“Rocket launches, satellite explosions, a space mission – it’s an exciting time to be a student who needs to learn Newton’s laws of motion.”
— Jared Jackson, ExploreLearning Director of Production
Our latest interactive adventure for middle schoolers has officially launched into the classroom space! Save a Satellite is an exciting new STEM Case that immerses students in the role of spacecraft navigation engineers. As they prepare to launch a communication satellite into orbit, students apply Newton’s third law of motion to ensure a successful mission. But the challenge doesn’t stop there.
Explore gravity, velocity, and unbalanced forces in our newest STEM Case: Save a Satellite
This STEM Case goes beyond textbook learning by placing students in a high-stakes, real-world scenario where their understanding of physics directly impacts the outcome of a space mission. As students step into the role of spacecraft navigation engineers, they’ll explore and apply concepts like thrust, equal and opposite forces, and gravitational pull.
“Looking for a fun way to teach Newton’s laws and get your students excited about space?” asks Learning Designer Lauren Schetne, Ph.D. “Look no further than Save a Satellite! This case really has it all.”
With cinematic storytelling, hands-on problem-solving, and authentic STEM career connections, Save a Satellite is designed to ignite curiosity and deepen conceptual understanding. From calculating orbital velocity to analyzing unbalanced forces, students will experience the thrill of physics in action while saving the day in space.
What can you expect in Save a Satellite?
From the moment students enter the mission control room, Save a Satellite pulls them into a thrilling space adventure grounded in real science. This STEM Case is designed to make abstract physics concepts feel tangible and exciting, giving students a front-row seat to the forces that govern motion in space.
In this interactive experience, students use digital tools to visualize and explore gravity, balanced forces, unbalanced forces, and changes in velocity, which are often difficult to observe in a traditional classroom setting.
Rather than focusing on formulas and calculations, Save a Satellite emphasizes conceptual understanding. Students learn Newton’s laws of motion by seeing them in action, making decisions, and solving problems that directly affect the outcome of their mission. It’s a hands-on, minds-on approach that brings physics to life.
How does it relate to the real world?
Save a Satellite isn’t just a fun classroom activity. It’s a window into the real-world challenges faced by aerospace engineers, physicists, and mission control specialists. The case mirrors the kinds of decisions professionals make when planning satellite launches, adjusting orbits, and avoiding collisions with space debris. These are real problems that agencies like NASA and private space companies tackle every day. Students get a taste of what it’s like to work in high-demand STEM careers, from spacecraft navigation and aerospace engineering to data analysis and systems design.
Key features from the interactive STEM simulation
In Save a Satellite, students take on the role of spacecraft navigation engineers, applying Newton’s third law of motion to launch a communication satellite into a stable orbit around Earth. But the mission takes a dramatic turn when they learn of an impending collision with space debris. To prevent disaster, students must use their understanding of gravitational forces and Newton’s laws to execute precise orbital maneuvers and save the satellite.
Throughout the simulation, students interact with a dynamic free-body diagram model and responsive animations that bring physics concepts to life. They explore force, thrust, gravitational pull, and velocity in a way that’s both visual and intuitive. As Dr. Schetne explains, “Students get to act as spacecraft navigation engineers to learn about thrust, equal and opposite forces, gravitational pull, and apply this in simulated maneuvers to move a satellite to a new orbit to prevent a collision with a grumpy piece of space debris.”
One of the most empowering aspects of the case is that there’s more than one correct way to solve the problem. Students are encouraged to think critically, test different strategies, and discover multiple paths to success, just like real engineers do.
Meet the STEM expert behind Save a Satellite
To ensure Save a Satellite reflected authentic challenges of space exploration, the team partnered with Kanak Parmar, an astrodynamics and machine learning/artificial intelligence specialist currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Auburn University. Parmar brings a unique blend of academic excellence and innovative thinking to the project, with a master’s degree in astrodynamics and machine learning and groundbreaking work introducing human-AI teaming solutions for spacecraft path planning.
Kanak Parmar
Her contributions to the field have earned her prestigious honors, including the AAS Molly K. Macauley Award, the Future Space Leaders Fellowship grant, and the Amelia Earhart Fellowship. With her expertise guiding the development of this STEM Case, students get a rare opportunity to engage with content inspired by cutting-edge research and real-world problem-solving in aerospace engineering.
Turning real science into student discovery
Parmar’s expertise spans some of the most complex and critical areas of space mission design, including launch and trajectory optimization, multi-body orbital regimes, and mission analysis. Her work bridges traditional spaceflight practices with cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence, and she’s actively shaping national and global conversations about the future role of AI in space missions.
Reflecting on her own path into STEM, Parmar shared, “When I was in middle and high school, there weren’t many resources such as this available, and therefore I was only left with the option to hopefully learn in college. Having access to a course like this as a young student would have considerably allowed me to explore more in a field that I was interested in.” Her insight underscores the power of early exposure to authentic STEM experiences, especially ones that connect classroom learning to real-world applications.
Highlights from working on Save a Satellite
Parmar worked closely with the Gizmos development team to ensure the STEM Case accurately reflected the complexities of space mission design while remaining accessible to middle school students. With her deep background in astrodynamics, she understood how overwhelming and technical the field can seem to newcomers.
Her primary role was to distill advanced concepts, like trajectory optimization and multi-body orbital regimes, into clear, relatable language without losing the nuance that professionals rely on. “We put considerable emphasis and effort into making sure that nuanced distinctions that may be critical to a relevant industry professional are not overlooked when diluting the complexity of the concepts,” she explained.
One of the most exciting aspects for Parmar was seeing how the interactive simulation could visually convey the physics behind satellite navigation. “The interactive aspect that is included in the STEM Case considerably allows students to visually learn the critical concepts that we use every day as satellite navigation engineers,” she said. While the mathematical principles are still there, the ability to manipulate and observe forces like thrust and gravitational pull in real time makes these ideas far more intuitive and engaging for students.
Ready for liftoff? Get started with Save a Satellite today
One of the most exciting features of Save a Satellite is its dynamic orbit simulation, where students can experiment with launching satellites, creating stable orbits, or even watching them drift off into space or crash! It’s a safe space to explore real physics with real consequences, all within an engaging, interactive environment.
Parmar was deeply involved in the development process and appreciated the team’s commitment to scientific accuracy. “The significant effort from the STEM Case team on wanting to make the product as accurate as possible really struck a nerve with me,” she shared. “It’s not often that this is the case, and as a result, many critical and foundational concepts may be disregarded in an effort to make the information as understandable as possible.” She emphasized that in space mission design, even the smallest details can determine whether a spacecraft survives, and that’s exactly the kind of thinking this STEM Case encourages.
Parmar also noted how much she enjoyed collaborating with the team throughout the development cycle, ensuring that students would gain a meaningful and authentic learning experience. Now, it’s your turn to bring this experience to your classroom.
Launch Save a Satellite STEM Case
New to Gizmos? Try it for free!
If you haven’t tried Gizmos yet, you’re missing out on a research-backed STEM tool that students genuinely love and that can transform your lessons. Gizmos are interactive simulations designed to deepen conceptual understanding through inquiry and exploration. With over 550 math and science simulations aligned to standards, Gizmos help students visualize abstract concepts, test ideas, and build confidence in their learning.
Whether you're teaching physics, biology, algebra, or earth science, Gizmos offer powerful ways to bring real-world relevance into your classroom. And with Save a Satellite, students get to experience the thrill of space science while mastering Newton’s laws in a way that’s both rigorous and fun. Start your free trial of Gizmos today!