Starting January 2021, the College will offer a two-week, study abroad course on Earth’s celestial satellite. The private space transportation company, SpaceX, will shuttle a group of 20 students to the Moon, where the shuttle will serve as home base. Their classroom, however, awaits outside the airlock.
“This is an unparalleled and exciting opportunity,” said physics professor Glenn Piner, who will lead the trip. “We are very grateful to SpaceX for making this JanTerm course a possibility. There’s still much to explore on our nightly neighbor, and two weeks of immersive investigation will give our students an experience they’ll never forget.”
On the lunar surface, suited-up students will explore everything from the breathtaking Vallis Alpes crater to the vast, dark Ocean of Storms, the largest dark region of the Moon formed by molten rock. Though the course focuses on physics, students of any major are encouraged to join.
The trip will also include a short visit to the International Space Station, where students will gain real-world experience engaging with a globe-spanning group of scientific minds.
“We live in an ever-increasingly global world, and what better way to give our students a global viewpoint than from orbit?” said Vice President for Academic Affairs Darrin Good. “You’ve heard astronauts describe how being up there changes your perspective. That’s right in line with our mission as a College.”
Expenses will be covered by the generosity of donors and the Global Poet Scholarship, which offers all Whittier students $2,000 to study abroad.
