Inspiring the Next Generation of Space and Planetary Scientists: The 2022 EXPLORE Junior Lunar Data Challenge

Daniel Le Corre 1,2,3,4 , Anita Heward 1,3,4 , Ulysse Pedreira-Segade 3

  • 1 Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, University of Kent, Canterbury
  • 2 ACRI-ST, Grasse
  • 3 Dill Faulkes Educational Trust (DFET) Ltd, London
  • 4 EXPLORE Project

Abstract

Launching in the late Spring of 2022, the EXPLORE Junior Lunar Data Challenge will give schools the opportunity to use their scientific knowledge, imagination, and design skills to plan different aspects of a space mission on the surface of the Moon. The challenge aims to give young pupils an understanding of lunar exploration (and the potential careers linked to it) by conducting engaging, curriculum-linked, hands-on activities in the classroom.

The 2022 EXPLORE Lunar Data Challenges (https://exploredatachallenges.space) are the first in a series of data challenges planned by EXPLORE, a project funded through the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme. The EXPLORE project is an international consortium of 8 partners with expertise in a range of different technologies and space sciences. The goal of EXPLORE is to develop new tools that will enable and promote the exploitation of space science data, and to develop a user community for these services, aided by the EXPLORE Data Challenges.

2022’s EXPLORE Data Challenges will be split into separate, but closely linked, Senior and Junior events. Both Challenges have a particular focus on the Moon, with the Senior Lunar Data Challenge’s task being to automatically find the best path for a rover traversing the surface. Meanwhile, the Junior Lunar Data Challenge will provide easy-to-implement activities and on-demand educational material to teachers in order to engage young students in lunar data/planetary surface related science. The Junior Lunar Data Challenge will also be open to any school internationally who wishes to take part.

Teachers will be provided with all of the necessary materials for running this challenge, which will be designed in consultation with teachers to be simple and in-expensive to implement into lessons. The intention is for teachers to be able to choose from a range of activities those that they feel will engage their pupils most. Prizes will be available for the best submissions for each activity of the Junior Challenge. However, despite being a ‘challenge’, there will be an overall collaborative element where the students' work will be visualised in intriguing ways so that they can see the work of other schools from all across the globe.

In this poster for the European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting, which will take place towards the end of the EXPLORE Junior Data Challenge, we present the initial results and feedback from schools. This is with a view to sharing lessons learned and incorporating them into plans for the next set of Challenges in 2023.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214

Introduction

Figure 1: EXPLORE Data Challenges Logo

  • In 2022, the EU-funded EXPLORE project is launching a Lunar Data Challenge. EXPLORE aims to develop new machine learning and advanced visualisation tools for the exploitation of space science and planetary data.
  • The 2022 Data Challenges include Senior and Junior versions, both with lunar theme to tie in with the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission.
  • The Junior Data Challenge introduces school students (10-14) to lunar exploration and machine learning through hands-on classroom activities.

Aims

The primary aims of the 2022 EXPLORE Junior Data Challenge are to:

  • Inspire and motivate the next generation of space and planetary scientists.
  • Provide easy-to-implement activities and on-demand educational material to teachers in order to engage young students in lunar data/planetary surface related science.
  • Give students a foundational understanding about the Moon and its exploration.
  • Share knowledge and resources about careers in space and planetary science.
  • Raise awareness about the EXPLORE project and to build a community to sustain dissemination and research efforts for future years.

Activities

The 2022 EXPLORE Junior Lunar Data Challenge is made up of three activies, which should be carried out in the following order for students to get the most benefit:

Figure 2: Flowchart of Activity 1: Introduction to lunar exploration and machine learning

Figure 3: Flowchart for Activity 2: Recognising Patterns in Data.

Figure 4: Flowchart for Activity 2: Labelling lunar surface features.

Figure 5: An example of a satellite image of the Moon's surface that students would be tasked with labelling in Activity 3 - with the answers overlaid.

We will also be providing material for some optional extra activities!

Optional Activity 1: Design Your Own Rover

  • Students will be tasked with picking as a class a list of instruments to go on their very own lunar rover based upon the science yield, manufacturing time and cost.

Optional Activity 2: Plot Your Own Rover Traverse

  • Students will draw a journey for their lunar rover across the an image of the Moon's surface, meanwhile visiting locations that they think would be good for scientific investigations.

Acknowledgements

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004214.

Curriculum Entry Points

Figure 6: Word collage of the curriculum entry points for the different activities.