Helo, Mars!
Objective Apply trigonometric ratios to the NASA Mars Helicopter Scout so that flight data such as climb angle and average speed can be calculated given initial flight parameters. Vocabulary • Slope: The angle the rille wall makes to the horizontal. • Above Ground Level (AGL): The altitude as measured from the local area. • Altitude: …
Methane in the membrane (Producing rocket fuel on Mars)
Vocabulary • Carbon (C): Element with a mass of 12 g/mole • Hydrogen (H): Element with a mass of 1 g/mole • In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU): Taking advantage of a planet’s natural resources to supplement a space mission • Low Mars Orbit (LMO): The minimum altitude above the Martian surface necessary to maintain a stable …
The thrill(e) on the Rille
Vocabulary • Depth: How deep the rille is. • Distance: How far from the edge of the rille to its center. • Rille: A collapsed lava tube that resembles a small canyon. • Rope Length: The amount of rope needed to descend Hadley Rille. • Rope Weight: The mass of the rope per standard length. …
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Vocabulary • Focal Length: The distance between a curved mirror and its Focal Point • Focal Point: The position where all reflected light inside the telescope focuses to a point of light • Focal Surface: The place where the Focal Point converges to • Primary Mirror: The larger of the two curved mirrors that reflect …
Gliding a spaceship back to Earth
Vocabulary • Altitude: The distance a spacecraft is above a given point on the ground • Distance From Spaceport: The ground distance from the edge of the runway to the spacecraft • Glide Distance: The distance the Landing Laser measures to the spacecraft • Glide Slope (Ø): The angle a spacecraft makes to the horizontal …
The new Eagle has landed (via the Boeing Space Tug)
Vocabulary •Landing Kit: Includes the lunar landing legs, infrastructure, landing radar, etc. •Lunar Investment: The amount of money needed to fully fund a mission to the Moon •Lunar Material: A certain substance that can only be found on the Moon •Powered Ascent Initiation (PAI): The lunar liftoff ∆V requirements equal to 1,890 mps •Powered Descent …
Fly me to the Moon (on the Boeing Space Tug)
Vocabulary Crew Module (CM): The part of the spacecraft where the astronauts live and work Crew Module Weight: The total weight of the CM including provisions and the crew Crew Size (Crew): The total number of astronauts needed to conduct a specific space mission Dry Weight (m1): The weight of the spacecraft fully loaded excluding …
City in the sky: A cheaper space station from Bigelow
Vocabulary • BA-2100: A Bigelow module. Volume: 2,100 m3. Weight: 100 mT. Crew: 16, Cost: $500M. • BA-330: A Bigelow module. Volume: 330 m3. Weight: 25 mT. Crew: 6. Cost: $125M. • Falcon Heavy: An expendable launch vehicle from SpaceX. Payload: 53 mT. Cost: $150M. • Propulsion Bus/Docking Node (PB/DN): A unit used to reboost the space station due …
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No…it’s a spaceplane!
Vocabulary • Latitude: The number of degrees north (or south) from the equator. • Orbital Altitude: The height above Mean Sea Level of an orbiting spacecraft. • Orbital Inclination: The angle that an orbit makes as it crosses the equator. Narrative Across the pond is an innovative rocket company that toils away in relative obscurity …
Delta V and the GRAVITY of the situation
In the recent film release, “Gravity,” astronauts are left stranded at the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) after a pretty horrific accident. Since one of the astronauts was wearing a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), they used the nifty apparatus to get to the International Space Station (ISS). We like this movie, even though many space blogs …