INVISIBLE MARS: the MAVEN EDUCATION and PUBLIC OUTREACH SCIENCE on a SPHERE PROGRAM. A. J. P. Jones1,2, B. C. Hsu1,2, L. V. Bleacher1, N

45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2014) 2691.pdf

INVISIBLE MARS: THE MAVEN EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH SCIENCE ON A SPHERE PROGRAM. A. J. P. Jones1,2, B. C. Hsu1,2, L. V. Bleacher1, N. Alima Ali3, K. Hauck3, L. Peticolas3, 1NASA God- dard Space Flight Center (8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt MD 20771; andrea.j.jones@nasa.gov), 2Lunar and Plane- tary Institute (3600 Bay Area Blvd., Houston TX 77058), 3Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley (7 Gauss Way, Berkeley CA 94720).

Introduction: The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Invisible Mars SOS Module: The MAVEN Invis- EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission launched in November ible Mars SOS program is designed to help the public 2013. It will explore Mars’s upper atmosphere and better understand the story of water on Mars, and how ionosphere and its interactions with the solar wind, we are learning more about it. The SOS module por- solar storms, and solar-EUV energy drivers. MAVEN trays the mystery of what happened to the water on will help scientists better understand the current struc- Mars in the context of a detective story. It covers how ture of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere, the cur- MAVEN will help solve this mystery by studying the rent rates of atmospheric loss and the processes that martian atmosphere, how it has changed over time, and control this loss, and the integrated loss to space how it interacts with the Sun and the solar wind. The through time [e.g. 1, 2]. Scientists will use MAVEN module also delves into Mars exploration, featuring data to determine the role that the loss of volatile com- past, present, and future Mars missions, and includes pounds, such as CO2, N2, and H2O from the Mars at- an activity comparing images of water-related features mosphere to space has played through time, providing on Earth and Mars. The module will help people un- insight into the history of Mars’s atmosphere and cli- derstand that a planet's climate can change over time mate, liquid water, and planetary habitability [3]. and also how learning more about Mars helps us learn The MAVEN Education and Public Outreach more about Earth and other planets. (E/PO) program is designed to share information about The MAVEN Invisible Mars SOS module includes the MAVEN mission and MAVEN science results with the Invisible Mars script, playlist, datasets, background educators and the public nationwide [3]. The MAVEN for the facilitator about MAVEN and water on Mars, E/PO Science On a Sphere (SOS) team shares this in- an activity comparing images of water-related features formation through a SOS module, Invisible Mars, and on Earth and Mars, and an optional solar wind activity. trainings for SOS network members, who facilitate The script builds on a previous NASA-funded Mars SOS programs across the country. Space Weather E/PO program for SOS, Seeing the Science On a Sphere: Science On a Sphere (SOS) Invisible. is a large visualization system developed by the Na- Invisible Mars SOS Module Development: The tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration MAVEN Invisible Mars SOS module was developed (NOAA). It uses computers and video projectors to through a collaboration of MAVEN E/PO Team mem- display animated data onto the outside of a suspended bers at the University of California, Berkeley and 6-foot-diameter sphere [4]. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Lunar and Plane- tary Institute, in consultation with MAVEN Science Team members (including MAVEN’s Principal Inves- tigator, Bruce Jakosky, at the Laboratory for Atmos- pheric and Space Physics at the University of Colora- do, Boulder) and support from SOS professionals at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the Universi- ty of California, Berkeley. The initial script was completed in 2011, and pilot tested in 2012. The MAVEN SOS E/PO Team offered a webinar to SOS network members featuring Invisible Mars as well as an overview of the MAVEN mission and its science investigations. Participants were asked to share the Invisible Mars program with audiences at their institutions and then provide feedback to the

Mars data displayed on the SOS installation in the MAVEN SOS E/PO Team. The Team modified the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of Califor- Invisible Mars module based on feedback from pilot nia, Berkeley. testers as well as recommendations from the NASA Earth & Space Science Education Product Review [5]. 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2014) 2691.pdf

Additional revisions were made based on feedback from participants at an in-person workshop held at Cape Canaveral, Florida in November 2013. The Invisible Mars script and datasets will be up- dated as MAVEN returns data and new scientific dis- coveries are made. The Invisible Mars SOS module will be freely available on the MAVEN SOS website (http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education- outreach/afterschoolsummer-programs/invisible-mars/) and NASA Wavelength (http://nasawavelength.org), a searchable database of all NASA Earth & Space Sci- ence Education Product Review-approved activities and resources [6]. Invisible Mars Professional Development: The Participants learn about the composition of the Mars MAVEN SOS E/PO Team offers professional devel- atmosphere by building models using dried beans and opment to SOS facilitators nationwide through in- plastic bags in the MAVEN SOS workshop held in person and virtual trainings. Cape Canaveral, Florida; November 2013. The first in-person training was held in Cape Ca- naveral, Florida in association with MAVEN’s launch. References: [1] Jakosky B. M. and the MAVEN The training featured the Invisible Mars module and Science Team (2011) EPSC Abstracts, Vol. 6, EPSC- relevant information about the MAVEN mission and DPS2011-58. [2] Jakosky B. M. (2011) The Fourth Mars science. Training participants learned this infor- International Workshop on the Mars Atmosphere: mation through hands-on and computer-based activi- Modelling and Observation, pp. 477. [3] Peticolas L. ties that they can share with audiences at their home (2011) MAVEN Education and Public Outreach Im- institutions, presentations, and discussions. A MAVEN plementation Plan, approved by NASA Headquarters. Science Team member and the MAVEN Program Ex- [4] Science On a Sphere website: http://sos.noaa.gov. ecutive spoke to the participants about their involve- [5] NASA Earth & Space Science Education Product ment in the mission. Fifteen SOS professionals from Review website: http://nasareviews.strategies.org. [6] ten institutions around the country, including muse- Schwerin T. et al. (2012) AGU Fall Meeting. Abstract ums, science centers, and planetariums, participated in ED21A-0712. the training. The MAVEN SOS E/PO Team will keep in touch with the participants to answer questions, pro- Thanks to the MAVEN mission for support of this vide them with mission updates, and to monitor pro- program. gress sharing Invisible Mars with their audiences. Planning is underway for a second in-person workshop to be held in spring 2014 in conjunction with the SOS Network Meeting. The MAVEN SOS E/PO Team will also offer quar- terly virtual professional development sessions to SOS network members. These sessions will update SOS network members about MAVEN mission milestones and science results that they can share with their audiences. The sessions will also help bring the Invisible Mars module to new network members. The MAVEN E/PO Team anticipates that over the course of the MAVEN mission, SOS network members will share Invisible Mars with thousands of members of the public. The MAVEN SOS trainings are evaluated by Ally- son Walker of Cornerstone Evaluation Associates LLC. Evaluation data is used to improve the MAVEN SOS module and future trainings.