Introduction

Completed

Data plays a huge role in almost every scientific area of study—in today's world more than ever—because we now have massive amounts of data that is often publicly available.

This Microsoft Learn module is the first in a series that highlights the kinds of scientific discovery and data that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) uses throughout their space exploration. From how to leave our atmosphere safely to which rocks astronauts collect when they walk on the Moon, data plays a role every step of the way.

In addition, learning how to explore and understand the massive amount of data that's collected and analyzed can be made easier with the right technology. For example, by using free tools and programming languages such as Visual Studio Code and Python, you can begin discovering more about the universe our planet is floating in and how it impacts your everyday life.

Although this data exploration journey is one that can be lifelong, this first learning path gives you the basic tools to get started, and this module provides the context for why these problems are interesting in the first place.

Tip

This module is part of a multimodal learning experience. Follow along with a video walkthrough of the module in a new tab.

Learning objectives

In this module, you'll scratch the surface (pun intended) of how to start the data exploration. You'll learn:

  • How code and data science plays a role in space exploration
  • Where to find STEM resources for learning more

Prerequisites

  • None