Peter Salovey President | Yale University
Peter Salovey President | Yale University
Yale astrophysicist Marla Geha has launched a free online course titled "Rocket Science for Everyone," which has quickly gained popularity. During a visit to U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs, Geha was inspired to make her Yale course ASTRO160 available to a wider audience. The course covers basic concepts of rocket science and space satellites, and it is aimed at non-science majors.
The online version debuted over the summer and saw more than 10,000 enrollments within its first two weeks, with the number now exceeding 12,500 participants. Offered on Coursera, this five-hour course is designed to be accessible and engaging, incorporating animated demonstrations and straightforward explanations of complex topics like Newton's Laws of Motion and Tsiolkovsky's Rocket Equation.
Ted Wittenstein from Yale's Jackson School of Global Affairs recognizes the course as an essential resource for understanding modern reliance on satellites. He plans to integrate parts of it into his upcoming class on global security.
Geha's initiative emerged from her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic when she adapted her classroom teaching for virtual platforms. Her efforts have been supported by Yale’s Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning team, who helped refine the content for online delivery.
Following the success of "Rocket Science for Everyone," Geha is contemplating developing a more advanced class focused on orbital dynamics.
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