Discovering Our Inner Explorer

Many of us are inspired by the biggest names in the history of exploration. Magellan. Shackleton. Hillary. Armstrong. We are amazed by their exploits and marvel at their accomplishments.

And we ask ourselves, "Could I do that?"

Exploration has been described roughly as "going somewhere no one has been before--usually at significant risk--for the purpose of scientific discovery". There are several elements of that definition that scare off most of us, whether it is the part about going somewhere new or taking risks or conducting science. Therefore, we tend to leave exploration to the "professionals", such as the members of the prestigious Explorers Club.

However, the world might be such a better place (and the future of humanity such a rosier vision) if more of us ventured out to explore the universe around us.

Someone once said that the difference between science and exploration is that "science seeks answers; exploration seeks questions". Since curiosity is at the core of exploration and human beings are naturally curious creatures, it stands to reason that each and every one of us has an Inner Explorer. We just have to connect with ourselves.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of opportunities for "citizen explorers" to join or support expeditions ... or even conduct their own exploration efforts.

The University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science recently launched a new Exploration Science program. Although it aims to teach scientists many of the skills they will need to conduct their own expeditions, it also provides opportunities for "citizen scientists" to get involved with exploration projects.

The team that brought us inexpensive DIY underwater robots is developing an online platform to foster a global community of "citizen explorers". Through OpenExplorer, anyone can "explore their backyard" and share their findings with the rest of us.

With opportunities like these becoming increasingly available, we hope that many more people around the world will find their Inner Explorer.

Exploration Live!From the Deep Sea to Outer Space

Want to explore the depths of the ocean or the far reaches of the universe without leaving home? Researchers and explorers are increasingly offering ways to join their expeditions around the world in real time, no matter your location.

Thanks to video streaming from robots and submersibles and live videoconferencing with astronauts and aquanauts, all you need is an internet connection to experience first-hand the thrill of discovery!

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NAUTILUS LIVE

With a mission to bring the deep sea into homes and classrooms around the world, the Ocean Exploration Trust operates the E/V Nautilus in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Led by founder Dr. Robert Ballard, a rotating team of scientists guides expeditions from onboard the ship and through “telepresence,” allowing for researchers to collaborate from afar.

Video captured by ROVs streams to the Inner Space Center at the University of Rhode Island where it is examined and simultaneously broadcast live to the public. This month, the Nautilus is exploring seafloor ecosystems with active seismic and volcanic activity near the West Indies.

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NOAA OKEANOS EXPLORER

It may come as a surprise that some of this summer’s most popular reality television was streamed live…from the deep! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made a media splash with their expedition on the Okeanos Explorer off the coast of the Northeastern US, hooking tens of thousands of viewers.

With daily coverage and live analysis by biologists, geologists and oceanographers likened to sports commentary, NOAA succeeds in getting a whole new audience excited about their daily deep sea squid sightings.

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SLOOH SPACE CAMERA

Connecting land-based observatories to the internet, Slooh offers live broadcasts of events in space including spacecraft transits and asteroid and comet sightings. In 2011, Slooh’s footage of the total lunar eclipse was streamed live through Google, reaching billions of viewers, and this week streamed the fly-by of NASA’s Juno spacecraft on the way to Jupiter.

Making outer space even more accessible, Slooh engages a citizen scientist network to crowd-source broadcasts and recently released an iPad app allowing anyone to capture photos remotely using their observatory’s telescopes!

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NASA

NASA has also engaged a wider audience through live-streaming events from the International Space Station. Astronauts host Google+ Hangouts, fielding questions from viewers around the world, and even teach mini lessons about gravity and physics from the ISS.

On Earth, NASA recently partnered with privately funded Orbital Sciences to live broadcast their Cygnus rocket launch, carrying supplies to the ISS.

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With less than 5% of our world’s oceans explored and a whole universe outside of our planet, human exploration is at an exciting peak. Now, live streaming expeditions and events help make otherworldly landscapes accessible to anyone with an internet connection!

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Contributed by Samantha Wishnak Education and Outreach Coordinator Blue Marble Exploration Brooklyn, NY, USA

Exploring to Inspire STEM Education

Expeditions to the extreme limits of our world push the bounds of human knowledge and capabilities. By expanding our understanding of the earth, exploration offers a unique storytelling platform that inspires people to investigate the world around them, to question and to innovate.

Most people will never visit the deep sea or summit the world’s tallest peaks, and glimpses of these places provided by expeditions allow people to appreciate and champion these environments. Most importantly, exploration provides an opportunity to expose new generations to careers that contribute to scientific advancement and environmental stewardship.

NASA’s extensive education and outreach program currently brings missions to the International Space Station closer to home with STEM on Station, a series of videos featuring ISS astronauts demonstrating the same basic STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology) concepts taught in middle and high school. Students from around the world can even compete in SpaceLab contests to design science experiments that astronauts will carry out on the ISS, giving them first-person experience in pushing the limits of science and technology.

The European Space Agency organizes contests to design and launch working satellites into orbit for high school and university students. Challenger Learning Centers in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and South Korea immerse students in hands-on simulated space missions teaching teamwork and critical thinking skills. Using missions as teaching tools, these programs expose students to STEM, but missions can be used creatively to improve fitness and nutrition, as in Mission X’s ‘train like an astronaut’ program.

