CHANGE YOUR VIEW OF OUR UNIVERSE
GRADES 3-5
DEAR TEACHER:
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR STUDENTS ON AN AWE-INSPIRING
JOURNEY THROUGH DISTANT GALAXIES AND ENABLE THEM TO
ACCOMPANY SPACEWALKING ASTRONAUTS ON ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT MISSIONS IN NASA’S HISTORY?
Objectives
Build a Robotic Arm
Communication Station
Images from Hubble Simulation
Students will use teamwork to design
and build their robotic arm to model the
Space Shuttle arm used by astronauts.
Students will model the roles of astronauts,
engineers, and scientists as they employ
effective communication skills to complete
a task.
Students will model how satellites send
back information to Earth in the form of
numbers using binary code (a series of
1’s and 0’s).
Teacher Prep
Students will create a mission patch to
symbolize what they have learned about
the Hubble Space Telescope.
You will need:
•the following choice options (or similar
materials) for building the robotic arms:
clothespins, brads, craft sticks, straws,
paper clips, rubber bands, tape (clear
or masking), twine, cardboard scraps,
empty paper towel or tissue rolls,
unsharpened pencils, stacking blocks
(4 per team) made of cardboard, foam,
or other material.
You will need:
•two matching bags of materials (linking
cubes or other common construction
material) for each pair of students.
You will need:
•2 Pencils
•1 Folder
• Data Sheet provided in activity
Engage students by visiting the following website showing images and video
of the robotic arm at work:
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/sm4
Engage students by visiting the following
website and viewing images from Day 2 of
Hubble Servicing Mission 4 (SM4)*: http://
svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/sm4. Point out the images
of team members [astronauts, scientists and
engineers at Goddard Space Flight Center
(GSFC) and Johnson Space Center (JSC)]
communicating to accomplish their tasks.
Tell students they will be using verbal communication to simulate a task while acting
as astronauts and engineers. Students will
develop abilities to apply to the design
process.
Engage students by showing them an
image captured by Hubble at the following site: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/sm4.
Ask students if they’ve ever wondered
how we “get” these images from so
far away. Extend the lesson by having
students repeat the activity using colors.
(Instead of just 1’s and 0’s for black and
white, also assign numbers to different
colors i.e. 2 = blue, 3 = green, etc.)
Extensions
IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. Photo Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Clarke (Boston University), and Z. Levay (STScI), NASA, ESA, STScI, J. Hester and P.
Scowen (Arizona State University), NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
If the answer is “yes,” we invite you and your students to blast off with the new IMAX film
Hubble 3D. Book a field trip to your local IMAX theatre to give your students an out-ofthis-world learning experience. The engaging classroom activities on this poster, inspired
by the film, will also enhance your students’ understanding of the importance of the
Hubble Space Telescope’s mission. Visit www.imax.com/hubble for additional
activities and vocabulary for grades 3-5 and, for grades 6-8. Enjoy the show!
Lessons address NSES standards (Understanding About Science and Technology; Science as a Human Endeavor; Nature of Scientific Knowledge) and ITEA standards (Understanding
the Influence of Technology on History; Understanding the Role of Troubleshooting, Research and Development, Invention and Innovation, and Experimentation in Problem Solving).
For additional educational materials that support SM4* events, visit: http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/sm4/.
Special acknowledgment and thanks to Bonnie McClain (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Office of Education) and to Bonnie Eisenhamer (Space Telescope Science Institute HST Education Manager) for their contributions.
BRING THE UNIVERSE TO YOUR
STUDENTS’ FINGERTIPS:
Each of the activities provides hands-on extensions connected to viewing Hubble 3D.
IMAX films are ideal teaching tools that:
Engage your
students with
• present new knowledge in a powerful, popular medium
an unforgettable
• inspire thoughtful and lively classroom discussion
learning
• motivate students for extended learning
experience.
Field trips are economical and easily arranged. To book a field trip, contact your local
IMAX theatre today. Visit www.imax.com/newsletter to sign up for the latest news and updates on
IMAX educational programs and events. For locations near you, visit www.IMAX.com.
*Also referred to as the STS-125 mission.
BOOK YOUR IMAX FIELD TRIP TODAY!
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Worksheet #1
NAME:
GRADE:
In May 2009, NASA astronauts went on an important Space
Shuttle mission. The Hubble Space Telescope Servicing
Mission 4 (SM4)* gave spacewalking astronauts the chance
to make repairs on Hubble. NASA scientists hoped these
improvements would keep the Hubble working for at least five
more years. To make repairs and upgrades, astronaut Megan
McArthur used the Shuttle robotic arm to grab Hubble and
pull it onto a platform for servicing.
An engineer designs tools and machines to solve practical
problems. Imagine you are an engineer. How could you design a
robotic arm like the one used by astronauts who upgraded and
fixed the Hubble Space Telescope?
With your team of four students, design and build a robotic arm
to complete a task.
STEP 1:
View the robotic arm video: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.
gov/sm4.
STEP 2:
Work as a team to design and build a robotic
arm that will stack four blocks on top of one another. You cannot
touch the blocks with your hands, only with the robotic arm.
•
•
•
•
•
•
define your task objectives and requirements
look at the materials your teacher has made available
agree upon a design for the robotic arm after considering
alternatives
identify materials you will use
draw a sketch of your team’s design before you build it
report to the mission specialist (teacher) to collect your
supplies (including stacking blocks)
STEP 3:
Build and test your robotic arm. Redesign as needed.
STEP 4:
Demonstrate and share your robotic arm design.
STEP 5:
Discuss with your team how you think this activity
might compare to what engineers did when designing the Shuttle
robotic arm. Fill in the chart below with the differences from your
team and the NASA team.
STEP 6:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
OUR TEAM
*Also referred to as the STS-125 mission.
IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. Photo Credits: NASA and STScI
Debrief. Discuss with your team.
Did your team use all the materials provided? Why or why not?
Which material was most important in your robotic arm design? Why?
How did working as a team help in the design process?
Were there any disadvantages to designing and building as a team?
What did you learn from seeing the designs developed by other
teams?
What advice would you give to a team that was about to complete
this same task?
How would using a robotic arm on a spacewalk be even more
challenging?
Think about the roles and responsibilities of the astronauts, engineers,
and scientists who keep Hubble in working order. Which role do you
like best? Why?
NASA TEAM
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
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Worksheet #2
NAME:
GRADE:
Good communication is very important for a space mission to be successful.
The astronauts, engineers, and scientists who worked on the Hubble Space
Telescope in Servicing Mission 4 all had to communicate their ideas clearly,
accurately, and promptly in order to solve problems and complete their daily
tasks during the mission.
Imagine you are an astronaut out in space on a mission, and you need to
communicate to an engineer at the Goddard Space Flight Center. One
mistake in communication could stop the mission from being successful!
How could you communicate your ideas clearly and accurately?
Your teacher will give you and your partner each a bag of matching materials.
Decide who will be the “engineer” and who will be the “astronaut.”
Follow the steps below to simulate what engineers at Goddard Space Flight
Center experienced as they communicated with astronauts on one of the
Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions.
STEP 1: You and your partner sit back--to--back. The
engineer works at his/her desk while the astronaut sits with his/her
back to the engineer.
STEP 2:
Engineer, use the materials to build a structure. Do
not let the astronaut see the structure you have created.
STEP 3: Astronaut, open your bag of materials, but do not
take the materials out.
STEP 4:
Engineer, communicate with your astronaut and explain
how to use the materials to re-create the structure you have built.
STEP 5: Astronaut, listen carefully to the engineer as he/she
explains how to build the structure. You may ask questions as you
build. Tell the engineer when you have completed the “mission.”
STEP 6: Astronaut, turn around and show the engineer
your completed structure. Discuss if together you successfully
accomplished your goal of building the same structure.
STEP 7:
•
•
•
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
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IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. Image Credits: istock
•
Debrief. Discuss the following with your partner:
Why did your team need each of the roles to accomplish tasks?
