Aly

Facts About Mars You Need To Know In Order To Get A Rover There

 * 40% of Earth’s sunlight
 * South pole covered in ice
 * Made up of mostly iron
 * Olympus Mons; biggest volcano reaching outside of the atmosphere
 * Thin atmosphere
 * Not the same magnetic field
 * Once every 2 years earth and mars are 35 million miles away
 * Long seasons
 * Very rocky sufaces are
 * Frequent dust storms
 * Needs to be rust-proof as Mars' atmosphere contains trace amounts of oxygen which will oxidize iron
 * Mars' surface is covered in craters (hundreds of thousands)and large volcanic mountains so need to pick a smooth landing site
 * Need to know Mars' orbit in order to line up with it
 * Mars has huge dust storms that could damage the rover so we need rover to be able to withstand lots of dust
 * Mars has seasons due its tilt so we need to point rover at sun in order to collect solar energy
 * Need to store energy for the winter
 * Mars is cold (-125 to 25 degrees C) so rover needs to withstand cold temperatures
 * Takes about 214 day to get there or about 7 months to get to Mars
 * Need to launch when planets are close so we don’t need as much rocket fuel
 * Mars has 2 moons so we need to steer clear of them
 * Rover need to be able to steer around the terrain; able to move over rocky and sandy surface
 * Launch window occurs every 2 years
 * Launch to where Mars will be at the time the rocket would arrive at Mars

// Ms. Mc: Good facts about Mars and its conditions. Needed to relate fact to what impact it would have on either getting a rover to Mars or to having it work on Mars' surface (-1). Good additions from class discussion. 9/10 //

History of Rocketry
The first device that came close to the rocket was an aeolipile made in 100 B.C. by a Greek inventor; Hero of Alexandria. The device was a sphere on top of a water kettle, with a fire below the kettle. The fire gave enough energy to the kettle for the water to turn to gas. The gas flowed to the two L-shaped pipes on both sides of the sphere. The pips let the gas escape and with that force the sphere to rotate. This was the only device that had entered the characteristics of a rocket until the Chinese began to experiment with bamboo. In the first century A.D. the Chinese had a form of gunpowder made from saltpeter, sulfure and charcoal dust. They filled bamboo tubes with this mixture and threw them into fires which triggered explosions at religious festivals. Soon they got more interested with gun powder filled bamboo, and attached the bamboo tube to an arrow and shot them with a bow. Quickly they discovered the arrows could launch themselves with the escaping gas, and the first rocket was shot in 1232. This new idea flourished the Chinese with other ideas such as military use. When China was at war with the Mongols, China decided to use the "arrows of flying fire" in the war of Kai-Keng. These arrows were a solid-propellant rocket; the gun powdered filled bamboo tube. After this battle the Mongols produced rockets of their own, which is believed to be the spread of rockets in Europe. All around Europe countries were finding out more things about the rocket, and improving the most recent version. In fact, In 1898 a Russian school teacher by the name of Konstant in Tsiolkovsky began thinking of rockets exploring space. He came up with the idea of using liquid propellants so the rocket could go further. From this idea Robert H Goddard experimented with liquid propellants; leading to bigger rockets and higher distances. Yet, another war came, and rockets were a big tactic for Germany, and the V-2 was created. Even though the rockets did not change Germany's outcome in the war, German scientists fled to the USA and Soviet Union with their plans for missiles. After a long progress of experiments and planning the Soviet Union launched their first satellite into outer space on October 4th, 1957. Soon followed the USA a few months later with their own satellite. The history of rocketry and the expansion of what rockets are capable of is still in process, and new experiments are being conducted to expand their use. //Ms. Mc: Very good summary of the important contributions to the science of rocketry! -1 point for leaving out NASA. Good diagrams too. Please refer to them in your writing (i.e., "as seen in Figure 1, . . .). 9/10//

Scratch
media type="custom" key="14140716" Instructions to Run Simulation:


 * Turn on sound
 * Push green flag to start
 * If needed, press red circle to stop
 * If simulation doesn't appear, click on the "Learn More about this Project" link above

Meghan C: This was an awesome simulation! However, I think it could have run a little smoother. I especially like the end when the air bags are bouncing and skidding :) Nice touch!



