Students Use Space Technology to Explore "From Sea to Shore"

They've been to the Mediterranean Sea to retrieve ancient artifacts. They've been to Hawaii to peer into volcanoes. They've even been to Alaska to solve the mystery surrounding ice worms. And in January 2003, with the help of cutting edge technology that Goddard has used and developed, JASON Project students around the country will explore the Channel Islands to see the area in a way no one else has.

"This effort not only infuses NASA technologies into a NASA science mission, but also directly addresses the NASA mission element - to inspire the next generation of explorers," said Patrick Coronado, Senior Engineer at the Applied Information Sciences Branch at Goddard.

Using remote sensors (instruments that collect data from afar rather than through direct contact), Coronado will lead students as part of JASON XIV, "From Sea to Shore," in surveying the ocean water surrounding Anacapa Island off the coast of California. The JASON Project has united scientists and middle school students since its initial project in 1989 by allowing a few students to directly participate in a scientific research study. The research is broadcast live to other students around the nation.

For the complete article on the JASON project, go to: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/news-release/releases/2002/02-94.htm