Technological Developments and the Exploration of Space Science 9 Unit E Technological Developments and the Exploration of Space

Getting There: Technologies for Space Transport To escape the pull of Earth’s gravity an object must travel at a speed greater than 28 000 km/h Therefore, to launch spacecraft and satellites into space, we need powerful rockets

Early Rockets Robert H. Goddard was the first person to successfully launch a liquid-fuel rocket in 1926 This rocket would serve as a prototype for all other major rocket designs

The German V-2 In 1942, Werner von Braun and his team of researchers designed the V-2 liquid fuel rocket, which was the first rocket to ever leave the atmosphere After World War II, von Braun worked for the United States in its space program

Sputnik On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first manmade satellite, Sputnik One month later, the Soviets launched a dog named Laika into orbit

Vostok and Mercury Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space in 1961 aboard Vostok 1 Alan Shepard was the first American to enter space later that year

Gemini The American Gemini program involved more advanced work, such as spacewalks and docking with other craft during flight

Apollo The purpose of the Apollo program was to land a person on the surface of the Moon This was accomplished on July 20, 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fn2lXKzddg

Skylab Skylab was the first space station to orbit the Earth In 1973 and 1974, three missions visited the space station It crashed into the sea near Australia in 1979 The Australians fined the US $400 for littering (the fine has not yet been paid)

The Space Shuttle In 1981, the first Space Shuttle was launched This new vehicle was reusable – previous rockets used single-use capsules

The International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit. It is a modular structure whose first component was launched in 1998. Now the largest artificial body in orbit, it can often be seen with the naked eye from Earth The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology,humanbiology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and other fields.  The station is suited for the testing of spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon and Mars

Orion On December 4, 2014, Orion will launch atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex Flight Test on the Orion Flight Test: a two-orbit, four-hour flight that will test many of the systems most critical to safety. In the future, Orion will launch on NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System. More powerful than any rocket ever built, SLS will be capable of sending humans to deep space destinations such as an asteroid and eventually Mars. Exploration Mission-1 will be the first mission to integrate Orion and the Space Launch System. http://youtu.be/aHRuyNXuLxg

Rocket Engines A rocket engine relies on Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion – For every force there is an equal and opposite force In a rocket engine, the force of expanding gases from combustion pushes down through the engine nozzle, and the rocket moves in the opposite direction

Rockets consist of 3 parts: Structural and mechanical elements, such as the engines, storage tanks, and fins The fuel, which may vary in form and composition The payload, which may include people, food, water, air, or machinery

Current and Future Propulsion Systems Current rockets use liquid fuels, such as hydrogen and oxygen Future spacecraft may use ion propulsion, where electrically charged xenon is accelerated by an electric field

The ion drive produces very little force, but that force is sustained over a long period, producing great speed These types of drives could be used to move vehicles in space, not to launch them from the Earth Solar sails may also be used These consist of a large, thin reflective surface that uses the momentum of photons from the Sun like a wind This would cause the ship to move

http://www.teachertube.com/video/2006-space-shuttle-launch-118729 We’re going to Space.

Surviving in Space

Think about it! What things do you think people need when traveling out to space? Make a list of 10 item you may need for your trip out to space

Surviving There: Technologies for Living in Space Space is a hazardous place to live Planned missions to Mars would require living in a hostile environment for two or three years

The Body and Microgravity The human body is not designed for a microgravity environment In weightless conditions, bone density is lost and muscles tend to weaken because of the lack of force The effect of weightlessness is being studied aboard the ISS

Space Suits Space suits are specially designed to keep astronauts alive in the vacuum of space They provide air, water, heating and cooling and even a portable toilet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhBT-zlZdVQ

Living in Space Because it is inefficient to constantly provide new materials to a space station, many things are recycled The ISS uses devices that can recycle 100% of the water in the station

The Environmental Control and Life Support Systems aboard the ISS have a number of functions: Recycling of water to produce drinking water Using recycled water to produce oxygen (through electrolysis) Removing CO2 from the air Filtering micro-organisms and dust from the air Keeping air pressure, temperature and humidity stable

ISS Recycling

Think about it! How long can you really survive in space? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjkrqMm52JI What do they do with the waste from space? Make rocket fuel? http://youtu.be/5JPuaRBTMK Can we survive on Mars? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYQMbnAqY30

Science 9 Unit E Society and the Environment are Affected by Space Exploration and Technologies

The Risks and Dangers of Space Exploration Space exploration is very hazardous There have been several deaths associated with space flight, including the destruction of the Apollo I capsule (on the launch pad) and the Space Shuttles Challenger (shortly after launch) and Columbia (upon re-entry)

Due to the risks involved, much planning and training goes into manned missions Limited supplies of fuel and oxygen, as well as dangerous radiation, floating debris and meteoroids must be dealt with In particular, space junk is a growing problem Every spacecraft that is launched leaves little bits of junk in space Even a tiny bolt, screw or bit of paint moving at thousands of kilometers per hour can punch holes in spacecraft

As well, space debris can fall to Earth In 1978, a Soviet satellite crashed into the Great Slave Lake area in NWT During re-entry, the disintegrating satellite showered radioactive debris from its power plant over a 124 000 km2 area The clean-up carried out by the Canadian and US military cost about $15 million

Environmental Hazards Space is a vacuum, with no air or water As well, deadly radiation and the risk of meteoroids are constantly present Temperatures in space can rage from extreme heat to freezing cold In the vacuum of space, our heart would not beat and the low pressure would cause your blood to boil instantly

Psychological Challenges On a long mission, crew members would have to live in very close quarters (less than the size of this room) for months or years This can lead to psychological problems

Issues Related to Space Exploration Space exploration is very expensive – it costs billions of dollars per year Many people suggest that the money would be better spent somewhere else (such as healthcare and education) Others argue that space exploration is necessary because it may help us to find improvements to our way of life here

Space and its Resources Space may have numerous resources to offer It is estimated that a single 200 000 tonne asteroid could yield $350 billion worth of resources

As well, if we found fuel and other resources needed for space travel in space, it would be much cheaper to travel to other planets For instance, rocks on the Moon could be used to obtain both hydrogen and oxygen (both of which are used for fuel)

Issues with Space Exploration and Exploitation There are several issues to consider with space exploration and the use of the materials found there: Political: Who owns space? Who has the right to use those resources? Who will determine how space is used?

Ethical Is it right to spend money on space exploration when it is needed here on Earth? Do we have a right to alter materials in space to meet our needs? How can we ensure that resources will be used to benefit all of mankind instead of only one nation or group?

Environmental Who is responsible for protecting space environments from alteration? Who is responsible for cleaning up space junk, and who should pay for it? One possible solution is to treat space like Antarctica In 1959, the 12 countries that had bases on Antarctica agreed that “Antarctica shall continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord.”