AREN Project
Overview of NASA-funded AREN project
AEROKATS and ROVER Education Network (AREN) is a NASA Science Activation project led by Wayne RESA that equips students and educators to do authentic Earth-science investigations.
Learners design and fly instrumented kites (AEROKATS) and operate land/water ROVERS to gather local environmental data, then analyze and share results using NASA-aligned tools and the GLOBE Program. Rooted in a Wayne County pilot that began in 2010 and expanded under a NASA Cooperative Agreement in 2016, AREN blends NGSS-aligned curriculum, mission operations, and safety practices to build STEM identity and real research skills.
The AREN project is coordinated by Wayne RESA, supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate under Cooperative Agreement Number NNX16AB95A.
Key Technologies
AeroPods (Instrument Platforms)
The AeroPod is NASA’s Aerodynamically Stabilized Instrument Platform—a kite-carried sensor payload that enables lightweight, stable aerial data capture. It was developed to improve on bulkier, less reliable kite-suspension systems and designed for classroom-friendly missions. The AeroPod design earned a U.S. patent in 2012, and hundreds have been deployed since.
AeroPods are highly versatile: users can mount a range of lightweight sensors (like action cameras) under 1 pound. With these, students can collect aerial imagery or environmental data via kite missions.
These platforms also introduce learners to real NASA operational procedures. Missions require careful, team-based planning—including role assignments and safety protocols—mimicking actual mission control workflows.
Sources: partnerships.gsfc.nasa.gov, NASA Technical Reports Server
ROVERS (Land & Water)
The ROVERs (both land-based and aquatic) are part of the AREN toolkit, complementing AeroPods. Although NASA’s SciAct page mentions ROVERS, details about specific rover designs or capabilities are sparse.
What we do know: ROVERS extend AREN’s experiential learning by enabling in situ remote sensing beyond aerial contexts—such as soil sampling, surface temperature measurements, or water quality readings. Different types include TerraROVER (surface temperature investigations) and AquaROVER (water quality instrumentation).
Source: NASA Science
Featured Missions & Mission Mapper
Mission Mapper
The Mission Mapper is a central component of AREN—it's a web-based mapping tool where participants upload and visualize data collected from AeroPod and Rover missions.
According to publications, AREN has facilitated “dozens” of AeroPod missions across the country, all tracked via Mission Mapper.
The user interface allows educators and students to submit flight data, overlay imagery on interactive basemaps, and manage mission layers—supporting broader engagement and spatial analysis.
AEROKATS Mission Mapper
Representative Missions
AREN missions have ranged from classroom kite flights to more specialized applications:
Volcanic plume sampling: AeroPods were flown over Costa Rica’s Turrialba volcano to test sensing equipment meant for volcanic emission studies; later iterations moved to drone deployment
Methane sensor trials over landfills: AeroPods were used to fly prototype methane sensors above a landfill in Sacramento, illustrating rapid deployment for environmental monitoring.
Photography and transects: Simple action cameras attached to AeroPods capture transect-style aerial imagery—useful in observing shoreline changes, mapping invasive species, or landscape shifts over time.
These missions not only demonstrate AREN’s technical flexibility but also model how students can engage in real-world scientific inquiry using accessible tools.
Source: partnerships.gsfc.nasa.gov
Aerokats
Advancing Earth Research Observations with Kites and Atmospheric/Terrestrial Sensors (AEROKATS) is a NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center research and development program that focuses on the use of kite-borne remote sensing and in situ atmospheric sensor systems for Earth systems observation and research.
ROVERS
ROVERS (Remote Observation and Versatile Environmental Research Systems) is a NASA/Wayne RESA initiative within AREN that uses land- and water-based robotic sensor platforms to collect environmental and Earth systems data for research and classroom investigations.
AREN Model
AEROKATS and ROVER Education Network (AREN) Model
The AREN model is distilled from a typical NASA Mission Model for use in a broader educational and research environment. Notably, Sensor Systems and Platform Systems have been combined into Technology, and Mission Operations and Project Support have been grouped into the broader category of Operations.
Team & Participating Institutions
Team and Participating Institutions/Organizations
The core operational and instructional team includes engineers and educators from NASA Goddard and Wallops Flight Facility working alongside Wayne RESA staff.
Core Team Structure
The AREN initiative is part of NASA’s Science Activation (SciAct) portfolio, led by Wayne RESA, with oversight by SciAct leadership, including Kristen Erickson (NASA HQ) and Lin Chambers (NASA Langley). The team guides curriculum design, NGSS alignment, educator training, safety procedures, and integration with the GLOBE Program.
