Space science is a compelling context for teaching specific disciplinary content, such as physics. Numerous international studies have demonstrated that while differences in socioeconomic status, race, and gender are strong predictors of interest in biology, chemistry, and physics, many of these discrepancies often all but disappear for space science.1–3 Further, a major meta-analysis of 33 countries—including both industrialized and developing states—found that “the possibility of life outside Earth” is among the most interesting scientific themes for boys and girls equally.4 Space science is of interest to teachers, as well as their students. A recent survey of U.S.-based secondary-level physics teachers demonstrated that respondents reported a major desire to integrate more space science topics into their physics teaching because they believe it to be of interest to students.5 However, of the physics teachers that do integrate space science, most teachers are restricted to teaching about space in the...
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