Jr. Planetary Defenders Teacher-Training Program: Middle School Educators Dive into Planetary Defense

STEM outreach has been at the forefront for EPSS this November!

On Sunday, November 2nd, NEO Surveyor hosted the “Find Asteroids Before They Find Us” booth at Exploring Your Universe – the largest annual STEM outreach event in Los Angeles – where UCLA welcomed over 11,000 visitors. We explored asteroids and how to find them using an infrared telescope.

Jr. Planetary Defenders Teacher-Training Workshop

On Saturday, November 8th, a dynamic group of middle school science educators gathered for an intensive, hands-on NEO Surveyor Teacher-Training Workshop! The goal? To arm these incredible teachers with the cutting-edge content, resources, and confidence needed to bring the excitement of space exploration and Planetary Defense directly into their classrooms.

We know that to truly inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, teachers need more than just textbooks—they need to feel empowered. This workshop delivered exactly that, turning educators into active participants in the mission.

Dr. Amy Mainzer (NEO Surveyor P.I.) showing us how to Build-Your-Own Comet.

The core of the training focused on translating complex planetary science concepts into fun, inquiry-based activities aligned with Science and Engineering Practices.

The highlights of the day included:

☄️ Building a Comet:

Using dry ice and common materials, teachers physically constructed and analyzed their own model comets. This hands-on activity transformed an abstract concept—icy “dirty snowballs” from the outer Solar System—into a tangible experience.

☄️ Exploring Asteroids and Meteorites:

Participants got up close and personal with real-world samples, examining the composition and structure of actual meteorites. This reinforced the importance of missions like NEO Surveyor, which uses infrared (heat) vision to detect and track these cosmic neighbors that glow with the Sun’s heat.

Dropping our DIY Comets off the 3rd floor of the Geology Building. Video recorded using Forward Looking Infrared Camera. White and red colors represent warmer objects, purple and blue colors represent cooler objects.

Building Confidence and Community

Beyond the exciting activities, the workshop was a fantastic opportunity for teachers to connect and collaborate. This learning community is vital for strengthening teaching skills across teachers and professionals.

The Mission Continues in the Classroom

We invest in these workshops because training educators is the most effective way to strengthen the STEM pipeline. Every teacher who attended is now a vital partner in our mission, capable of inspiring dozens of future scientists who may one day use the very data collected by NEO Surveyor.

A huge thank you to every educator who joined us. The enthusiasm, collaboration, and dedication you showed was truly incredible, and we can’t wait to see the amazing things your students do this year!

Ready to bring Planetary Defense into your classroom?
Keep an eye out for our workshop coming next Spring 2026!

The importance of federal funding advocacy and investing in future generations of scientists

Check out this article written by the University of California President Office: Finding asteroids that could hit Earth — early enough for humanity to act.

The article underscores that proactive planetary defense, exemplified by NASA’s NEO Surveyor mission, is wholly dependent on continuous, robust federal funding and sustained governmental support. Cuts to science agencies like NASA and the NSF not only threaten the critical work of tracking potentially hazardous asteroids but also endanger the pipeline of specialized scientists and engineers needed for this essential long-term security.

News

The importance of federal funding advocacy and investing in future generations of scientists

October 6, 2025

Check out this article written by the University of California President Office: Finding asteroids that could hit Earth — early…
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NASA’s NEO Surveyor Arrives at the Space Dynamics Laboratory!

September 10, 2025

LOGAN, UTAH – The NEO Surveyor spacecraft arrived at the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) in May 2025, marking a major…
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NASA’s NEO Surveyor Arrives at the Space Dynamics Laboratory!

LOGAN, UTAH – The NEO Surveyor spacecraft arrived at the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) in May 2025, marking a major milestone in its development. The instrument and enclosure will undergo crucial integration and testing of its instruments and key components at SDL’s state-of-the-art facility.

The instrument enclosure will house the observatory’s scientific instrument, which includes a three-reflection aluminum telescope, state-of-the-art infrared detectors, and an innovative passive cooling system to keep the instrument at cryogenic temperatures.

The telescope, which has an aperture of nearly 20 inches (50 centimeters), features detectors sensitive to two infrared wavelengths in which near-Earth objects re-radiate solar heat. The instrument enclosure is designed to ensure heat produced by the spacecraft and instrument during operations doesn’t interfere with its infrared observations.

As NASA’s first space-based detection mission specifically designed for planetary defense, NEO Surveyor will seek out, measure, and characterize the hardest-to-find asteroids and comets that might pose a hazard to Earth. While many near-Earth objects don’t reflect much visible light, they glow brightly in infrared light due to heating by the Sun.

Targeting launch in late 2027, the NEO Surveyor mission is led by Professor Amy Mainzer at UCLA for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office and is being managed by JPL for the Planetary Missions Program Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. BAE Systems, SDL, and are among the companies that were contracted to build the spacecraft and its instrumentation. The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder will support operations, and IPAC at Caltech in Pasadena, California, is responsible for producing some of the mission’s data products. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

Image Credit:
Space Dynamics Laboratory/Allison Bills

Selfie while inspecting NASA’s NEO Surveyor instrument enclosure at the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) in Logan, Utah.

NASA’s NEO Surveyor Successfully Completes Mission Critical Design Review

The Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission has reached a major milestone, successfully passing its Critical Design Review (CDR). This achievement marks a crucial step toward launching NASA’s next-generation infrared space telescope dedicated to detecting and characterizing hazardous asteroids and comets.

With this milestone, NEO Surveyor advances into the final stages of development, bringing it closer to its goal of strengthening planetary defense efforts. The mission will enhance our ability to detect potentially hazardous near-Earth objects, supporting NASA’s commitment to planetary protection.

For more details, read the full NASA announcement here.