Was one role more important than the other? Explain why or why not.
How is this activity similar to what astronauts experience
during spacewalks? How is it different?
Which school subjects would be most helpful for the careers of
an astronaut, astronomer, or engineer? Why?
Worksheet #3
NAME:
GRADE:
Have you ever wondered how we get those amazing images
from space? Engineers at the Space Telescope Operation
Control Center (STOCC) at Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, MD communicate with the Hubble Space Telescope
as it travels at 17,500 mph through space. They tell it where to
point and when to send data from the light images to Earth. The
Hubble then captures light and sends the data through radio
waves to a satellite. Those radio waves then travel to a ground
station on Earth where engineers gather all of the information
and send it to astronomers at the Space Telescope Science
Institute in Baltimore, MD.
STEP 4: HST Team Member: Begin giving the “radio
waves” data to the STOCC Technician in the form of “binary code”
(which means using 1’s and 0’s).
STEP 5: Radio Signal Team Member - you are the
transmitter. You receive data from the HST Team Member and
carry the data over to the STOCC Technician Team Member.
Your teacher will not give your team any direction on communication. Your team needs to decide how to transmit the data. Don’t
forget, you can only deliver data as 1’s and 0’s, no hand signals or
other communication allowed.
STEP 6: Debrief. Discuss with your team.
STEP 1: Work with your team of three. Each team
•
member will select a role to play:
•
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
•
A radio signal
•
An STOCC Technician
Scientists and engineers find these satellite images
from Hubble very useful. Can you think of other jobs
people have where Hubble images could be used?
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
STEP 2: HST Team Member - Gather your supplies: a
\\\ BONUS ACTIVITY:
pencil, a folder, and a data sheet (see data sheet below). Draw
an image or pattern on the data sheet by filling in blocks. Hide
your pattern from your teammates.
You’ve learned a lot about the Hubble Space Telescope! For
nearly 40 years, NASA astronauts have designated patches to
symbolize their individual space missions and flight accomplishments. Now it’s your turn! Design a mission patch (see
example below) for your team that represents what you’ve
learned about the Hubble Space Telescope.
STEP 3: STOCC Technician Team Member - Gather your
supplies: a pencil and a data sheet. Sit far away from the HST.
2
3
4
5
6
E
1
D
DATA SHEET
C
B
A
IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. Photo Credits: NASA
H
ION PATC
S
IS
M
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
grades 6-8
Objectives
Teacher Prep
Extensions
IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. Photo Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Clarke (Boston University), and Z. Levay (STScI), NASA, ESA, STScI, J. Hester and P.
Scowen (Arizona State University), NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Building a Robotic Arm
The Spacesuit and Extravehicular Activity
Students will implement the engineering process to design a robotic arm using
common materials.
Students will investigate hazards of extravehicular activity (EVA) in space and the
spacesuit design elements that make EVA
possible.
You will need:
• Computer (1) with internet access
• Student handouts provided in activity
• Stacking blocks: (4 per team)
• Common household/ office supplies:
clothes pins, brads, craft sticks, straws,
paper clips, rubber bands, tape (clear
or masking), twine, cardboard scraps,
empty paper towel/tissue rolls,
unsharpened pencils
You will need:
• Computer (1) with internet access and
other research materials
• Educator Resource Key provided in
activity
• Student handouts provided in activity
Engage students by showing video
clips from http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/servicing/SM4/main/
SM4_Essentials.html and discuss the
difficulties encountered when engineering tools to use in space.
Engage students by researching the hazardous conditions astronauts are exposed to
during spacewalks. Demonstrate the effects
of extreme low pressure on a “marshmallow
astronaut” by showing students the
following video segment: http://phun.physics.virginia.edu/demos/marshmallow.html
Send students to the following website for
an interactive spacesuit experience:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/home/clickable_suit.html
Building a Model of the Hubble Space Telescope
Students will implement the engineering process to build a scale model of the
Hubble Space Telescope using common
materials.
You will need:
• Computer lab with internet access
• Student lab notebooks or notebook paper
• Student handouts provided in activity
• Common household / office supplies:
aluminum foil, card stock, cardboard,
construction paper, craft sticks, cylindrical
items commonly found at home such
as a paper towel roll or aluminum cans,
glue guns, markers, pipe cleaners, rubber
bands, scissors, string, tape
Engage students by visiting http://www.
nasa.gov/education/hubble or http://
hubblesite.org/ to research Hubble’s
dimensions (length and diameter).
Students act as engineers to design and
evaluate a scale model of the Hubble
Space Telescope.
Lessons address NSES standards (Understanding about Science and Technology; Science as a Human Endeavor; Nature of Scientific Knowledge) and ITEA standards (Understanding
the Influence of Technology on History; Understanding the Role of Troubleshooting, Research and Development, Invention and Innovation, and Experimentation in Problem Solving).
For additional educational materials that support SM4* events, visit : http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/sm4/.
Special acknowledgment and thanks to Bonnie McClain (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Office of Education) and to Bonnie Eisenhamer (Space Telescope Science Institute HST Education Manager) for their contributions.
BRING THE UNIVERSE TO YOUR
STUDENTS’ FINGERTIPS:
Each of the activities provides hands-on extensions connected to viewing Hubble 3D.
IMAX films are ideal teaching tools that:
Engage your
students with
• present new knowledge in a powerful, popular medium
an unforgettable
• inspire thoughtful and lively classroom discussion
learning
• motivate students for extended learning
experience.
Field trips are economical and easily arranged. To book a field trip, contact your local
IMAX theatre today. Visit www.imax.com/newsletter to sign up for the latest news and updates on
IMAX educational programs and events. For locations near you, visit www.IMAX.com.
*Also referred to as the STS-125 mission.
Book Your IMAX FIeld TrIp TodAY!
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
NAmE:
GRADE:
BaCKGrOUND:
STEP 3: Use HANDOUT A to brainstorm ideas on how
your team will build a robotic arm.
In May 2009, astronauts visited the Hubble Space Telescope
for the last time. Service Mission 4 (SM4) was one of the
most daring space repair efforts ever attempted. Supported
by engineers at Goddard Space Flight Center, space shuttle
astronauts made many improvements to Hubble during several challenging spacewalks. During SM4, astronaut Megan
McArthur operated a robotic arm to grab the Hubble Space
Telescope and pull it onto a platform at the rear of the shuttle’s payload bay. Scientists hope all the improvements made
during SM4 will extend Hubble’s service by at least five years.
STEP 4: Use HANDOUT B to finalize your team’s design,
identify the materials needed and sketch a detailed drawing of
your design.
STEP 5: Build and test your team’s robotic arm.
STEP 6: Use HANDOUT B to evaluate your team’s robotic
arm by listing the strengths and weaknesses of the design as
well as possible improvements that could be applied.
YOUr MISSION:
Part 2:
Plan and build a robotic arm from common items. The robotic
arm needs to be able to stack four (4) blocks without you or
your team touching them with your hands.
DEmonSTraTE anD SharE ThE roboTic
arm DESign wiTh ThE oThEr DESign TEamS.
YOUr taSK:
DiScuSS wayS To imProvE ThE DESignS.
uSE ThESE quESTionS To guiDE DiScuSSion:
Part 1:
DESign anD crEaTE a roboTic arm.
STEP 1: Form a team of four members.
Part 3:
1. How is your robotic arm similar to the arm shown in
the video segments and images? In what ways does it differ?
2. How would you redesign your model for different tasks
(heavier blocks, smaller blocks)?
STEP 2: Examine the materials your teacher has made
available. Your team may use any of these items to design
and build a robotic arm.
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. Photo Credits: NASA and STScI
NAmE:
GRADE:
HANDOUT A - BrAiNsTOrm
BraINStOrM:
As a team, brainstorm three possible ideas for designing and building a robotic arm. Use this worksheet to take notes.
IDea 1:
IDea 2:
IDea 3:
ChalleNGeS:
Identify any challenges you anticipate with the design ideas your team has identified.