As labeled in Figure 1, the nose cone helps with air resistance letting the rocket glide up in the air with the force surrounding the rocket. The body tube is the main compartment holding everything that the rocket needs inside of it. The recovery system is stored in the body tube used so you may receive your rocket and if wanted to reuse your rocket after the first flight, includes parachute and cord. The recovery wadding helps with the protection of the recovery system so the gases from the ejection do not damage your recovery system. The motor mount holds the rocket in its correct spot while the motor runs and burns to create thrust and lift up the rocket. While in this process the launch lug makes sure the rocket goes straight up, and the fins continue the job during flight.

// Ms. Mc: great definitions and labels! Fins help with stability. 10/10 //

MSL Launch Vehicle


The Atlas V-541 is the Mars Science Laboratory launch vehicle. The Atlas V-541 is 191 feet tall or 58 meters, and approximately 1.17 million pounds or 531,000 kilograms. The Atlas was chosen because it had the correct liftoff capability for the large weight requirements. The 3 main components that make that weight in every design are: the nose cone; to help with air, four solid-rocket boosters; to increase the engine’s thrust and one-engine Centaur; helps to power the rocket through Earth’s atmosphere as seen in Figure 1. The Atlas V-541 is a very rocket used by MSL, and has the qualities needed to go into outer space.

//Ms. Mc: Good overview of the launch vehicle. Left out the common core booster (-1). 9/10//

Introduction and Results
The purpose of this experiment was to compare the rocket’s mass to its apogee; the highest point in the flight. It was hypothesized that if the rocket had a greater mass then the apogee wouldn’t be as high because gravity pulls down each rocket to the earth, and greater massed rockets needed more fuel to overcome gravity. If the engines all had the same amount of fuel and if the rocket’s mass was large then most of the fuel would be burned up during lift off and have almost none left for powered flight. Powered flight, or thrust helping rockets go up through the air was a big part in this experiment. If the rocket had little fuel left for powered flight then the rocket’s apogee would decrease. Inertia, the force that keeps an object doing what it is doing helped the rockets during coasting (engine was not running anymore) because inertia kept the rocket moving up.



The mass ranged from 42.8 to 45.9 grams as shown in Graph 1; not much of a difference to really prove that mass affected the apogee. The apogees ranged from 107.24 to 70.0 meters excluding the outlier. The outlier’s apogee was 18. 5 meters, this is because there was a human error with the angle gun, and could have been because of loose fins. The hypothesis was proved wrong with the data relationships between the rocket mass and apogee because the mass and apogee had no relationship. Both Rocket 8 and Rocket 3 had a mass of 42.8 grams, one went 107.24 meters and the other went 70 meters. Rocket 8 went 70 meters went lower than rocket 5, which weighed 45.8 meters. Rocket 7 and 9 had a difference of only .3 grams and had a difference of 6.1 meters, but rocket 5 and 6 had a difference of .1 gram and had a difference of 29.2 meters. The weather could have affected the rockets; however rockets were all fired on the same day with weather conditions of clear skies, light wind and warm. The wind could have affected the outcome of some rocket’s performance, and would have been better controlled in a building.

New Fins


We thought the small fins will not add much mass to the rocket, but will also make the rocket more aerodynamic, but our thoughts were proven wrong when the rocket was launched. This new fin design did not help the rocket reach its maximum apogee. The mass of the newly designed rocket is 33.6 grams; only a difference of .8 grams from the original (32.8 grams). The apogee, however, was a large decrease between the newly designed and kit designed fins.The pack fins had an apogee of 70 meters, on the other hand the edited finned rocket had an apogee of 10.5 meters. We think this is because the new fins at the top added more surface area when the rocket flew up causing it to be top heavy. In result, the rocket shot up, and then veered backwards heading straight towards the ground.

History of Robotics




The history of robotics goes way back, and is still being made. The first robot was made by the Greek mathematician named Archytas of Tarentum in 350 B.C. He built a mechanical bird called "the Pigeon" as shown in Figure 1. This bird was able to function because it propelled by steam. 50 years later, Ctesibus of Alexandria created the water clocks. The water clocks measured time with the force of water falling through at a constant rate. Many years later in 1495 the first real robot was made by Leonardo DaVinci. He created a device that looked like an armored night, while inside machinery was designed to look like there was a person inside.

