 
Oct 30
Florida
A ULA Atlas 5 rocket will launch a navigation satellite for the USAF.
 
Oct TBA
Kazakhstan
A Russian Proton rocket will launch a communications satellite for Russia.
 
Oct TBA
Kazakhstan
An ILS Proton rocket will launch a commercial communications satellite, servicing Europe.
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The Challenger Learning Center of Colorado | 719-598-9755
| [email protected] | http://www.clccs.org
10215 Lexington Drive,  Suite 110
Colorado Springs, CO 80920

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