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
NAmE:
GRADE:
HANDOUT B - FiNAliziNg YOUr TeAm’s PlAN
MaterIalS:
List the materials your team will need to construct your robotic arm. Take your proposed list of materials to the
Mission Specialist (your teacher) for approval.
DraW:
Draw a detailed sketch of your team’s final design. Label the sketch with dimensions and materials needed for each part.
evalUate:
1. List the strengths and weaknesses of your robotic arm’s design.
Strengths
Weaknesses
2. List possible improvements to your team’s design. If you were to rebuild, what would you do differently and why?
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
NAME:
GRADE:
BACKGROUND:
orbiting for the past 19 years, 350 miles above the earth’s
surface, the Hubble Space Telescope has been visited five
times by NASA astronauts. on the last servicing mission
(SM4), the astronauts performed a series of five spacewalks
(also known as extravehicular activity or eVA) to improve and
maintain instruments so that Hubble may continue to gather
data until 2014. Constant support from engineers on the
ground at Goddard Space Flight Center also aided the
astronauts during these dangerous spacewalks. In order to
survive the extreme environment of space during eVA,
astronauts wore specially engineered spacesuits. Footage of
these awe-inspiring spacewalks can be seen in Hubble 3D.
in the “Spacesuit Solutions” column on your Spacesuit
Solutions worksheet (HANdouT A).
STEP 3: debrief. Share your list with the rest of the design
team and discuss what you have learned about hazardous
conditions in space and how spacesuits protect astronauts
during eVA.
1. Are any of the spacesuit solutions you identified designed
to address multiple hazards?
2. Are there risks that you identified for which spacesuits do
not appear to protect astronauts?
You maY find ThESE wEbSiTES hElPful:
•
NASA article, NASA “Spacesuits” Help Brothers With rare
Genetic defect http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/news/releases/1996_1998/j97-30.html
•
NASA eClips video segment, The Making of the Biosuit (7:02).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoS4lzr4dhE&f
eature=Playlist&p=d7bEC5371b22bdd9&index=1
•
NASA eClips video segment, protective Materials for Spacecraft
(6:27) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6El9kdz
aXw&feature=Playlist&p=d7bEC5371b22bdd9&i
ndex=2
•
NASA multimedia gallery, evolution of the NASA Spacesuit
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/mmgallery/features_archive_1.html
YOUR MISSION:
list hazardous conditions encountered by astronauts during
spacewalks. Then, identify design elements on spacesuits that
were created to protect astronauts when in space.
YOUR TASK:
STEP 1: Go to http:/nasa.gov/home.index.html and
research the hazardous conditions that astronauts encounter
in space. record your findings in the “research” column on
the Spacesuit Solutions worksheet (HANdouT A).
STEP 2: Visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/home/clickable_suit.html for
an interactive spacesuit experience where you will learn
more about the components of a spacesuit. Identify design
elements engineers use to protect astronauts from the
hazardous conditions in space. record these design elements
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. Photo Credits: NASA
NAME:
GRADE:
HANDOUT A
DIRECTIONS:
every time an astronaut goes into space, he/she must be prepared for the space environment. using the following two website
links, http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html and http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/home/clickable_suit.html, research the hazardous conditions astronauts experience during the spacewalks and
find the “spacesuit solutions” designed by scientists and engineers to address these hazards.
Factors
atmosphere
Radiation
Pressure
debris
Temperature
light
microgravity
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Research
Spacesuit Solutions
Factors
Research
Spacesuit Solutions
atmosphere
No oxygen in space. Above the 63,000-foot
threshold, humans must wear spacesuits that supply
oxygen for breathing.
•
•
•
•
primary life Support Subsystem
Secondary oxygen pack
Vent Flow Sensor
Contaminant Control Cartridge removes
Co2 from the air the astronaut breathes
Radiation
ultraviolet radiation constitutes one of the most
dangerous hazards for crew members on long
duration space missions. While small amounts of
radiation reach people on earth, it is much more
intense in space. An astronaut performing an eVA is
exposed to about 27 times more radiation particles
than the average person on earth.
•
11 fabric layers of thermal micrometeoroid
garment
Helmet
extravehicular visor assembly
Visor
Pressure
No atmospheric pressure in space.
•
pressure garment that maintains pressure
around the body to keep body fluids in the
liquid state.
debris
one reason spacewalks are dangerous is collision
with space debris (which can be as small as tiny
flecks of paint that have come off spacecraft). An
object as small as 1 millimeter in length can cause
damage to a spacesuit since it is traveling at speeds
up to 17,000 mph.
•
Thermal micrometeoroid garment provides
protection from bombardment by micrometeoroids.
Without the earth’s atmosphere to filter the sunlight, the side of the suit facing the Sun may be heated to a temperature as high as 250 degrees Fahrenheit; the other side, exposed to darkness of deep
space, may get as cold as -250 degrees Fahrenheit.
•
liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment
contains liquid cooling tubes that maintain
body temperature.
•
Gloves protect from hot or cold thermal
objects.
The Hubble Space Telescope orbits the earth once
every 90 minutes. Astronauts working in space
experience “day and night” in each orbit.
•
Battery provides power to lights.
•
extravehicular visor assembly can be
adjusted to shield the astronaut’s eyes.
The body changes in order to accommodate the environment. Since astronauts don’t rely much on the
lower body to move, the bones and muscles begin
to weaken. The astronauts must exercise every day
to maintain their bone and muscle mass.
•
Tethers, harnesses
Temperature
light
microgravity
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
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•
•
•
NAmE:
GRADE:
YOUR TAsK:
Design and build a scale model of the Hubble Space
Telescope while keeping within a designated budget.
STEP 1: Form into a team of two or three members.
BACKGROUND:
Launched in April 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope
(HST) is one of the greatest advancements in the history
of technology and science. The HST still orbits Earth and
collects data that is invaluable to astronomers and the public
worldwide. Astronomers have used Hubble data to publish
more than 7,500 scientific papers. YOU
YOUR MissiON:
Demonstrate the engineering process involved in the design
of the Hubble Space Telescope.
STEP 2: Research the dimensions (length and diameter)
of the Hubble Space Telescope.Visit http://www.nasa.
gov/education/hubble or http://www.hubblesite.
org. Record the dimensions and pertinent notes in your lab
notebook.
STEP 3: Examine the materials your teacher has provided.
Select a cylindrical item as a base for the model and
apply ratios to determine the scale of the model. Use the
procedure demonstrated by your teacher.
STEP 4: Draw and label a detailed plan for your team’s
model. Make sure to keep the scale accurate. Consider
moving parts or other possible aspects to your design.
STEP 5: Your team has a budget of $5.00 to “spend”
on materials. Determine which of the available materials
you will need in order to create your model. Refer to the
Suggested Pricelist (HANDOUT A) as you fill in your Budget
Worksheet (HANDOUT B). Bring your Budget Worksheet
to your teacher for approval and to “purchase” your
materials.
STEP 6: Build your model of the Hubble Space Telescope.
STEP 7: Teams, share your models with the class and
discuss the process and design you used to construct your
model.
STEP 8: Debrief using the following questions:
1. How difficult was it to stick to a budget?
2. Were there elements of your design you left out because
they were too costly?
3. Are there features on your model that other teams included,
but built with cheaper materials?
4. What features from other designs would you include if you
were to build another model?
5. What features would you not include in a second model?
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
IMAX® is a registered trademark of IMAX Corporation. Photo Credits: NASA
NAmE:
GRADE:
HANDOUT A
Item
Cost
Cylindrical item
(paper towel roll, aluminum can…)
$0.10
Card stock
$1.00
Craft stick
$0.20
Construction paper
$0.20
Pipe cleaners
$0.05
Corrugated cardboard
$1.00 per sq. foot
Aluminum foil
$0.50 per sq. foot
Markers
Tape
Rubber bands
String
$0.50
$0.50 per foot
$0.05
$0.05 per foot
Transparent tape
$1.00
Glue guns, scissors
Free to use
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
NAmE:
GRADE:
HANDOUT B
After completing your budget worksheet, see your teacher for
budget approval and to “purchase” your materials.
material
Cost Per Piece
Quantity Needed
Total
GRAND TOTAL:
(Cannot exceed $5.)
