Lessons Learned Linking Future Space Leaders with Study Abroad Programs

The progression of spacesuit curriculum under the Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology Laboratory (S.U.I.T. Lab) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has provided students with unique professional development opportunities while studying abroad. Not only does the CSO 377: “Spacesuits and Human Spaceflight Operations” course provide non-engineering students with access to technical coursework, it also offers students positive life-changing development through guided experiential components. This unique program has kept its original intention of creating an adventure-lead study abroad where classes are held “anywhere but a classroom” and will continue to stimulate students through scuba diving, exploring volcanos, and hiking. Past summer programs have included the Antikythera Mechanism in 2017, Expedition Greece in 2018, and Greece & Germany: A Stardust Odyssey in 2019. The 2019 program combined the extraordinary academic and adventuresque components of the original iterations and included a workshop with the European Space Agency and German Aerospace Center (DLR) at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. CSO 377 was offered on-campus for the first time in 2018, and twice more in 2019 and 2020. Once the course was converted for on-campus instruction, homework and tests were included in the curriculum, and students were graded on a traditional scale. Student evaluations from both the on-campus and abroad offering of the course are used to interpret and compare the two different deliveries during 2018 and 2019. Following the 2019 program, the S.U.I.T. Lab has welcomed a substantial increase in student involvement. Students are energized and leading projects after tackling cross-cultural communication during their time abroad. Student-led highlights include the successful participation in NASA’s Micro-g NExT and SUITS Challenges and NASA’s RASC-AL Competition. In the information age, it is increasingly important to prepare students for global challenges. With one of a kind programs like these, we can prepare and develop influential future space leaders.