Advanced Extravehicular Activity Education Outreach in Support of the Vision for Space Exploration

The Vision for Space Exploration outlines NASA's goals to return to the Moon, and travel on to Mars. The exploration activities associated with these endeavors will include both space and surface extravehicular activities (EVAs). This paper describes the plans for education outreach activities and products related to the technological developments and challenges similar to those being addressed by the Advanced EVA (AEVA) team. Efforts to involve and coordinate educational research projects with the AEVA team will also be discussed. The proposed activities and products will provide hands-on, interactive exercises through workshops, presentations, and demonstrations to allow students of all levels to learn about and experience the design challenges similar to what NASA deals with everyday in developing EVA systems. Bringing NASA's challenges to the student level will not only educate them about what is necessary to sustain human life during an EVA, but will also impact students by demonstrating how their interests in science and engineering can develop into future careers. By enhancing existing educational programs and developing innovative activities and presentations, the advanced EVA team will support NASA's endeavor to “inspire the next generation of explorers…as only NASA can.”