Core Leadership Team
Wayne RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency) is the project lead for AREN, operating under NASA’s Science Activation Cooperative Agreement (CAN # NNX16AB95A). This team guides curriculum development, NGSS alignment, mission training, and integration with the GLOBE Program, and includes Scientists and educators from:
- NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
- Wallace Flight Facility
- Wayne RESA staff
Key collaborators and Institutional Partners
AREN's impact is amplified by collaborations with numerous institutions nationwide. According to NASA’s leadership table, the program is rooted at Wayne RESA, though specific partner names are outlined in program materials and broader SciAct context.
These partners joined forces with AREN in a TerraROVER training initiative in July 2021, in collaboration with GLOBE Mission Earth (GME). The training involved providing TerraROVER units to teachers for hands-on data collection, including GPS, temperature, and humidity measurements.
University of Toledo (OH)
Defiance College (OH)
Northern Michigan University (MI)
SUNY Fredonia (NY)
Wayne RESA (MI) — notably, TerraROVER systems were assembled by Wayne RESA’s own James Moon-Dupree
Sources: NASA Science, partnerships.gsfc.nasa.gov, ciencepartnerships.gsfc.nasa.gov
Funding & Partners
Funding & Strategic Support – AREN Project
AREN is funded through NASA’s Science Activation Cooperative Agreement, with Wayne RESA and partner institutions supporting materials, training, and hands-on STEM experiences.
The AREN initiative is funded primarily through NASA’s Science Activation Cooperative Agreement (CAN # NNX16AB95A), which continues with a 2025 allocation of $477,341 for aeronautical support and training.
Wayne RESA supplements this via Board-approved purchases—allocating $50,000 each in 2023 and 2024 to Into the Wind for procurement of AREN materials and kits.
The program’s reach is furthered through collaborations with institutions like the University of South Florida, University of Alaska Fairbanks, UMES, and others, who contribute equipment development, curricular integration, and field-based enhancements for AREN’s educational tools.
Primary Funding
NASA Cooperative Agreement (CAN # NNX16AB95A): Wayne RESA has been the primary recipient and lead under this multi-year agreement, consistently receiving funding into at least 2025, as confirmed in Board Highlights. The 2025 continuation allocates $477,341 to support AREN’s activities, including aeronautical training and materials for learners of all ages.
Wayne RESA Board Support
Equipment & Supplies:
In 2024, Wayne RESA authorized up to $50,000 for purchases from Into the Wind to support AREN’s materials and kits.
Earlier, in 2023, another $50,000 was similarly allocated to Into the Wind for materials tied to the AREN grant.
These allocations highlight the board’s commitment to funding the tools and infrastructure necessary for classroom missions and educator workshops.
Collaborative Partners (Beyond Core Team)
Although distinct from institutions involved in program execution (covered earlier), these partners contribute to funding or support for specific components or expansions of AREN:
University of South Florida: Developed an engineering mentoring program enabling middle school students to design and build ROVERs.
University of Alaska, Fairbanks: Incorporated aspects of AREN into Arctic environmental education initiatives.
Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Anasphere Inc., Montana State University, Public Lab, and Washington College: Provided support for education tool development and operational scaling.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES): Collaborated on ROVER watercraft development at NASA Wallops, with implications for AREN’s in-water data collection tools.
Sources: Wayne RESA Board Highlights (Feb. 20, 2025), Cloudinary, Tech Briefs
Resources
History
2010: Wayne RESA + NASA Wallops pilot ICCARS; students begin flying AeroPods to study local environments.
2012: NASA patents AeroPod stabilizer for kite-borne sensors.
2016: NASA awards CAN # NNX16AB95A; ICCARS scales into AREN under Wayne RESA leadership with national partners.
2018–2024: AREN materials and programming continue across Wayne County; board records show ongoing purchases and NASA funding. ,
2025: NASA SciAct page confirms current scope, training focus, and GLOBE integration; RESA’s site publishes the AREN model.
Objectives
Empower educators and students to use NASA-inspired tools to study their own environments.
Provide equitable access to STEM opportunities through hands-on flight missions, rover operations, and authentic data analysis.
Connect learning to NASA science by integrating with the GLOBE Program and sharing findings with the broader research community.
Build lasting STEM identities by helping students see themselves as problem solvers and contributors to real-world science.
Sources: NASA Spinoff, Cloudinary, Wayne RESA Board Highlights (Jan. 17, 2017), NASA Science
NASA AREN Project
The NASA AEROKATS and ROVER Education Network (AREN) is a Science Activation initiative led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. AREN engages students and educators in hands-on Earth science research using innovative, low-cost technologies.
