Student Mission Control: Integrating Space Data Exploration into Data and Computer Science Education

Data Science (DS) blends computer science, statistics, mathematics, and visualization. The absence of a nationwide DS curriculum in the US prompts educators to independently devise engaging DS curriculum. With support from the National Science Foundation and the United States Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, UC Berkeley teaching faculty developed a pilot curriculum, Student Mission Control (SMC), to engage middle and high school students with direct access to data and experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to help develop skills of data inquiry, analysis, and exploration.