©2009 WARNER BROS. ENT.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Through the power of IMAX® 3D, “Hubble 3D,” narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio,
takes moviegoers on an unprecedented voyage through distant galaxies to explore the
grandeur and mystery of our celestial surroundings. Experience never-before-seen 3D flights
through the farthest reaches of the universe, and accompany spacewalking astronauts on some
of the most difficult and important endeavors in NASA’s history.
In May 2009, the crew of the Space Shuttle Atlantis launched a mission to make vital
repairs and upgrades to the Hubble Space Telescope, the world’s first space-based
observatory, 350 miles above the Earth. On board was an IMAX 3D camera, operated by the
shuttle astronauts. It captured stunning sequences of the five intricate spacewalks required to
make those repairs, as well as close-up images of the effort to grasp the orbiting telescope
with the shuttle’s mechanical arm at 17,500 mph, and one unexpected problem that threatened
to sabotage the entire mission.
“Hubble 3D” combines this breathtaking IMAX footage with images taken by the
telescope during the nearly 20 years it has been our window into space. Through advanced
computer visualization, Hubble’s detailed data becomes a series of scientifically realistic
flights that unfold on screen like a guided tour of the universe, through time and space.
The seventh film from the award-winning IMAX Space Team, “Hubble 3D” offers an
inspiring and unique look into the legacy of the Hubble Space Telescope and how it has
changed our view of the universe and ourselves.
The documentary adventure “Hubble 3D” is an IMAX and Warner Bros. Pictures
production, in cooperation with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
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Narrated by three-time Academy Award® nominee Leonardo DiCaprio, “Hubble 3D”
reunites the “Space Station 3D” filmmaking team led by producer and director Toni Myers.
Director of photography James Neihouse also served as the astronaut crew trainer. Graeme
Ferguson, IMAX co-founder and pioneer producer of many IMAX space films, is the
executive producer, and Judy Carroll, the film’s associate producer. The music is composed
by Micky Erbe and Maribeth Solomon.
Exclusive IMAX engagements of “Hubble 3D” will begin March 19th.
It is rated G by the MPAA.
www.imax.com/hubble
_________________________________________
The Next Best Thing to Being There
Like their colleagues before them, the Shuttle Atlantis astronauts who flew into space
in May 2009 to service the Hubble Space Telescope returned with a desire to share what they
had seen, to convey that indescribable sense of wonder from a perspective few people will
ever experience.
“Hubble 3D” makes that possible on a grand scale.
Producer/director Toni Myers, who previously guided IMAX audiences into orbit with
the acclaimed “Space Station 3D,” says, “Astronauts we’ve worked with have described our
footage as ‘the next best thing to being there.’”
With IMAX 3D technology, the invaluable cooperation of NASA and the dedication
of a filmmaking team on the ground, “Hubble 3D” offers a vivid, first-person view of the
STS-125 Mission: a complex rescue operation during which the astronauts risked their lives to
make sure that Hubble would continue to function. The film then takes that journey even
further—to places where no human has ventured and possibly never will.
“This is star travel,” Myers attests. “You’re right out there, moving in space. The
Hubble Telescope has amassed a monumental amount of data from the distant reaches of the
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cosmos, the birth of solar systems and ultra deep field galaxies beyond our own. That data
has been turned into three-dimensional flights to transport audiences to the edge of the
observable universe in a way most people have never even imagined.”
“‘Hubble 3D’ gives you a real perspective on how our small and fragile planet exists
in a volatile and constantly evolving universe,” says Leonardo DiCaprio, who narrates the
film. “It reveals the beauty and complexity of space and its vast possibilities.”
“Leonardo shared the same sense of awe we all felt about what we were seeing,” says
Myers. “It was an exceptional experience for everyone involved.”
Her connection to the telescope dates back to its beginnings. “We had filmed Hubble
before, prior to its launch, and covered some of the first repair mission in 1993, but it had only
sent back a few images at that point so we’ve never had the opportunity until now to display
its full potential. When you visit the Hubble website and see those incredible pictures you
start to think about how they would look on the big screen and how people would react, and
that’s how the project came into being. This is what IMAX was made for, to take people
where they could never actually go, and it’s what I find so satisfying about making these
films.”
Amid the aerial action and dazzling space-scapes, “Hubble 3D” also touches upon the
life story of the Hubble Space Telescope, from its inception to this latest dramatic chapter, the
fifth and final Shuttle visit intended to ensure its viability for years to come.
Many people remember how Hubble’s auspicious 1990 launch was almost
immediately marred by the revelation of a flaw in its primary mirror—a deviation no bigger
than 1/50th the thickness of a piece of paper—compromising its focus and requiring a 1993
repair mission to install a complex system of additional mirrors to circumvent the problem.
Through the ensuing 16 years there have been four service missions, each of which enabled
the telescope to cast its giant eye ever-farther and return more comprehensive data about our
own galaxy, as well as the formation and composition of solar systems and galaxies well
beyond the Milky Way and the existence of objects that burned brightly and expired more
than 10 billion light years ago. Considered by many to be the greatest scientific instrument
since Galileo’s first telescope, Hubble has provided essential information about how the
cosmos was formed and is constantly churning.
Quite literally, notes Myers, “It has changed the way we see the universe.
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“One of the most interesting things about it,” she continues, “is that in helping us
unravel the secrets of the universe, Hubble has raised more questions than its designers ever
anticipated. Where did we come from? How did we get here? Is there anybody else out
there? In all those billions of galaxies is there another world like ours?
“It’s this spirit of exploration and discovery that is Hubble’s true legacy.”
Mission STS-125: the World’s Most Dangerous High-Wire Act
STS-125, the mission documented in “Hubble 3D,” nearly didn’t happen. Originally
scheduled for 2006, it was cancelled due to safety concerns following the tragic crash of the
Space Shuttle Columbia in February 2003. Despite support from the public and the scientific
community, as well as within NASA, it simply didn’t seem worth the risk—that is, until a
contingency plan was proposed. NASA would prepare a second standby shuttle as a rescue
vehicle, to connect with Atlantis in space and collect its crew should there be a problem.
With this precaution in place, in May 2009 the Space Shuttle Atlantis flew up to meet Hubble.
Its seven-member crew was led by Commander Scott D. Altman, marking his fourth
venture into space. Alongside him was pilot Gregory C. Johnson, on his inaugural flight.
Mission Specialist K. Megan McArthur, also on her inaugural flight, operated the
shuttle’s mechanical arm to grapple and secure the telescope inside the shuttle’s payload bay
where it could be reached by the repair teams.
Two pairs of astronauts took turns on five separate EVAs (extra-vehicular activities),
suspended in space outside the shuttle to work on the telescope. Mission Specialist John M.
Grunsfeld, a veteran of five space flights, was paired with Mission Specialist Andrew J.
Feustel, marking his first; and first-time spacewalker Mission Specialist Michael T. Good
partnered with Mission Specialist Michael J. Massimino, who had flown twice before.
Throughout training and up to the moments before lift-off, Commander Altman
reviewed the possibilities. He recalls, “I’d go through the mission in my mind. ‘What could
go wrong? Are we ready to handle it?’ Hubble has a tendency to throw you a curve. We had
to imagine all the things that could happen, pre-flight, and come up with solutions.”
“It’s risky, but worth it,” adds Johnson. “There were a tremendous number of people
all around the world wanting Hubble back ‘alive’ and it was our job to do that. It was a big
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mission. Every second was planned for success.” The accomplishments of STS-125 would
determine Hubble’s immediate future: as either an increasingly valuable scientific tool or a
mute and useless piece of orbiting detritus.
The mission objectives included upgrades to the telescope’s Wide Field Camera and
its Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, plus repairs to the Advanced Survey Camera and Imaging
Spectrograph, making Hubble’s vision deeper, clearer and more sensitive to color and light.
