Real World: Using Math and New Tech to Study Lunar Rocks

Real World: Using Math and New Tech to Study Lunar Rocks

Lunar rock samples, gathered more than 50 years ago, continue to reveal mysteries about our nearest neighbor, the Moon. This Real World video explores techniques used to protect and preserve the Moon rock samples, and showcases the role mathematics plays in this process.

Real World: Small Systems Count - Cells in Space

Real World: Small Systems Count - Cells in Space

Have you ever wondered what living in space would do to your body? In this Real World video, learn how NASA scientists study cells on Earth to learn how to protect astronauts from radiation during space flights. Dr. Egle Cekanaviciute describes changes in cells and cell organelles. She also compares quantitative and qualitative data and demonstrates how to calculate the percentage of mutated cells.

Real World: Planetary Volcanoes

Real World: Planetary Volcanoes

Volcanoes play a role in how Earth looks today. Thanks to NASA's missions, we know more about volcanoes in our solar system. Studying volcanoes can teach us about the interior properties of the planets and moons. Learn how the slope equation is used to identify how a volcano was formed.

Real World: The Carbon Cycle - Essential for Life on Earth

Real World: The Carbon Cycle - Essential for Life on Earth

Carbon is an essential building block for life. Learning how carbon is converted through slow- and fast-moving cycles helps us understand how this life-sustaining element moves through the environment. Discover how NASA measures carbon through both field work and satellite imagery keeping watch through its eyes on the sky, on Earth, and in space.

Real World: Close Encounters with an Asteroid

Real World: Close Encounters with an Asteroid

Picture this. NASA sends a spacecraft to land on an asteroid, grab a piece of that asteroid, and then send that sample back to Earth to study. Learn more about all that NASA can learn about the formation of the Solar System from the close encounter of OSIRIS-REx with near-Earth asteroid Bennu.

Real World: Small Bodies Orbiting the Sun

Real World: Small Bodies Orbiting the Sun

In addition to planets and their moons, there are many small bodies orbiting the Sun. How did these bodies form? Learn more about comets and asteroids and the role these play in our Solar System, as well as NASA's Rosetta and NEOWISE missions.

Real World: Earth's Energy Balance - Small Changes, Big Impact

Real World: Earth's Energy Balance - Small Changes, Big Impact

Earth's energy balance is very delicate. Small changes may have a big impact. How might changes in Earth's land and atmosphere impact this delicate balance? How might this knowledge be used to help us take better care of Earth?

Real World: Earth's Energy Balance - Energy In and Energy Out

Real World: Earth's Energy Balance - Energy In and Energy Out

Balancing Earth's incoming and outgoing energy is like balancing an equation. When both are equal, Earth's energy is in balance. Learn more about how changes in this balance may impact Earth.

Real World: Scaling the Solar System

Real World: Scaling the Solar System

Paul Chodas, Manager for NASA's Near Earth Object Program, explains Astronomical Units (AUs) and how this unit of measure helps simplify an understanding of distances within the solar system. To further simplify thinking about these vast distances, distances within the solar system are explained scaled to the size of a football field.

Real World: Limits of the Solar System

Real World: Limits of the Solar System

What defines the limits of the solar system? Where does the Oort Cloud fit within this defined space? Paul Chodas, from NASA's Near Earth Object Program, answers these questions and fills us in on some of NASA's missions and explorations that have helped shape our understanding of the solar system.

Real World: CubeSats - Changing the Way We Do Science

Real World: CubeSats - Changing the Way We Do Science

CubeSats are changing the way we collect information. They may be small, but these little satellites are helping us answer big questions. And using a swarm of CubeSats can give us simultaneous measurements without repeatedly sending commands to the satellite to tell it what to do.

Real World: CubeSats - A Satellite Small Enough to Fit in Your Hand

Real World: CubeSats - A Satellite Small Enough to Fit in Your Hand

Satellites are expensive to build and expensive to get into space. With all the changes in technology, is there a way to make satellites smaller? Find out just what NASA can pack into a 1U CubeSat, a satellite small enough to fit in your hand.

Real World: Earth Systems

Real World: Earth Systems

Our Earth is a dynamic system with diverse subsystems that interact in complex ways.

• What are those subsystems and how do they interact?
• How are these subsystems and the global Earth system changing?
• What causes these changes?
• How does NASA monitor these changes?
• How can Earth system science provide societal benefit?

Jessica Taylor, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Langley Research Center, and Dr. Steven Pawson, an Earth scientist from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, help answer these questions and demonstrate how mathematical modeling helps scientists in their predictions of climate, weather, and natural hazards.

