Space Exploration P2

Grade 9

What coordinates did people give to accurately measure the position of stars in the sky?

Azimuth and Altitude

Azimuth

The angle measured clockwise from north

Altitude

The angle measured above the horizon in degrees

Zenith 

The point directly above the observer (has the altitude of 90°)

Label the diagram

Astrolabe 

An instrument used to measure the altitude and azimuth of a distant object 

How do you measure azimuth and altitude?

Azimuth ~

• Use a compass to identify North 

• Hold the astrolabe and align it with North 

• Use alidade to identify and record the angle between North and the star 

Altitude ~

• Hold the astrolabe vertically at eye level and align the 0° with the horizon

• Use the alidade to identify and record the angle upwards from the horizon

Alidade 

The part of an astrolabe that rotates 

Percentage of Error

When you take or use measurements to do triangulation there may be human error

What is the formula to calculate the percentage fo error?

% Error = Model distance- Actual distance/ Actual distance x 100

Explain how you would complete this problem: Lily measured the angle to a distant star, and record 45°. The real theoretical angle is 44.76°. What is Lily’s percentage of error? 

Start with the formula of %E=MD-AD/AD x100

Enter in the numbers given by the question 

Calculate the formula and get the answer 

Ellipse

Shaped like a squished circle

In what shapes do our planets orbit?

The planets orbit in ellipses around the sun

Who calculated the orbits of the planets?

Kepler

What did Galileo observe?

• Observed that Jupiter has many moons, so Earth could not be the only centre orbited by foreign objects

• That the moon has craters

• That the sun has sunspots, suggesting that it rotates

• That stars are much farther than we originally thought 

Who figured out why the planets orbit in ellipses? 

80 years after Kepler proposed the idea, Newton explained why they orbit in ellipses- came up with the Universal Law of Gravitation

What does gravity do? 

Gravity between objects pull them together, when no force acts on them an object will move in a straight line at a constant speed 

Universal Law of Gravitation 

All objects attract other objects based on their mass (explains the planets elliptical orbits) 

Label the diagram 

Who studied sunspots?

British astronomer Richard Carrington

What did Carrington observe?

In 1859, Carrington descried that the sun can release intense bursts of radiation (solar flares). These can disrupt signals and influence the northern lights.

Who is Richard Tousey?

Another scientist who studied the sun and observed that the sunspots will occasionally eject large masses of energetic, magnatized plasma during solar flares.

Solar winds

High energy particles that stream off the sun

What protects us from solar winds?

The atmosphere

What is the Hertzsprung Russell?

A graph that plots stars based on their luminosity and temperature

Label the diagram

What kind of star is our sun?

Our sun is a red giant

Rocket

A tube that contains a combustible material in one end and a payload on the other

Payload 

A device or material that the rocket carries (e.g. explosive, device, person, etc.) 

Nose cone

Helps the rocket moves slowly

Guidance system

Steers rocket

Engines

Provide thrust for lift off

First stage 

The main body, contains fuel 

Exhaust

Gases pushed out by engine

Label Diagram 

Staged rocket

A stage is a section that drops off once the fuel is used up, remaining part is lighter, flys faster and higher 

Gravitational assist

A method of acceleration which enables a spacecraft to gain extra speed by using the gravity of a planet

Why was gravitational assist developed?

We are unable to send heavy spacecrafts on long journeys (fuel runs out) 

What are Voyager 1 and 2? 

Space probes built by NASA in the 1970s that used gravitational assist

Describe Voyager 1s journey

Faster, reached Jupiter in 1979 and went to Saturn

Describe Voyager 2s journey

Slower, fixed path, reached Jupiter 4 months after Voyager 1, later going to Uranus and Neptune and now visited farther out planets

Artificial satellite

A device made by humans (e.g. spacecraft or telescope) that will stay in orbit

Naturally occurring satellite

Not man made (e.g. moon or Earth around the Sun) 

Geosynchronous orbit 

These satellites move in the same direction as Earth’s rotation, are synced with Earth’s orbit (takes 24hrs to orbit Earth). They appear to be motionless from Earth’s surface 

Low Earth Orbit

Placed 200-800km above the ground, completes one orbit around Earth in about 1.5hrs (circles Earth faster than it rotates) 

Remote sensing

The science of taking measurements from space (or any planet)

GPS stands for

Global Positioning System

GPS

A fleet of GPS satellites above Earth and small handheld GPS on Earth can help you calculate your position in 30 min

How many GPS satellites are above you at all times?

3

Label Diagram

What are the effects of microgravity on the human body? 

Humans experience weightlessness due to weak gravity. This can cause a decrease in bone density, muscle atrophy, coordination concerns, cardiovascular concerns (weakened heart, produces less plasma in space) 

What are the effects of temperature in space on the human body?

Without a protective atmosphere temperatures can be very hot or very cold. This isn’t always survivable and protective equiptment is required

What are the effects of oxygen in space?

There is barely any, we need to bring O₂ supplies. Reduced oxygen can cause dizziness, impaired judgment and death

What are the effects of air pressure on the human body in space? 

Space has no air pressure, unprotected human cells will expand/burst. Fluids in the human body will heat more easily and gases dissolved in bodily fluids are released 

What happens to food and water in space? 

There are no natural food and water source, food must be made, brought or grown in space. Water must be conserved and recycled (This is very hard todo and is expensive) 

What is the effect of radiation on the human body in space?

We have very little protection from forms of radiation in space. Radiation can effect all cells in the human body and can cause cancer, cataracts, and cardio vascular concerns

Space junk

Satellites that are no longer used and other debris left in space as waste

What dangers can space junk cause?

Can collide with spacecrafts and active satellites (dangerous and can cause damage)

What can distance, isolation and confinement cause? 

Astronauts can cause physcological and mechanical difficulties/problems. They can experience low morale or depression, decline in cognition, and difficulty with sleep and supplies 

Primary Life Support System 

PLSS, Provides O₂ and pressure to the suit 

Secondary oxygen

Supplies O₂ if primary oxygen fails or runs out

Cuff checklist

Instructions for during a EVA

EVA stands for

Extravehicular activity, going outside a space craft

Helmet and Visor

Regulates temperature and O₂ and pressure in the head area protects from sunlight/ UV

Display and control module

Controls the PLSS

In suit drinking bag 

Water supply during a EVA 

SAFER

Similar to a jet pack if the astronaut becomes detached during an EVA

Tethers

Keeps astronauts attached during an EVA

Communications cap

Allows for easy communication (radio or internet) during a EVA

Liquid cooling and ventilation suit 

Absorbs heat when need or provides heat when astronaut is cold, wicks sweat away from skin

How can most hazards in space be mitigated?

By a space suit

Label diagram

Label diagram