They also made general repairs, replacing batteries and insulation, installing six new
gyroscopes and fixing an instrument that controls the flow of data, recently damaged due to
an electrical problem.
Grunsfeld describes some of what audiences will see of the EVA work. “Generally
one person rides on the end of the robotic arm which allows him to hold heavy objects, and
the other person is the free floater, a little bit more mobile to do some of the other tasks,
quickly, while the telescope rotates inside the shuttle’s payload bay.”
Every stage of the spacewalking protocol was choreographed and practiced down to
the last motion. In a situation where bumping into something could fatally damage an
astronaut’s protective suit and fumbling a tool could mean watching it drift away into eternity,
any wrong move could result in a devastating loss. The crew rehearsed extensively in the two
years prior to launch, mostly underwater in the world’s largest indoor pool at NASA’s Neutral
Buoyancy Lab (NBL) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Even so, Altman’s prediction about Hubble throwing them a curve came true.
First, Grunsfeld and Feustel encountered a stuck bolt while trying to install the Wide
Field camera on day five. It took some time and tense moments, but they finally managed to
free it. The crew breathed a collective sigh of relief, but there was worse to come.
On day seven, Massimino and Good were charged with replacing an obsolete piece of
equipment with a highly advanced instrument designed to analyze, among other things, the
atmosphere of distant planets. The hard part should have been the intricate work inside, but
what proved problematic was a stripped bolt on the handle of the plate protecting it.
Massimino recounts, “We practiced so much for that task, over and over, obsessing
over every detail. The easiest bolts to remove were the four on top. And in training, zip, zip,
zip, they came right out. But there we were and this one was not coming out. It was a
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nightmare; the world was going by, the unthinkable happened and I couldn’t go to the
hardware store.”
Though making light of it afterwards, Massimino’s concern about the glitch and its
potential repercussions is undeniable. “It’s funny what goes through your mind,” he admits.
“I was thinking, ‘This is terrible. They’re going to write textbooks about this and, instead of
Hubble’s discoveries, it’s going to say: if it wasn’t for Mike Massimino we’d know if there
was life on other planets.’”
After hours of anxious work, much discussion among the crew and input from Mission
Control, the best solution was the simplest, albeit the most counter-intuitive: break it off.
Says Feustel, “Breaking the handle off wasn’t part of the plan; it’s just not normal. In
fact, I gave Massimino specific instructions not to break anything,” he jokes.
The handle situation finally solved, the astronauts then wrapped up their repairs and
celebrated the triumphant re-launch of the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit.
“There were many exhilarating moments caught on film, and certainly one of the best
was when they released Hubble back into space,” Myers cites. “This is an amazing crew.
They succeeded on such a difficult mission, attempting things that had never been done in
space before, beyond even what the planners thought they could achieve. To see them nail it,
day after day, and to share a little in that sense of achievement, was very special.”
Expressing the sentiments of her colleagues, McArthur says, “It’s a tremendous
feeling. It means so much to all of us, to be able to make a small contribution to the body of
information we have about our universe.”
Astronauts as Filmmakers
The space shuttle could not accommodate a traditional film crew, so, in addition to
their day jobs, the STS-125 astronauts did some moonlighting as camera operators.
To prepare, Myers and “Hubble 3D” director of photography James Neihouse put the
astronauts through an eight-month course of basic cinematography, with the help of Dave
Williams, of NASA contractor United Space Alliance.
Neihouse began working on IMAX space-themed films with 1982’s “Hail Columbia!”
and estimates he has trained nearly 130 astronauts for 20 different shuttle flights over the past
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20 years. “Part of my job was showing them how to use an IMAX camera in space—how to
shoot, how to frame, how to take exposures, the whole nine yards,” he says.
There is no room for error with the IMAX 3D cargo bay camera, specially designed
for space flight, because it holds only eight minutes of film. That might not seem like much,
but in IMAX terms, he explains, “Eight minutes runs 5,000 feet, nearly a mile, and weighs 54
pounds. That’s the largest roll of film in the world and we’re really limited to the size and
weight of what we can send into space.”
IMAX and NASA worked together on preparing and certifying the IMAX 3D camera
for the journey. Packed into the cargo bay with a crane, its 700-pound bulk became part of
the ship’s ballast. “The camera fits into its own pressurized container because it requires its
own vacuum to pull the film onto the plate for an exposure,” says Myers. From there, it was
controlled remotely from inside the shuttle’s flight deck by Gregory Johnson, elected as its
primary operator. He decided when to shoot and with which of three lenses: a 30 millimeter
very wide fish-eye, a 40mm or the close-up 60mm.
As the astronauts practiced for their EVAs, Myers and Neihouse monitored their
training at the Johnson Space Center and also placed a replica of the camera into the pool, to
help determine what activities it would see that would make good shots for the film. Since
the Hubble repairs would be done in the area facing Atlantis’ payload bay, IMAX would have
a front-row seat for the action—but only if it was positioned correctly. Says Neihouse,
“Eighteen months ahead of the flight we had to pick our spot for the camera, decide where it
was going to be panned and how much it would be tilted.”
Complementing the main IMAX 3D camera, numerous high-definition digital cameras
were positioned at spots inside and outside the shuttle to document the entire mission. Some
were mounted on the spacewalking astronauts’ helmets, with images transmitted by radio
frequency to the shuttle, recorded on board and forwarded to the ground. Handheld video
cameras were used to conduct interviews and catch the personal interaction inside the flight
deck. Any footage impossible to shoot with the IMAX camera was later converted into the
format utilizing proprietary IMAX DMR (digital re-mastering) technology and then converted
into 3D through IMAX’s live action 2D-to-3D technology.
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Says astronaut Good, “There were cameras just hanging out by the windows and you
could grab one and either take a picture of what was going on inside or look out the window
and take a shot of the Earth going by, which was spectacular.”
To offer moviegoers the power of a launch up close, a remote-control IMAX 3D
camera was also secured on the launch pad in a blast box drilled into the cement and covered
with sand bags, 57 meters from the base of the solid rocket boosters. Says Myers, “That’s an
in-your-face launch!” Director of photography Neihouse also staked out another key spot
“high on the service structure, looking down at the shuttle’s nose,” she adds, and at the VIP
sites and towers further away, for the long view.
Capturing the audio of those thrilling seconds were what she laughingly calls
“sacrificial microphones. They get fried, but you can extract the sound that leads up to the
point of ignition just before they fry. Other microphones get that popcorn sound you hear
when the shuttle is going up through maximum dynamic pressure. The sound possibilities are
wonderful. It’s really fun to mix a good launch.”
Working with the astronauts, Myers developed “a kind of shopping list of scenes we
would like to get, to budget those crucial eight minutes with extreme care. We tried to find
key moments of the spacewalks. We spent a lot of time at the pool where they did their
rehearsal runs underwater and isolated approximately 40 opportunities for shots. Then we
whittled those down to 15 or 16. It’s very difficult to judge when to press that button even if
it only runs maybe 20 or 25 seconds at a time. You could press it and the spacewalker could
decide, ‘Well, I’m not quite ready to do that thing,’ and you would have expended 10 seconds
just finding out. So there was a lot of pressure on our astronaut photographer.”
Myers did not have a script, per se, but followed the daily schedule and reviewed the
shot list with Pilot Johnson while at Mission Control during the 13-day mission. As certain
shots were accomplished, some fell off the list and were replaced by other opportunities. She
critiqued the footage immediately and returned comments by e-mail for the next round,
sometimes a course-correction or direction on what to shoot next and a new priority list.
Either she or Neihouse remained at Mission Control throughout the flight or were on call 24
hours a day.
Their biggest challenge was the rapidly changing light. At orbiting speed, Atlantis
circled the Earth every 90 minutes, entering either a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. With
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an EVA in progress and heading toward a crucial cinematic opportunity, Johnson would be
poised to shoot, while, on the ground, Myers would be holding her breath; both of them
counting the minutes before one of those sunsets or sunrises altered their light.