Real World: Citizen Science

Real World: Citizen Science

What are citizen scientists? Why is their work so important to NASA? Join Dr. Michelle Thaller as she explains how the general public, using scientific protocols, careful observations and accurate measurements, can help NASA make exciting new discoveries. Find out how you can be a citizen scientist today.

Update: NASA's Citizen Science website is now available at https://science.nasa.gov/citizenscience.

Video revised Sept. 2021

Real World: Comet Quest

Real World: Comet Quest

What is so interesting about a chunk of ice hurtling through space? NASA is using the information to help us understand why different planets are so different. Find out what a comet's diameter tells astronomers about the life of the comet. Learn about Comet Ison and the new Rosetta Mission. Hitch your own ride on a comet with NASA's SpacePlace game, Comet Quest.

Real World: What Is Soil Moisture?

Real World: What Is Soil Moisture?

What is the connection between water, soil, and carbon cycles? The answer may be in the soil beneath your feet. See how NASA plans to measure soil moisture from space with the Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission, or SMAP. Learn to calculate soil moisture in your own backyard and discover the real world applications for this data.

Real World: ICESat-2 and Earth's Cryosphere

Real World: ICESat-2 and Earth's Cryosphere

Earth's cryosphere, one of Earth's six spheres, is composed of all its frozen structures including sea ice, ice caps, and permafrost. Understanding changes in the cryosphere provides scientists with valuable information about the past, present, and future of the planet. Amazingly, 99% of Earth's fresh water is held in two massive ice sheets. ICESat-2 is a satellite designed to help scientists learn more about Earth's ice and the role ice plays in climate.

Real World: Ozone Alerts

Real World: Ozone Alerts

NASA's SAGE III instrument will provide valuable information to help us understand how our global Earth system is changing. Find out the difference between good ozone and bad ozone. Learn about the health problems that a small percent of our atmosphere, or only a few parts per billion, can create.

Real World: Mercury's MESSENGER Reveals Mysteries

Real World: Mercury's MESSENGER Reveals Mysteries

How long is a day on Mercury? Why does the planet have a 600 degree range in temperature? MESSENGER, NASA's first mission to Mercury in 30 years, has captured stunning imagery helping to determine the composition of the surface and measure Mercury's unusual magnetic field.

Real World: Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

Real World: Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

Learn about the physiological effects reduced gravity environments have on the human body. Use multiplication to calculate cardiac output and find out what effect space travel has on sensory-motor skills, stroke volume and heart rates of the astronauts.

Real World: NASA and the Chesapeake Bay

Real World: NASA and the Chesapeake Bay

Learn how NASA uses Earth observing satellites to monitor conditions in the Chesapeake Bay over time. Information about pollution, eutrophication, land cover and watershed runoff helps water managers enact policies to improve the health of the Bay.

Real World: Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 [Archived]

Real World: Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 [Archived]

Discover how the Wide-Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope helps scientists see more. [Archived 2014 - Not all missions make it from design to launch. These archived videos describe missions that that would have taken humans back to the moon and unmanned aerial vehicles to Mars. While the actual missions were aborted, the technology and science behind the missions pushed innovation to new levels.]

Real World: Comets - It's Done With Math

Real World: Comets - It's Done With Math

NASA engineers are finding new uses for old spacecraft as a way to study comets. Find out how a repurposed spacecraft can return to a comet for a second visit to uncover secrets about the formation of the solar system. Use angular size to see just how big this comet really is!

Real World: NASA Harnesses Half-Life

Real World: NASA Harnesses Half-Life

Learn about isotopes and radioactive decay. See how NASA uses the predictable decay of certain elements to power spacecraft in remote locations. Find out why a Radioisotope Power System, or RPS, provides dependable energy for the Mars Science Laboratory.

Real World: Changing the Way We Explore New Worlds

Real World: Changing the Way We Explore New Worlds

NASA engineers are using a unique new technology to overcome the challenges of entry, descent, and landing on a planetary body with an atmosphere. See how Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators, or HIADs, can be used to land larger rovers at higher altitudes or safely bring cargo from the ISS back to Earth.

Real World: 3-2-1 Testing!

Real World: 3-2-1 Testing!

NASA engineers used diameter, surface area, and drag forces to test their most recent inflatable concept. The Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment 3, or IRVE-3, provided a flight demonstration of inflatable technology. The successful flight test gave engineers new environmental data to improve existing models and simulations and design future inflatable vehicles.