Participants utilize kite-borne sensors (AEROKATS) and robotic platforms (ROVERS) to collect real-world environmental data, fostering skills in remote sensing, data analysis, and engineering design. This experiential learning approach aligns with NASA's mission to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Wayne RESA AREN Project Contacts
Annual Reports
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Technology
AEROKATS Technology
This diagram shows how a kite, line, and Aeropod are connected. The kite attaches to the line using a ball bearing swivel at its tow point. About 100–200 feet down the line, a Brooxes Hang-up clip is attached, which then connects to a 15-foot Aeropod Leader line. The Aeropod Leader attaches to the Aeropod Pylon with a Lark’s Head Knot. The system runs from the kite down to the line spool, supporting the Aeropod payload securely in flight.
Types of Kites
Why Kites?
- Kites are an accessible and affordable method for gaining an aerial perspective.
- Observation techniques similar to those in use on NASA spacecraft and aircraft can be easily demonstrated and explored.
- The kite’s “Birds-Eye” vantage point from above is beneficial for many of NASA’s Earth science research activities.
- Kites are well suited for local-scale observations by a wide variety of users.Teamwork and fun are embedded in AEROKATS kite flights, promoting a unique and meaningful learning environment.
Alpine DC
This kite is called an Alpine DC. It is one of the “workhorse” kite models because it is capable of carrying the various AeroPods in flight. While the Alpine is the most expensive kite, it is the most reliable for flying in low to medium wind speeds.
Delta
This kite is called a 9ft Delta. This kite and the 7ft Delta are both capable of carrying AeroPod payloads. They fly stably at most wind speeds, but are more suited than the Alpine for higher wind speeds.
Parafoil
The Parafoil 10 kite can also carry an AeroPod. It flies best when the winds are medium to high speeds and constant. Because there is no support structure in the kite, if the wind speed is variable it has the potential to collapse on itself and fall from the sky.
Frustrationless Flyer
The Frustrationless Flyer kites are great introductory kites. They fly well in a lot of different environments which allows students to practice safe flying techniques. They arrive as kits for assembly and decoration by students.
Aeropods
Aerodynamically stabilized instrument platform
The AeroPod is a passive device that uses aerodynamic forces to stabilize an instrument package suspended from a kite or tethered blimp. It is a low-altitude custom remote sensing platform craft designed for, but not limited to, agricultural and environmental research purposes. AeroPods can be used for a variety of remote sensing and in-situ observations.
Benefits
- Light weight, simple to construct, and has no moving parts.
- Can be used for a variety of remote sensing and in-situ observations.
- Able to accommodate many different-sized instruments, even bulky ones.
- Offers a low-cost alternative to other remote sensing and observation techniques.
Parts List
- Boom: Holds all the components in place
- Fins + Fin Clips: keeps the Aeropod directionally oriented into the wind
- Camera Mount*: Allows for adjustment of the viewing angle of the camera
- Pylon: Attaches leader line to the Aeropod and balances Aeropod around the center of gravity
- Leader line + Hanger: Attachment between the Aeropod and kite line
*Aeropods are a platform for mounting various instrumentation weighing roughly under a pound, and not just cameras
There are primarily two types of data collected with the various instrumentation flown on Aeropods, aerial imagery and atmospheric profiles. Below is detailed several instruments that are used regularly in the project and they reflect different price points and fidelity of data based on the user’s budget and research needs.
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Aerial ImageryAerial Imagery Aeropods are used to collect images and video... | Atmospheric ProfilesAtmospheric Aeropods are used in flight to capture profiles... |
Educational Activities Archives
Neutral Buoyancy Challenge In the Neutral Buoyancy Challenge, participants work in teams to add weight to a helium balloon until its weight is exactly equal to its buoyancy; then the balloon is neutrally buoyant - it does not rise or fall. The challenge is posed in the context of a NASA mission defining several levels of success with a clearly defined launch time. Members of each team collaborate to define a strategy for maximizing the float time of their balloon. At the launch time, all teams release their balloons simultaneously and record their float time. This is a face-paced and fun team exercise that demonstrates principles of gravity and buoyancy.
Indoor Kites In this workshop, participants are introduced to the concepts of gravity, lift, drag, and tension as they relate to aerodynamics of gliders and kites. Participants are guided through a process of constructing an indoor kite with several options for making their own design choices and testing the impact of those choices via hypothesize-test-evaluate design cycles. To facilitate efficient construction of indoor kites, each participant is given a “kite kit” at the start of the workshop with supplies and a partially-built kite.
