[jcr]

Now that is an interesting question... And unfortunately, I'm totally unqualified to even attempt answering it. Finding CS folks in space research is less difficult than sighting bigfoot, but they are still a fairly rare breed.

Your best bet is contacting folks at NASA, JPL, and possibly SpaceX, then asking them directly. NASA is especially keen on promoting education geared towards space research, and of course, they'd know the answers to your questions.

One fun thing you might want to try is tweeting one of the astronauts currently on the ISS. They often answer education-related questions.

Good luck!

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/about/

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/