Thanks to education initiatives like these, most people are more familiar with outer space than with the deep sea, making ocean exploration an ideal platform for future education initiatives. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Ocean Explorer website offers daily logs, videos, and interactive maps to follow their data-collecting expeditions in real-time. For educators, NOAA’s Expedition Education Modules use multimedia-based lesson plans to simulate the daily discoveries and scientific techniques that scientists and explorers experience. Letting students experience first-hand the thrill of discovery, Dr. Robert Ballard’s expedition team streams discoveries live to classrooms around the world through their interactive Nautilus Live program.

New technology allows us to explore extreme environments remotely, but the human element of the intrepid explorer is key. National Geographic Explorers are a prime example of the capacity for exploration to not only push the limits of science, but also educate. Through real-time blogs, tweets, and photojournalism, we can join the expeditions of these modern-day adventurers and role models.

Unlike robots, human explorers bring back personal accounts we can relate to about their amazing experiences. Children grow up wanting to be astronauts or deep sea divers, not robots, dreaming up fantastical futures. These experiences of discovery illuminated by explorers may inspire people to become better stewards of their environment, or even spark ideas that change the way our world works.

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Contributed by Samantha Wishnak Education and Outreach Coordinator Blue Marble Exploration Monterey, CA, USA

Why Extreme Environments?

Since Blue Marble Exploration focuses exclusively on "extreme environments", we are often asked "why?".

There are many answers, but the bottom line is that putting humans in environments that are hostile to our very existence forces us to solve immensely complex problems. In order to accomplish our exploration objectives for each mission, we have to push the limits of technology, science, and human endurance. This in turn promotes innovation and creativity, which help us move humanity forward.

These types of expeditions also have a unique capacity to inspire millions of people around the world. They have a special combination of powerful visuals and dramatic storylines that capture imaginations across cultures, languages, and generations. This can be used to promote education, innovation, and conservation, as well as collaboration among countries, industries, and organizations.

Within the past 12 months, we have been fortunate to witness three very different expeditions to extreme environments. Below (in chronological order) is a brief summary of each one and some of its major contributions.

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OCEANS - DeepSea Challenge [March 2012]

On March 26, 2012, James Cameron broke the world solo dive record by becoming only the third person ever to see the deepest point in the ocean. Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, plunges to nearly 11,000 meters (~37,000 feet), which is much deeper than Mt. Everest is tall. Prior to Cameron's dive, the only humans to ever successfully complete this dive were Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh, who made the trip in the U.S. Navy-sponsored bathyscaphe Trieste on January 23, 1960.

In order to accomplish his mission objectives, Cameron had to develop a whole slate of new technologies, including his submersible, DeepSea Challenger. Besides his core team, the project relied on a diverse international group of small industry specialists, large corporate partners, and university departments. The expedition will be the subject of a documentary and a 3D film.

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ALTITUDE - Red Bull Stratos [October 2012]

On October 14, 2012, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner broke several world records, including the highest altitude jump (39 km / 24 mi) and the fastest freefall (1357 kmh / 844 mph). He also became the first human to break the sound barrier without a vehicle. Several of these records were previously held by Joe Kittinger, who made his jump on August 16, 1960, as part of experiments conducted by the U.S. Air Force. He worked as an advisor and Capsule Communicator for Red Bull Stratos, watching Baumgartner break all but one of his records (longest freefall of 4 minutes 36 seconds).

[Even though it was dubbed "Mission to the Edge of Space", Baumgartner never even came close to approaching the internationally accepted boundary of 100 km (62 mi).]

To successfully complete the mission, Baumgartner's international team had to develop multiple new technologies, including the suit, helmet, capsule, balloon, parachute, and life support systems. Because of the extreme pressures on his body, the medical team collected immensely valuable physiological data.

Perhaps the greatest impact was on mass media. The project was sponsored by Red Bull, which not only provided financing but also used its marketing muscle to make the skydive one of the most popular current events in recent history. The jump's YouTube livestream drew a record 8 million concurrent views across 56 countries, and its Facebook posts reached over 50 million users. The resulting [inaccurately named] documentary, Space Dive, was produced by the BBC in partnership with National Geographic and Red Bull Media House.

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POLAR - The Coldest Journey [March 2013]

This is an ongoing expedition to make the first crossing of Antarctica during the winter. Starting in March 2013, the 3,200 km (2,000 mi) traverse will take six months and will be done mostly in complete darkness and in temperatures as low as -90C (-130F). This project has been led for the five years of planning and preparation by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, one of the world's greatest explorers. Unfortunately, he developed a severe case of frostbite during the preposition phase, and on February 25, 2013, he announced that he would be leaving the expedition team. The remaining 5 members are set to continue the expedition without him, expecting to complete their journey in September 2013.

For this expedition, the team is relying on technological advances in land transportation, fuel, clothing, and communications. In addition to accomplishing its mission objectives, the project hopes to raise US$10 million for its partner charity, Seeing is Believing.

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