A new algorithm is introduced to perform a circle-to-circle orbital transfer using only ion engines in an iterative process, analogous to climbing the rungs of a ladder.  Ion rocket engines are generally much more efficient than their chemical powered counterparts but have orders of magnitude lower thrust.  The iterative nature of the new maneuver accounts for the low level of thrust.  A significant reduction in the complexity and mass of the drive system, and a large increase in fuel efficiency is attained by using only ion engines.  The full time and fuel requirements for a hypothetical mission to move the NASA Pathfinder satellite between the L1 Lagrange points of Earth and Jupiter using the new algorithm and a traditional chemical powered are compared.  The iterative nature of the ion version of the mission could also visit asteroids of interest between Mars and Jupiter as the satellite “climbs the rungs of the ladder.”  All results are in simple analytic form, and suitable for use in a college level course in mechanics.

Service-learning (SL) and place-based education (PBE) blend community-focused activities with reflective learning, helping students connect course content to real-world locations. These approaches enhance understanding, promote civic responsibility, and positively shape students' perceptions of science. General education astronomy courses, often taken by non-science majors, provide unique opportunities to integrate meaningful, hands-on experiences of science learning. We show that, in “The Solar System” astronomy course, both SL and PBE can take many forms that can engage students with scientific practices. Our projects, (1) PBE by involving students measuring skyglow in their local areas and comparing it to readings from the college campus and (2) SL by hosting sky/stargazing sessions for the general community, both which foster local connections and improving astronomical understanding. However, having general education students complete their own science investigations that can connect to astronomy course learning outcomes can also be implemented, increasing student agency. Based on the GEAS project for astronomy laboratory exercises, (3) a student-driven SL investigation of plastic mass, along with water quality, from their hometown beaches, and how these concepts connect to astronomy course outcomes. Our demonstrated activities align with specific astronomy student learning outcomes where students demonstrate their understanding of the scientific process by actively engaging in scientific practices.

The Modern Eddington Experiment (MEE) started in 2017  by utilizing modern telescopes and digital CCD cameras to acquire deflected stars. There were two successful parties Berry/Dittrich (and four students) in Oregon and Don Bruns in Wyoming. The success that Don Bruns obtained gave him the Chambliss Astronomy Award. The Berry/Dittrich execution was not as successful but did achieve determination of the Einstein Coefficient, which demonstrated that the experiment is possible with students. The MEE2024 project was organized, and there was a total of thirteen telescope camera stations at three locations across the path of the April 8 eclipse. The seven stations in Texas were clouded out, but the six stations in central Mexico had modest success, despite the clouds from a subtropical jet stream. They captured several hundred stars on thousands of plates with about 500 GB data in the 4.5 minutes of totality. The team of professors, amateur astronomers and twenty students once again proved that this experiment is very hard to perform but with planning, training, calibration and practicing procedures during totality the Einstein Coefficient can be determined. This second success beckons the call for an even greater execution for the August 2, 2027, and recruitment of the MEE2027 team.