The mission always took priority. The astronauts never staged or delayed anything to
accommodate filming, which, Johnson concedes, was their second-biggest challenge. “We
had no control over the subjects. They weren’t acting; they were doing their work. We had to
take what the filmmakers felt was their concept for what the scene should be, and what they
wanted us to shoot, and just try to capture that as it happened.”
Myers has nothing but praise for Johnson and his fellow crew members,
acknowledging that it was truly a group effort, for “all the people on the flight deck and
outside coordinating to make a shot happen. We were very fortunate, and are grateful to all of
them.”
For the astronauts, their creative efforts helped to accomplish what they all wanted—
to share what they had seen from the vantage point of space with the rest of us. “So many
people dedicate their lives to making missions like this a success but only a few of us get to
go up there and see Hubble with the night sky behind it and look back at Earth. It’s an
amazing sight,” says Altman.
Massimino adds, “No words can describe the beauty of what you’re seeing. If you
were in heaven and could look down on our Earth, this is what the view would be. It’s like
looking at paradise. It’s perfection.”
T Minus 10…9…8…7…
Having revealed some of the planning, effort and risk that goes into servicing the
Hubble Space Telescope, “Hubble 3D” also offers a look at what makes it all worthwhile, in
stunning 3D fly-throughs based on information the telescope has given us. Reaching toward
the furthest points of the known universe, it allows audiences to embark on the virtual joyride
of a lifetime. First stop: star clusters of the Orion Nebula.
“Hubble 3D” passes by bright star Sirius, nearest to the Earth at 50 trillion miles, and
then beyond Orion’s Belt to enter a field of gaseous clouds and dust that shroud a nursery of
dynamically emerging stars. Each star is a potential developing solar system, now struggling
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to survive the million-mile-per-hour blasts of wind fueled by their combined energy.
Meanwhile, in another part of the nebula, a more advanced system is forming planets, in
much the same way that our own solar system must have once begun.
Myers notes, “It’s fortunate that stellar winds have blown a hole in those clouds,
providing Hubble an excellent opportunity to record the goings-on inside. That’s how we
were able to gather data on the birth of solar systems and the evolution of planets around
them.”
Changing directions takes the journey through our own galaxy, the Milky Way, en
route to neighboring Andromeda, two and a half million light years out, and beyond that the
bustling hub of the Virgo Cluster, home to two thousand galaxies. Within Virgo, a galaxy ten
times the size of the Milky Way harbors a massive black hole casting off a magnitude of highenergy radiation.
The imaging team at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland,
led by astrophysicist Dr. Frank Summers, was instrumental in producing these threedimensional space flight simulations, along with providing scientific guidance and input into
the 3D process. By combining Hubble’s raw data of the same object taken with different
telescopic instruments, they were able to layer the images and give them depth and texture in
a way that enables a realistic fly-through effect.
They integrated information about
composition, ionization, temperatures, color, volatility and other specifics compiled through
the years by teams of scientists, to provide a detailed and fluid model of wide portions of the
cosmos. Summers and the production team also used the state-of-the-art computing facilities
at the Advanced Visualization Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne,
led by Dr. Donna Cox. This lab, a frequent contributor to film and television projects, is part
of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and helped to put Hubble’s
images into motion for the film.
The teamwork required to prepare these images for the screen is part of the larger
community of people Toni Myers calls “the Hubble family,” which includes herself and the
IMAX filmmaking team. “Since well before its first launch, there were thousands of people
involved in getting Hubble into the sky and keeping it there,” she says. “There are scientists,
engineers, teachers and students who interpret its data and use its resources to do their jobs,
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and then share that with others. So many people around the world have either worked on
Hubble in some way or rely upon it every day.”
The STS-125 Mission is particularly significant in that it marks NASA’s last
scheduled tune-up for the great telescope. After more than 20 years of service, Hubble will be
retiring sometime in the next several years—in fact, one of the items Atlantis installed in May
2009 was a connector by which a robotic module will eventually guide it through de-orbit. In
2014, NASA is scheduled to launch Hubble’s successor, the James Webb Telescope, designed
to examine the earliest portions of the universe by focusing on objects so old their light has
shifted into the infrared range. The Webb Telescope will add to the vast stores of knowledge
that Hubble has already gathered.
“The more we learn, the farther we reach with our minds and technology. With that
comes a greater appreciation for the uniqueness of our own home. There is still so much for
us to discover,” says DiCaprio.
“The story of the Hubble Telescope is the story of human curiosity,” Myers reflects.
“There is no way to cover everything it has achieved in a single film, but my hope is that
‘Hubble 3D’ will both entertain and inspire. I’d love for audiences to leave the IMAX theatre
wanting to know more.”
__________________________________
ABOUT THE NARRATOR
LEONARDO DICAPRIO is an award-winning actor and a three-time Academy
Award® nominee. He most recently garnered a 2009 Best Actor Golden Globe nomination
for his work as Frank Wheeler in “Revolutionary Road.”
DiCaprio earned his most recent Oscar® nod in 2007 for his performance in Edward
Zwick’s drama “Blood Diamond,” also receiving Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice and Screen
Actors Guild (SAG) Award® nominations for his work in the film. That same year, he
garnered Golden Globe, BAFTA Award, Critics’ Choice Award and SAG Award®
nominations for his role in the Oscar®-winning Best Picture “The Departed,” which marked
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his third collaboration with director Martin Scorsese. He also shared in a SAG Award®
nomination for Outstanding Cast Performance with his castmates from “The Departed.”
He previously earned an Academy Award® nomination for his performance in
Scorsese’s acclaimed 2004 biopic “The Aviator.” DiCaprio’s portrayal of Howard Hughes in
that film also brought him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama, as well as
Critics’ Choice Award and BAFTA Award nominations. In addition, he was honored with
two SAG Award® nominations, one for Best Actor and another for Outstanding Cast
Performance as part of the “The Aviator” cast. DiCaprio also starred alongside Russell
Crowe in Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies” and in 2009, reunited with Kate Winslet to star in
Sam Mendes ”Revolutionary Road.”
In February of this year, the highly anticipated thriller “Shutter Island”marked
DiCaprio's fourth collaboration with Academy Award®-winning Director Martin Scorsese.
He recently completed filming Chris Nolan’s “Inception,” which will be released later this
year.
In addition, DiCaprio created his own production company, Appian Way. Under the
Appian Way banner, he wrote, produced and narrated the acclaimed environmentally themed
documentary “The 11th Hour.” DiCaprio also produced “Gardener of Eden” and “Public
Enemies,” and executive produced “The Aviator” and “The Assassination of Richard Nixon.”
Born in Hollywood, California, DiCaprio started acting at the age of 14. His
breakthrough feature film role came when director Michael Caton-Jones cast him as Tobias
Wolff in the 1993 screen adaptation of Wolff’s autobiographical drama “This Boy’s Life,” in
which DiCaprio starred with Robert De Niro and Ellen Barkin. That same year, he co-starred
with Johnny Depp in Lasse Hallström’s “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” earning his first
Oscar® and Golden Globe nominations for his performance as a mentally handicapped young
man. In addition, he won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor
and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s New Generation Award for his work in the
film.
In 1995, DiCaprio had starring roles in three very different films, beginning with Sam
Raimi’s Western “The Quick and the Dead,” with Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman and Russell
Crowe. He also garnered praise for his performance as drug addict Jim Carroll in the
harrowing drama “The Basketball Diaries,” and for his portrayal of disturbed pansexual poet
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Arthur Rimbaud in Agnieszka Holland’s “Total Eclipse.” The following year, DiCaprio
starred in Baz Luhrmann’s contemporary screen adaptation of “William Shakespeare’s
Romeo + Juliet,” for which he won the Best Actor Award at the Berlin International Film
Festival. In addition, he joined an all-star ensemble cast in “Marvin’s Room,” sharing in a
SAG Award® nomination for Outstanding Cast Performance with his fellow cast members,
including Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton and Robert De Niro,.
