AFRL STEM Outreach

09/07/2026

Big news from the Western Edge FIRST LEGO League Open in Long Beach, California.

Competing against 90 teams from around the globe, Team 2751 Lego Legion won the prestigious Champion's Award.

The Champion's Award is the highest honor at the competition, celebrating a team that demonstrates total excellence across Robot Performance, Robot Design, the Innovation Project, and the FIRST Core Values.

Leave your congratulations for the students and coaches of Lego Legion in the comments below.

09/07/2026

Monday's STEM Minute: Life at 17,500 Miles Per Hour

Did you know astronauts aboard the International Space Station get to watch 16 sunrises every single day?

Traveling at about 17,500 miles per hour (roughly 28,000 kilometers per hour), the station completes a full lap around our planet roughly once every 90 minutes.

While flying at five miles per second, crew members live and work in a microgravity laboratory, running experiments in biology, materials science, and human physiology to help prepare humanity for future deep-space exploration.

If you had the chance to run an experiment aboard the space station, what question would you want to answer?

Explore official facts and figures from NASA: https://buff.ly/Lr0Q6VS

International Space Station Facts An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the International Space Station. Learn more

09/07/2026

Huge congratulations to Ohio's Team 56510 Innov8 for bringing home major honors from the 2026 FIRST LEGO League World Festival in Houston, Texas.

Competing against 160 international teams in the UNEARTHED challenge, Innov8 won the Motivate Award for their outstanding team culture, enthusiasm, and collaboration.

Pictured with the team, Coach Padmaja Kandisetty was also awarded the prestigious Coach/Mentor Award, recognizing her as one of only six coaches globally to demonstrate exceptional leadership and dedication to FIRST Core Values.

Please leave your congratulations for Team Innov8 and Coach Padmaja in the comments below!

09/04/2026

Lots going on over at STARBASE! Be sure to follow their page for updates!

09/04/2026

Today is Future Career Friday, and we are highlighting Cyber Systems Operations.

In an increasingly connected world, protecting critical information networks from cyber threats is a top priority. Cyber Systems Operations specialists are technical professionals who plan, support and maintain the systems and infrastructure that enable Air Force cyber and communications operations. Their work can include evaluating network devices and communications equipment, supporting systems implementation, maintaining computer systems and ensuring defensive mechanisms are in place. They also respond to service outages and interruptions to network operations.

If you are a high school or college student planning your future, courses or degrees in cybersecurity, computer science, information systems, networking or related technical fields can help you build relevant skills. A college degree is not required for the enlisted Cyber Systems Operations career, however; the Air Force provides specialized training for those who qualify.

Learn more about this career path from the official Air Force website: https://buff.ly/l0MG55e

Be a part of the Air Force Cyber Systems Operations team and design, install and support our advanced computer systems. Find out more abut this exciting career.

09/03/2026

For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we look back to September 3, 1976—the day NASA’s Viking 2 lander successfully touched down on Mars at Utopia Planitia.

At the time, landing a spacecraft on Mars was an extraordinary technical challenge. Viking 2 deployed its robotic arm, analyzed Martian soil, photographed the surface, and collected valuable weather data.

Designed for just 90 days, the lander operated for more than three and a half years. The Viking orbiters also mapped much of the planet, transforming our understanding of Mars.

The lesson for today’s leaders is simple: success isn’t always about proving your original hypothesis. Sometimes, the greatest legacy of a calculated risk is the knowledge, technology, and capabilities it leaves behind.

NASA’s Viking missions helped lay the groundwork for generations of Mars exploration.

Source: NASA/JPL Viking Mission Archive (2006): https://buff.ly/ugnhQbx

09/02/2026

Today's “What's That -ology?”
Did you know there is a specialized field focused on understanding soils and how they support agriculture and healthy land?

Word: Agrology
Pronunciation: uh-GROL-uh-jee

Definition: Agrology is a branch of agriculture and soil science concerned with the origin, structure, analysis, and classification of soils, particularly in relation to crop production.

Civilian Career Paths: Agricultural Consultant, Soil Conservationist, Soil Scientist, and Land Reclamation Specialist.

Air Force Connection: The Air Force manages extensive areas of land, including airfields, training ranges, and other installations. Air Force environmental professionals and civil engineers apply principles of soil science to support land management, vegetation management, erosion control, and environmental restoration. These efforts can include managing vegetation around flight lines to reduce wildlife hazards, addressing contaminated soil, and restoring affected areas so military installations remain safe, functional, and environmentally responsible.

Want to learn more? Explore the fundamentals of soil science and soil health through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: https://buff.ly/C7TckYB

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09/01/2026

A simple walk outside can easily turn into a comprehensive lesson on biodiversity and earth systems. You don't have to travel far to find a thriving ecosystem to study.

For Try it Tuesday, we are highlighting our Nature Adventure activity. While originally designed for younger students to observe living and non-living things, this lesson easily scales up for older students. Have them define a 100x100 foot area and conduct a full biodiversity study. They can count plant and animal species, compare different ecosystems like your yard versus a forest, evaluate soil and light conditions, or even learn to differentiate old growth from young trees.

Download the guide here:

08/31/2026

Monday's STEM Minute: A Year That Lasts Centuries

Since humans first discovered Pluto in 1930, not a single Plutonian year has actually passed!

Because Pluto orbits so far out on the icy edges of our solar system, it takes a incredibly long time to make one trip around the Sun. A single year on Pluto is equal to about 248 Earth years. This means that the dwarf planet is only about halfway through its very first orbit since Clyde Tombaugh first spotted it nearly a century ago.

Pluto will finally celebrate its first full "discovered" birthday in the year 2178.

Learn more about the unusual orbit of Pluto on NASA Science:

Why is Pluto no longer a planet? Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006 by the IAU because other objects might cross its orbit.

08/28/2026

Today is Future Career Friday, and we are looking at the Physicist and Nuclear Engineer role.

Understanding the fundamental laws of the universe is critical to advancing modern defense technology. Air Force Physicists and Nuclear Engineers work in high-tech laboratories and testing facilities to develop everything from new aerospace materials to advanced directed-energy systems.

For high school or college students looking to step into a role like this, preparation starts with a heavy focus on the physical sciences. You will want to target a highly technical college major such as physics, nuclear engineering, or applied mathematics. If you are fascinated by how the universe works and want to apply that knowledge to national security, this is an incredible path.

Check out this link for more info on this career path:

Take your career in advanced scientific operations to the next level with Air Force. Discover the limitless possibilities as an Air Force Physicist/Nuclear Engineer.