Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byAlbert Lindsay Modified over 10 years ago
1
Study Guide Mission to Mars
2
Contents Astronauts Going to Mars People in space Space food Newton’s Laws of Motion Landing on target Vasimr rocket Designing space suits
3
Who sends U.S. astronauts to space? N.A.S.A. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Cosmonauts are Russian
4
What are we looking for on Mars? Evidence of life Resources – Water (ice at the polar caps, beneath the surface) – Minerals, other resources Possibility of our colonization
5
Cosmic rays (sub atomic particles from exploding stars) cause cancer. Earth is protected by a magnetic field. Meteorites attack ship walls, need foam insulation Storing and growing food, recycling water Radiation storms: You have to immediately go to a safe area on the ship where the radiation cannot penetrate. Weightlessness: Muscles can atrophy (weaken) without the effect of gravity. Food floats around. Soda pop won’t stay carbonized (gas and liquid separate). Problems in sending people to Mars
6
Designing Space Suits for Mars Our bodies need pressure to keep gases in our blood and lungs from boiling Air pressure makes the suit very stiff Shrink wrapping?
7
Storing food on a space ship Only solar power; no freezers or refrigerators, can only warm food (can’t boil water) Foil = heavy; plastic = lets air/moisture in Need very long-term storage techniques: – Thermostabilizing (heating in a sealed package to kill bacteria) – Freeze drying (freeze, put in a vacuum, remove water) – Irradiation (treat with ion radiation to kill bacteria) – Dehydration intermediate moisture rehydratable what we did!
8
Newton’s Laws of Motion Absorption Acceleration Force Mass Law #1 Law #2 Law #3
9
Newton’s Laws of Motion: #1 An object at rest tends to stay at rest; an object in motion tends to stay in motion and will travel in a straight line until it meets with a force. Our landers don’t slow down on their own. They keep falling until they hit the floor.
10
Motion – or Not Inertia: the tendency for an object to remain at rest Momentum: the tendency for an object to remain in motion
11
Newton’s Laws of Motion: #2 F = MA or Force is equal to Mass times Acceleration We must decrease mass and acceleration to decrease force of our landers hitting the floor. F=MA×
12
Newton’s Laws of Motion: #3 For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. We need to cushion the lander’s impact to reduce the bounce reaction.
13
Force Definition: Energy required to move, stop, or turn something; strength or impact, ability of moving objects to create impact Decrease by: – Reducing size and weight of the object (mass) – Slowing down the object (acceleration) – Softening the impact (absorption)
14
Mass Definition: Density; how close the molecules are Decrease by: – Using few, small parts and lightweight materials – Reducing mass reduces force of impact – NOTE: adding features to reduce acceleration or absorb impact (parachutes, soft materials) will increase mass
15
Acceleration Definition: Speed of a moving object, particularly increasing speed. Acceleration that does not change is called “constant velocity”. Decrease by: – Catching air in parachutes – Using a broad base to reduce aerodynamic shape and increase turbulence, moving around the force of air – Decreased acceleration reduces force of impact
16
Absorption Definition: Reduction of force by transferring energy to other areas through flexibility, cushioning, or spreading out force Increase with: – Flexibility: material returns to original shape after impact – “Crumple zone” to cushion force – Broad base to spread force over a larger area
17
Landing on target Improve safe landings (not on the side of a cliff or in a ravine) Put equipment close to where you want to conduct experiments
18
Vasimr Rocket Definition: Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (radio waves, propellant, and magnets make a plasma thruster) Importance: – Coasting is slow (6 mo.) – Can’t turn around in emergency – Vasimr: to Mars in 39 days – Uses VERY hot plasma as fuel – Magnets keep rocket from melting
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com. Inc.
All rights reserved.