STEM Bulletin February 2019

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 01/31/2019 08:48 AM EST

February 2019

Celebrate Engineering Week beginning on February 16, 2019

national building museum

Discover Engineering Family Day is a fun-filled day designed to introduce students ages 4 to 12 to the wonder of engineering and the importance of technological literacy. It attracts thousands of people and kicks off DiscoverE Engineers Week activities in the national capital area.

Where: The National Building Museum, 401 F Street, N.W., Washington, DC (between 4th and 5th Streets)

When: February 16, 2019, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

http://www.engineeringfamilyday.org/discover-engineering-family-day-overview/

What Can Attendees Expect?

Nearly 30 Family Day exhibitors present basic engineering principles through hands-on and mind-challenging activities. Special demonstrations are also sprinkled throughout the day. Past features include:

  • Engineer and TV personality Nate Ball demonstrating his reverse-rappelling Atlas Powered Ascender
  • One of NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon’s replica racecars, courtesy of DuPont
  • Former Space Shuttle Columbia astronaut Dr. Roger Crouch
  • Appearances by stars of the PBS Kids TV show ZOOM
  • A model of one of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers
  • A Blind Driver Challenge simulator from the National Federation of the Blind
  • Admission is free

Combination 3D Printer will Recycle Plastic in Space

3d print

The first integrated 3D printer and recycler is part of the cargo that was launched to the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft’s 10th commercial resupply services mission. The machine, known as Refabricator, will demonstrate the capability to turn waste plastic and previously 3D printed parts into high-quality 3D printer filament (3D printing “ink”) to create new tools and materials. The demonstration will use control plastic recycled multiple times to create parts that will be tested for quality back on Earth.

This technology could prove useful for future exploration missions to the Moon and Mars.

For additional information about 3D printing in space visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/centers/marshall/combination-3d-printer-will-recycle-plastic-in-space.html

Interested in 3D Design?

Students who are interested in Computer Assisted Design (CAD) or three dimensional drawing should check out these sites:

TINKERCAD: https://www.tinkercad.com/

Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/

SketchUp: https://www.sketchup.com/

These sites offer free online software that allows students to design in 3-Dimension.

3D