In 1997, DiCaprio starred in the blockbuster “Titanic,” for which he earned a Golden
Globe Award nomination. The film shattered every box office record on its way to winning
11 Oscars®, including Best Picture. His subsequent film work includes dual roles in “The
Man in the Iron Mask”; “The Beach”; Woody Allen’s “Celebrity”; Steven Spielberg’s “Catch
Me If You Can,” for which he earned another Golden Globe nomination; and “Gangs of New
York,” which was his first film for director Martin Scorsese.
Apart from his acting career, DiCaprio is well known for his dedication to helping the
environment on a global level. By launching the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 and
later LeonardoDiCaprio.org, he has collaborated with other organizations to foster awareness
of the environment. The Foundation places particular emphasis on the issues of global
warming, alternative and renewable energy sources and the preservation of the planet's
biodiversity. He serves on the boards of the NRDC and Global Green USA. In 2007 he wrote,
produced and narrated the acclaimed environmentally themed documentary “The 11th Hour.”
In early 2008 the DiCaprio Foundation joined the California Community Foundation,
and is now known as The Leonardo DiCaprio Fund at CCF. The fund will continue to support
environmental causes through grantmaking and active participation.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
TONI MYERS (Director / Producer) most recently served as a producer, editor and
co-writer for director Howard Hall’s 2009 underwater IMAX® 3D adventure “Under the Sea
3D,” narrated by Jim Carrey. Prior to this, she teamed with Hall in the same capacity on the
highly successful “Deep Sea 3D,” which won Best Large Format Film awards at the
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prestigious WildScreen and Jackson Hole Natural History film festivals, and has grossed over
$85 million.
After attending the Ontario College of Art, Myers began her career as an assistant
editor in Toronto, working on commercials, episodes of the CBC series “Telescope” and the
groundbreaking feature “Nobody Waved Goodbye.” This led to work on the successful and
controversial CBC public affairs program “This Hour Has Seven Days,” and the dramatic
series “Forest Rangers” and “Seaway.”
In 1965, after moving to New York, Myers met Graeme Ferguson, later to become coinventor and co-founder of IMAX. Their early work together on Ferguson’s dramatic multiimage film “Polar Life” was a huge success at Montreal’s EXPO ’67 and proved the
beginning of a partnership which continues today and includes more than 15 films.
Following the Expo, Myers moved to England to work on such projects as Allan
King’s “Who Is” series about artists; BBC’s “Horizon”; music projects for the Beatles’
company, Apple; and individual features and videos for John Lennon and Yoko Ono. She
also collaborated on a documentary feature commissioned by the band Santana.
While in England, Myers was invited to return to Canada to edit Graeme Ferguson’s
pioneering all-IMAX film, “North of Superior” to show at Ontario Place. It became an instant
classic and still runs as a signature film.
Myers went on to edit films for the CBC’s
experimental dramatic series “For the Record,” for directors Gilles Carle, Claude Jutra, and
Francis Mankiewicz, and won the CBC’s Wilderness Award for her work on Jutra’s “Ada.”
She also edited Gail Singer’s award-winning documentary for the National Film Board’s
Studio D, “Stories from the North and South.”
Myers’ long association with large format films includes multiple IMAX productions,
including “Ocean,” “Snow Job,” “Hail Columbia!” and “Heart Land.”
She was associate producer and supervising editor on “Rolling Stones: At the Max.” A key
member of the IMAX Space team, founded by Ferguson, Myers also wrote and edited the
multiple award-winning space films “The Dream is Alive,” “Destiny in Space” and “Blue
Planet,” which she also narrated. These were followed by “L-5: First City in Space” and
“Mission to Mir,” which she also co-produced. Myers directed, produced and wrote the 2002
IMAX space film “Space Station 3D,” which has grossed over $100 million since its release,
winning the Large Format Film Industry’s Best Film Award.
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During their extensive history-making IMAX space films, Ferguson and Myers have
trained over 120 astronauts and cosmonauts. In 2009, the astronauts of the STS-125 crew
presented Myers with the Silver Snoopy Award in recognition of her excellence and
achievements in bringing the space experience to IMAX audiences around the world.
JAMES NEIHOUSE (Director of Photography / Astronaut Crew Trainer), born and
raised in Paris, Arkansas, is a graduate of the Brooks Institute of Photography.
His career focus began moving toward large format motion picture production within
months of graduation when he got the opportunity to work with IMAX® founder and coinventor Graeme Ferguson on the IMAX Dome® production “Ocean,” filming underwater off
the coast of Southern California. Since then, Neihouse has continued to work with Ferguson
on numerous IMAX projects, including all of the IMAX space films.
In 1980, less than four years after earning his degree, Neihouse was the first to fly into
the newly created crater of Mount St. Helens as director of photography on “The Eruption of
Mt. St. Helens,” the first IMAX film nominated for an Academy Award. ®
Neihouse has worked on more than 35 large format films, including “Hail Columbia,”
“The Dream Is Alive,” “Blue Planet,” “Destiny In Space,” “Mission To Mir,” “Space Station
3D,” “Pulse, A Stomp Odyssey,” “Rolling Stones: At The Max,” “NASCAR 3D, The IMAX
Experience,” “Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees,” “India, Kingdom of the Tiger,” “Roving
Mars,” “Michael Jordan to The Max,” “Bears,” “Race The Wind,” “The Great Barrier Reef,”
“On The Wing,” “Alamo, The Price of Freedom,” “Skyward,” “Arkansas: Center of
Attraction,” “Darwin on the Galapagos” and “Mexico.” He has also worked on many
commercials, features and documentaries in other formats. Neihouse’s work has taken him
from the Artic Circle to the jungles of India, from South Pacific coral reefs to Sub-Saharan
Africa and from the decks of The America’s Cup yachts to the cockpit of the Space Shuttle.
In his work with NASA, he has trained more than 20 shuttle crews on the intricacies of IMAX
filmmaking.
Neihouse served as director of photography on “Ocean Oasis” for Summerhays Films.
Released in 2000, this natural history film about the Baja Peninsula and the Sea of Cortés won
the Best Feature Film award at the 2001 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival and a Panda
Award, also known as the “Green Oscars,” in 2002, from the WildScreen Film Festival in
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Bristol, England. Other recognition for his work includes the Silver Snoopy Award, given in
April 2001 by the Expedition 1 crew of the International Space Station, for excellence in his
field. He also received a NASA Group Excellency Award for his work during the preliminary
construction missions of the International Space Station. Additionally, Neihouse received the
Giant Screen Cinema Association Award for Best Cinematography as co-director, director of
photography and astronaut training manager for the 2002 IMAX® 3D film “Space Station
3D,” which was also voted Best Film by the association and named Best of Festival at the
2002 Large Format Cinema Association Festival.
GRAEME FERGUSON (Executive Producer), co-founder and past president of
IMAX Corporation, has been an active filmmaker since the early 1950s. In 1967, his multiscreen film “Polar Life” was one of the hits of EXPO 67 in Montreal. Building on that
success, Ferguson and his partners invented the IMAX system, which, as of December 2009,
has expanded to 430 IMAX theaters operating in more than 48 countries.
Ferguson has also been one of the corporation’s principal filmmakers. He pioneered
the IMAX space films, which include “Hail Columbia!,” “The Dream is Alive,” “Blue Planet”
and “Destiny in Space.” He was co-producer on “L5: First City in Space” and “Mission to
MIR,” and consulting producer on “Space Station 3D.” These space films have been seen by
nearly 100 million IMAX moviegoers, and led to Ferguson’s receiving the Silver Snoopy
Award from the astronauts.
Ferguson’s other IMAX films include “North of Superior,” “Man Belongs to the
Earth,” “Snow Job,” “Ocean” and “Journey to the Planets.” He was a producer or executive
producer on the IMAX 3D films “Into the Deep,” “Deep Sea” and “Under the Sea.” “North of
Superior” won a Genie Award; “The Dream is Alive” and “Blue Planet” won La Geode and
Maximum Image awards; and “Into the Deep” won a Maximum Image Award.
