Welcome to GRASP!

Rock formations from South Dakota and Tennessee . Can you tell which ones are from each state?

GRASP--GeoRobotic Analytical Sampling Project
Tennessee Students Embark on a Geological Mission to Mars in the Badlands of South Dakota

Tennessee State University and Oglala Lakota College received a grant from the National Science Foundation to bring together students in Nashville, Tennessee with a group in South Dakota. This project is called GeoRobotic Analytical Sampling Project or GRASP.

Student teams in Tennessee and South Dakota are investigating how the lessons from Earth’s geology helps scientists learn about Mars. Students are designing robots to collect samples of rocks and soil in the rolling hills of Tennessee and the Badlands of South Dakota the way Spirit and Opportunity roam the craters of Mars. By using the theme of Mars students will discover the broad range of interesting careers in geoscience.

The GeoRobotic Analytical Sampling Project is part of the NASA Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy, an after-school enrichment program sponsored by Tennessee State University and Oglala Lakota College. Arizona State University’s Mars Student Imaging Project is an important partner in this project and will work with GRASP teachers, staff, and students in all aspects of the program.

The project will last for two years beginning in September 2006 and focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills by merging the building of robots with an understanding of geoscience. By using the theme of Mars exploration it is hoped that students will understand how all of the STEM areas work together as NASA scientists explore our Solar System.

In addition to being part of the Mars Student Imaging program (http://marsed.asu.edu/) we will contribute to the Rocks Around the World project also sponsored by Arizona State University (http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/rockworld/).

GRASP Development Supported by :