Real World: Keeping the International Space Station in Orbit [Archived]

Real World: Keeping the International Space Station in Orbit [Archived]

Each day, gravity pulls the International Space Station, or ISS, a little closer to Earth. See how drag causes the ISS to slow down. Learn about the challenges of keeping the ISS in orbit and how NASA counteracts orbital decay. Since the production of this video, construction of the ISS has been completed and the Space Shuttle has been retired.

[Archived 2014 - Not all missions make it from design to launch. These archived videos describe missions that that would have taken humans back to the moon and unmanned aerial vehicles to Mars. While the actual missions were aborted, the technology and science behind the missions pushed innovation to new levels.]

Real World: Satellites and Solar Eruptions

Real World: Satellites and Solar Eruptions

Learn about twin satellites NASA launched to collect data about the sun. Find out why we study the sun and what scientists learn from these missions.

Real World: Mathematics - The Deciding Factor for Lunar Habitats [Archived]

Real World: Mathematics - The Deciding Factor for Lunar Habitats [Archived]

NASA's plans to return to the moon never materialized, but the ideas and innovations considered for lunar structures advanced technology.

[Archived 2014 - Not all missions make it from design to launch. These archived videos describe missions that that would have taken humans back to the moon and unmanned aerial vehicles to Mars. While the actual missions were aborted, the technology and science behind the missions pushed innovation to new levels.]

Real World: Space Lighting

Real World: Space Lighting

Join NASA engineers as they share the next generation of light emitting diodes, or LED, lighting. Find out how these energy efficient, longer lasting lights recently installed on the International Space Station will benefit us here on Earth.

Real World: Home Improvement - Space Station Style

Real World: Home Improvement - Space Station Style

Join astronauts on a spacewalk to fix the solar arrays on the International Space Station, or ISS. Find out about new crew quarters, exercise equipment, a recycling system and an expanded kitchen that finally includes a refrigerator. Keep on top of what's happening on the Space Station visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Real World: Preparing to Launch Ares I-X [Archived]

Real World: Preparing to Launch Ares I-X [Archived]

Preparing for future space missions, NASA is testing the Ares rocket prototype, Ares I-X. By finding the vehicle's center of gravity, engineers can calculate the distribution of the weight to ensure a stable flight. The forces felt by the astronauts during launch are similar to effects felt while riding a roller coaster. [Archived 2014 - Not all missions make it from design to launch. These archived videos describe missions that that would have taken humans back to the moon and unmanned aerial vehicles to Mars. While the actual missions were aborted, the technology and science behind the missions pushed innovation to new levels.]

Real World: Calculating Shuttle Launch Windows [Archived]

Real World: Calculating Shuttle Launch Windows [Archived]

Learn how NASA engineers use mathematical equations to determine when to launch the space shuttle so it will successfully dock with the International Space Station. Learn about gravity, the orbit plane and other factors that influence launch windows. [Archived 2014 - From 1981 through 2011, NASA space shuttles flew more than 130 times, carrying over 350 people into space and traveling more than half a billion miles. These archived videos, while dated due to the retirement of the shuttle and changes in other missions, contain information about the amazing technology and scientific contributions embedded within the space shuttle design.]

Real World: Lunar Power Plant

Real World: Lunar Power Plant

Learn about one of NASA's new innovations that could supply the huge amount of power needed for exploration. NASA engineers are working with the United States Department of Energy to perfect a nuclear fission system that is efficient and virtually hazard free.

Real World: Exploring the Lunar Electric Rover [Archived]

Real World: Exploring the Lunar Electric Rover [Archived]

Living and traveling on the moon requires specialized technology. NASA's plans to return to the moon have changed, but the plans, ideas and innovations displayed in this video advanced technology. [Archived 2014 - Not all missions make it from design to launch. These archived videos describe missions that that would have taken humans back to the moon and unmanned aerial vehicles to Mars. While the actual missions were aborted, the technology and science behind the missions pushed innovation to new levels.]

Real World: Using Lab on a Chip Technology to Identify Microorganisms

Real World: Using Lab on a Chip Technology to Identify Microorganisms

Listen in to a downlink with the crew on the International Space Station, or ISS, to learn about a recent experiment that helps astronauts monitor their environment. Find out about exponential multiplication and the benefits of new technology to keep the station clean.

Real World: Environmental Control on the International Space Station

Real World: Environmental Control on the International Space Station

Learn how engineers turn perspiration into innovation on the International Space Station so astronauts can live and work comfortably. The Environmental Control and Life Support System, or ECLSS, regulates the environment, including temperature, humidity and breathable air.