Ferguson was invested into the Order of Canada, and has received an Honorary
Doctorate from the University of Bradford and a Doctorate of Sacred Letters from Victoria
University at the University of Toronto. His other honors include The Royal Canadian
Academy of Arts Medal, The Canadian Government Environmental Achievement Award (for
“Blue Planet”) and a Special Achievement Award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema
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and Television. Ferguson has also received the IMAX Founders’ Award and been named an
honorary lifetime member of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers.
JUDY CARROLL (Associate Producer) joins filmmakers Toni Myers and Graeme
Ferguson on their fifth collaboration, “Hubble 3D.” Prior to this, Carroll collaborated with
Ferguson and Myers on several other successful IMAX® space films, including “L5: First
City in Space,” “Mission to Mir,” “Destiny in Space” and “Blue Planet.” Carroll also served
as associate producer on the extremely successful 2002 IMAX®3D film, “Space Station 3D,”
which was voted Best Film by the Giant Screen Cinema Association and named Best of
Festival at the 2002 Large Format Cinema Association Festival.
In addition to her work in IMAX space films, Carroll also has a rich history in IMAX
underwater films. In 1994, she worked with director and acclaimed wildlife documentarian
Howard Hall and producer Graeme Ferguson on the very first IMAX 3D underwater film,
“Into the Deep,” and served as associate producer on the award-winning 2006 “Deep Sea
3D,” narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. Most recently, in 2009, Carroll served as
line producer alongside Myers, Ferguson and Howard and Michele Hall on the IMAX 3D
underwater adventure “Under the Sea 3D,” narrated by Jim Carrey.
In addition to traditional documentaries, Carroll has also worked with IMAX
producers Hugh Murray and Lorne Orleans on many of the IMAX DMR® films, including the
first two Hollywood films to incorporate images converted from 2D to IMAX 3D: “Superman
Returns” and “Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix.”
MICKY ERBE and MARIBETH SOLOMON (Composers), an award-winning
team based in Toronto, have collaborated with a base of Toronto musicians for many years on
international projects, and possess a great love for the world of music. They have worked on
diverse projects including films, IMAX® features, telefilms, series, commissions and various
CD/songwriting projects.
Erbe and Solomon are uniquely acquainted with the IMAX medium and its wonderful
opportunities for a musical palette having scored many IMAX films prior to “Hubble 3D,
including “North of Superior,” “Nomads of the Deep,” “Ocean,” “Hail, Columbia,” “The
Dream is Alive,” “Blue Planet,” “Into the Deep,” “Destiny in Space,” “L5: First City in
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Space,” “Mission to Mir” and “Space Station 3D.” Most recently, Erbe and Solomon scored
the 2009 IMAX® 3D underwater adventure “Under the Sea 3D.”
Erbe and Solomon were nominated for an Emmy Award for their music in “Earth:
Final Conflict,” a Gene Roddenberry science fiction adventure series for which they received
five Gemini Awards. They have also received numerous awards for their work on a wide
range of documentaries, features, mini-series and television movies, including “Women of
Windsor,” “Friends at Last,” “The Shari Karney Story,” “John Woo’s Blackjack,” “To Save
the Children” and “Milk and Honey.” Additionally, Erbe and Solomon have written songs and
scores for animated projects such as “Babar” and “Care Bears.”
Their work on television series scores include “Adderly,” “Nothing Too Good for a
Cowboy,” “Streetlegal,” “Side Effects” and “Legendary Sin Cities.” Their documentary
feature scores include “Behind the Veil” and “The Struggle for Democracy” Series.
They have written for artists such as Anne Murray, Natalie Cole and The Nylons, and
Robby Coltrane sings their song in the new family feature “Gooby.” Their work with the
Toronto Symphony Orchestra, with their unique pop/symphonic project Sonic Bloom, has
created orchestral arrangements for pop artists as varied as Esthero, Bare Naked Ladies, Ron
Sexsmith and Jacksoul. Erbe has also created and produced seven albums for the Spitfire
Band, and the pair has also written for diverse groups such as Canadian Brass and Bowfire.
Erbe and Solomon are also creating an opera using Canadian music and world
influences.
ABOUT THE ASTRONAUTS
COMMANDER SCOTT D. ALTMAN is a native of Illinois. A retired captain in
the United States Navy, he has a BS in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the
University of Illinois and an MS in Aeronautical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate
School. The former test pilot has logged over 5,000 flight hours in more than 40 types of
aircraft.
In 1995, Altman was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA. His spaceflight
experience includes serving as pilot on STS-90 in 1998 and STS-106 in 2000; and as Mission
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Commander on STS-109 in 2002, the fourth Hubble Telescope servicing mission, and STS125. To date, Altman has logged more than 51 days in space.
PILOT GREGORY C. JOHNSON, of Washington, is a retired captain in the United
States Navy and holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Washington. A
former test pilot, Johnson has logged more than 9,500 flying hours in 50 aircraft and
performed over 500 carrier landings.
In April 1990, Johnson was accepted as an aerospace engineer and research pilot for
the NASA Johnson Space Center Aircraft Operations Division, Ellington Field, Texas. In
1998, he was selected as an astronaut candidate.
After serving in various technical
assignments within the astronaut office, he was selected for his first spaceflight as pilot on
STS-125, and has logged almost 13 days in space.
MISSION SPECIALIST DR. JOHN M. GRUNSFELD, of Chicago, is a veteran of
five space flights and has logged over 58 days in space, including 57 hours and 90 minutes in
eight spacewalks. Grunsfeld has worked on several technical assignments within NASA since
being selected as an astronaut candidate in 1992. During the George W. Bush Administration,
he served as Chief Scientist detailed to NASA Headquarters, where he helped develop the
President’s Vision for Space Exploration.
Grunsfeld earned a BS in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and
both an MS and a Doctorate in Physics from the University of Chicago.
MISSION SPECIALIST DR. MICHAEL J. MASSIMINO was selected as an
astronaut candidate by NASA in May 1996. Massimino is a veteran of two spaceflights, STS109 in 2002 and STS-125. He has logged a total 571 hours and 47 minutes in space,
including more than 30 hours in four spacewalks.
Massimino received a BS in Industrial Engineering from Columbia University, an MS
in Mechanical Engineering, an MS in Technology and Policy, a Degree of Mechanical
Engineer and a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of
Technology.
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MISSION SPECIALIST DR. K. MEGAN McARTHUR, a Californian, received a
BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1993, and a
Doctorate in Oceanography from the University of California, San Diego, in 2002. At Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, McArthur served as Chief Scientist during at-sea data collection
operations, and has planned and led diving operations during sea-floor instrument
deployments and sediment-sample collections.
In July 2000, McArthur was selected as a Mission Specialist by NASA, and assigned
to various technical assignments within the astronaut office before being assigned to her first
spaceflight, STS-125. With the completion of that mission, she has logged almost 13 days in
space.
MISSION SPECIALIST DR. ANDREW J. FEUSTEL is a native of Michigan. He
earned an AS from Oakland Community College; a BS in Solid and Earth Sciences and an
MS in Geophysics from Purdue University; and a Doctorate in Geological Sciences,
specializing in seismology, from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
In July 2000, Feustel was selected as a Mission Specialist by NASA. He was assigned
various technical duties within the astronaut office before his first spaceflight, STS-125.
During that mission, Feustel logged almost 13 days in space, including nearly 21 hours
devoted to three spacewalks.
MISSION SPECIALIST MICHAEL T. GOOD is an Ohio native. A colonel in the
United States Air Force, he received his BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering from the
University of Notre Dame. He has logged over 2,650 hours in more than 30 different aircraft.
Good entered the Astronaut Candidate program in 2000, and took part in his first
spaceflight, serving as Mission Specialist 1, on STS-125. Upon completion of this mission,
he logged almost 13 days in space, including 16 hours in two spacewalks.