Returning to the Moon

“Would you want to be the first person to walk on Mars? Why or why not?”
” Have students discuss this question first with a partner and
then as a whole class.
Explain that before this can happen, there are many scientific objectives that must be met and technological challenges that must be
overcome. To learn more about this, introduce students to Dr. Moogega Cooper of NASA using the following biography:
“Dr. Moogega (pronounced Moo-ji-gae) Cooper received her B.A. in Physics from Hampton University in 2006. She then enrolled in Drexel
University where she received her Masters and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in thermal fluid sciences. Her
dissertation studies involved non-equilibrium plasma sterilization of spacecraft materials so it was a logical transition to work for the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL) Planetary Protection Group. She has been at JPL for 11 years, working on spacecraft to include Mars Science
Laboratory, In Sight, Mars 2020 as the Lead of Planetary Protection, and the Europa Lander concept. She is currently the 353N Group
Supervisor of the Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group. Her passion is education and outreach as well as developing sterilization
capabilities that could potentially be applied to the returned sample from Mars.”