SPACE And SHUTTELS

BY RAJ KISHORE PANDA

The Basics of The Space Shuttle

Learn about:

1.The history of Rocketry. 2.How the Shuttle gets into space. 3.The Shuttle in orbit: physical

laws and environmental concerns.

4.What must occur to return to Earth.

The History of Rocketry

Use cooperative learning to: • Research the history of space. • Create a timeline to reflect this. • Discuss the following:

What were the driving forces for early rocketry discoveries?

Recent History

How did those early objectives change as the race for space exploration developed?

What have the changes in objectives been in recent history?

What uses do you see for the space shuttle for future missions?

The Space Shuttle: An Engineers Viewpoint

Assign engineer teams to:

Investigate the engines used by the Shuttle. Investigate the propellants used by the Shuttle. • What specific propellants are used? • What size is the engine used? • What are the reasons and concerns that surround these choices of engines and propellants? • What safety features are implemented?

Engines and Propellants

Assign students a “Think, Pair, Share” style of Cooperative Learning to discuss briefly the need for the complex engines and propellants used by the Shuttle and the dangers involved with this mixture.

Where is the Shuttle Orbit?

Have cooperative groups construct a paper model of the graphic illustrated in the video.

Complete with: • sea level • Mt. Everest • airline travel heights • the two shuttle orbit heights

Have students re-create this as close to scale as possible.

Staying in Space is Not That Easy

Weather and environment are important concerns in space. Use online data…

Compare the “weather” outside the shuttle (go to NASA’s website to get data) to that outside your school building today;

• Temperature High / Low • Humidity • Barometric Pressure

The Environment On Earth

Use websites, books, and other modules to research the elements of our atmosphere on earth.

What elements must be replicated to insure the astronauts survive?

The Environment On Board The Shuttle

Create a poster project explaining what elements are important to humans and why.

Have students design a skit explaining how NASA re-creates Earth conditions in space.

Staying In Orbit

Compare Sir Isaac Newton’s ideas on gravity with Aristotle’s beliefs.

Freefall Or Orbit?

Compare the phenomenon of freefall with that of orbiting.

Weightlessness

• Write a fictional short story about your experience with weightlessness. • Brainstorm the effects of weightlessness.

The Speed Of Orbit

How has travel changed in the last 150 years? What scientific inventions have helped this progress?

Jigsaw modes of transportation in mankind’s history.

Conclude with how this progress set the stage for space travel.

Problems Created By Orbiting

Have students discuss the following:

• How would astronauts need to adjust their sleep patterns? Why? • What daily routines would astronauts need to keep? • What special adjustments would need to be made to accommodate “normal” life aboard the Shuttle?

Gravity And Weightlessness

Divide students into lab groups:

• Discuss the effects of gravity on Earth.• Discuss the effects of gravity in space. • Perform lab experiments on gravity.

Lab Ideas

• There are a lot of gravity experiments

on the web.

• •  Stop the video and view the module titled “Toys in Space” for creative

labs.

Returning To Earth

Use a model to demonstrate to the students what it looks like when the Shuttle slows down to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. Discuss:• How the Shuttle slows down. • What happens to the trajectory of the Shuttle. • What happens upon re-entry. • How the Shuttle is landed.

Space Basics

It takes a lot of power to push the orbiter through the atmosphere and into space.

The Orbiter has to go very fast to stay in space.

In order to return to Earth, the Orbiter must slow down and allow gravity to pull it out of orbit.

Happy Landing.