Launchpad: Engineering Design to Support Scientific Discovery
Engineering design and technology development support scientific discovery. Learn about the roles engineers and scientists play when working together on NASA missions like the James Webb Space Telescope and how science and engineering take turns pushing each other to move exploration forward.
Discussion and writing prompts
1. The video explains that science and engineering work together to advance our understanding of the universe. How do scientific discoveries inspire new engineering solutions, and how do new technologies lead to even more scientific discoveries? Choose a NASA mission or technology. Explain how scientists and engineers depend(ed) on one another and describe how their collaboration expanded our understanding of science.
2. Engineers often create tools that have never existed before because scientists want to answer questions that cannot yet be investigated. Why is it important for engineers to understand the scientific goals of a mission before designing its technology?
3. Many NASA technologies go through years of testing, redesign, and improvement before they are ready for a mission. Why is repeated testing and refinement an essential part of engineering design? Think of an everyday product or technology that has improved over time (such as a smartphone, bicycle, medical device, or automobile). Compare its development to the engineering process used in NASA missions. Explain how testing, feedback, and redesign lead to better performance, greater reliability, and new opportunities for scientific discovery.
Background Information
Grades 3 through 8
Grades 3 through 12
- NASA eClips Ask SME: Instrument Systems Engineer Dr. Begona Vila (video)
- NASA eClips Dr. Alex Young Challenges Us All To Be Scientists (video)
- NASA Great Observatories: James Webb Space Telescope (webpage)
Grades 5 through 12
- NASA eClips Real World: The Nature of Science (video)
- NASA Spinoff (webpage)
- NASA James Webb Space Telescope (webpage)
- NASA Webb Observatory (webpage)
Grades 6 through 12
- NASA All about Webb's Mission (video)
Activities
Grades K through 5
- NASA Webb Telescope Fun Pad (pdf)
Grades 3 through 12
- NASA eClips Guide Lites: Comparing Science and Engineering Practices Using Black Box Models (pdf)
- Seeing Starlight (pdf)
Grades 4 through 12
- NASA Build a Webb Model (webpage)
Grades 5 through 12
Grades 6 through 12
- Arizona State University Astrobiobound! The Search for Life in the Solar System (webpage)
- NASA Scope It Out! (interactive)
Grades 9 through 12
- NASA Build It Yourself: Satellite! (interactive)