Real World: TriATHLETE - The Engineering Design Process in Action

Real World: TriATHLETE - The Engineering Design Process in Action

See the engineering design process in action at Desert RATS, or Research and Technology Studies, in Arizona. Learn about the next generation of the ATHLETE vehicle. See how the original design changed to allow a split into two robots and the addition of unique tools for exploration.

Real World: Shuttle Safety [Archived]

Real World: Shuttle Safety [Archived]

While the shuttle flew, safety and protecting the shuttle astronauts was a top priority. Computer modeling and simulation was used to help engineers evaluate the probability of malfunctions in everything from shuttle valves to the thermal protection system. The shuttle, retired in 2011, was central to NASA's explorations for 30 years. This website looks back at the Shuttle's historic missions, the people it flew into space, and its achievements. http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/the_shuttle/ [Archived 2014 - From 1981 through 2011, NASA space shuttles flew more than 130 times, carrying over 350 people into space and traveling more than half a billion miles. These archived videos, while dated due to the retirement of the shuttle and changes in other missions, contain information about the amazing technology and scientific contributions embedded within the space shuttle design.]

Real World: Lunar Excavation Blade [Archived]

Real World: Lunar Excavation Blade [Archived]

Learn how NASA engineers use mass efficiency, a measure of size to productivity, to evaluate the excavation blade that could be used on future lunar missions. The blade can help astronauts build landing pads or protective berms.

[Archived 2014 - Not all missions make it from design to launch. These archived videos describe missions that that would have taken humans back to the moon and unmanned aerial vehicles to Mars. While the actual missions were aborted, the technology and science behind the missions pushed innovation to new levels.]

Real World: Choosing the Right Lunar Excavator [Archived]

Real World: Choosing the Right Lunar Excavator [Archived]

NASA's plans to return to the moon never materialized, but the ideas and innovations considered for lunar exploration, such as the three lunar excavators reviewed in this video, advanced technology. [Archived 2014 - Not all missions make it from design to launch. These archived videos describe missions that that would have taken humans back to the moon and unmanned aerial vehicles to Mars. While the actual missions were aborted, the technology and science behind the missions pushed innovation to new levels.]

Real World: Lightning Protection for Launch Complex 39 [Archived]

Real World: Lightning Protection for Launch Complex 39 [Archived]

See how NASA is using a rolling spheres lightning protection system to expand the cone of safety currently used on Launch Complex 39. Find out how the towers and catenary wires create an easier path for the lightning to get to the ground. It should be noted that the Constellation project described within this video never materialized.

[Archived 2014 - Not all missions make it from design to launch. These archived videos describe missions that that would have taken humans back to the moon and unmanned aerial vehicles to Mars. While the actual missions were aborted, the technology and science behind the missions pushed innovation to new levels.]

Real World: Lunar Landing Test Designs [Archived]

Real World: Lunar Landing Test Designs [Archived]

Discover how NASA uses a gantry for astronauts to practice landing spacecrafts on the moon safely. Learn about Orion, the exploration vehicle planned for missions to the moon and Mars. [Archived 2014 - Not all missions make it from design to launch. These archived videos describe missions that that would have taken humans back to the moon and unmanned aerial vehicles to Mars. While the actual missions were aborted, the technology and science behind the missions pushed innovation to new levels.]

Real World: Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System [Archived]

Real World: Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System [Archived]

Find out how experts used sand to protect the space shuttle. The shuttle, retired in 2011, was central to NASA's explorations for 30 years. This website looks back at the Shuttle's historic missions, the people it flew into space, and its achievements. http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/the_shuttle/ [Archived 2014 - From 1981 through 2011, NASA space shuttles flew more than 130 times, carrying over 350 people into space and traveling more than half a billion miles. These archived videos, while dated due to the retirement of the shuttle and changes in other missions, contain information about the amazing technology and scientific contributions embedded within the space shuttle design.]

Real World: Moon Dirt [Archived]

Real World: Moon Dirt [Archived]

NASA's plans to return to the moon never materialized, but the ideas and innovations considered for lunar explorations advanced technology.

[Archived 2014 - Not all missions make it from design to launch. These archived videos describe missions that that would have taken humans back to the moon and unmanned aerial vehicles to Mars. While the actual missions were aborted, the technology and science behind the missions pushed innovation to new levels.]

Real World: NASA and a Dinosaur Named Dakota

Real World: NASA and a Dinosaur Named Dakota

Learn how remote sensing is used to help paleontologists identify where fossils may be found. See how the discovery of a hadrosaur has enabled scientists to further their research on dinosaurs.