Soon, in 1938 Jacques de Vaucason began building the automata; self-operating machine in France. During this time he was able to build three (flute player, flute and a drum or tambourine player and the duck). Shortly after, in 1770 more automates (dolls) were made for royalty. Many tweaks and new inventions were made through the 1800's-1900's including mechanical arms, surgical instruments, and sending robots to outer space. On June 10th, 2003 NASA launched one of their rovers "Spirit" to Mars shortly followed by "Opportunity" on July 7th. Almost a year later, Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars (January 4th and 23rd). The history of robotics in still in the making and new robots such as "Curiosity" are extending our knowledge.

//Ms. Mc - very good overview and figures, Aly. What do we primarily use robots for today? (-1/2). 9.5/10 //

Challenge Programming Code and Explanation
media type="file" key="AAH_On the Edge Challenge.AVI" width="300" height="300" Video 1: Video of "On the Edge Challenge"

General description of the challenge? -2

Microphone Block: The microphone block tells the robot to move when it hears sound. How loud of sound and which port? -1

Action Block: The action block tells the robot to move unlimited after it hears the sound. Which ports? -1/2

Light Detector Block: The light detector block tells the robot that it needs to respond to a difference in light. What port and what amount of light? -1

Action Stop Block: The action stop block tells the robot to stop once there is a difference in the light. Will it brake or coast? -1/2 Ports?

Speak Block: The speak block tells the robot to say "Watch Out" after the robot stops. How loud? (-1/2)

//Ms. Mc - good overall but missing some details. 15.5/20//

Mars Life
Space Exploration has been very active, especially on Mars because it is thought to be the most like Earth, but is it?



Between 1960 and 1980 many spacecraft were sent to Mars, about 11 sent between US and Soviet Union. An orbiter (Mariner 9) took many pictures (around 7,000) and it showed a history of wide spread volcanism, ancient erosion by water and reshaping by internal forces. Mars has had water, but was their any left? Scientists were determined to find the answer in the 1980-current time.



Many rovers and orbiters were sent to Mars recently testing the land and minerals. Mars Global Surveyor, an orbiter systematically mapped the properties of Mars including gravity, magnetic fields, surface mineralogy and surface topography. Mars Odyssey, also an orbiter mapped the other properties such as chemical composition of the surface, physical property of near-surface materials and the distribution of near-surface ice. From this data, neutron measurements stated the polar regions were iced. The Mars Express orbiter found vast fields of water ice along with Carbon Dioxide ice at the south pole, and that contains permanently frozen water. Spirit and Opportunity were the first rovers to discover big evidence on Mars while testing the minerals, and opportunity found rocks that appeared to be laid down by the edge of an ancient body of salt water. Mars Reconnaissance orbiter took images of dark streaks that appeared to be salt water flowing downhill. The orbiter also found clay that revealed that Mars had a warm distant past. The most recent rover, Phoenix, found water ice below the surface of Mars and alkaline soil. Recently meteorites have proven ancient life on Mars. In 1996 a group of scientists found a meteorite, where they found bacteria, hydrocarbons, mineral assemblage and magnetic particles. Scientists debate where there was life on Mars, or if there wasn't, and this will never be resolved until direct evidence of organic remains.

There are 4 different states of an object; dead, dormant, alive, and non-living. The characteristics of life are: Dead is when an object used to have all 8 characteristics, but now is not capable of having them. (May have them but they no longer are functioning.) Dormant is when an organism can have all 8 characteristics, but not all of them are there. (All are there but not all are fully functioning, -1/2). Non-living is when the object does not have all 8 characteristics, and they can't have all, but can have some and will never be alive or dead. Alive is when the organism has all 8 characteristics of life. Micro-organisms or microbes are single cells or a group of cells that complex organisms.
 * Made of cells (fundamental units of living things)
 * Needs materials (water, minerals, air)
 * Homeostatic (staying the same inside no matter what is going on on the outside)
 * Responding to stimuli (causes organism to react)
 * Reproduction (sexual [2 parents] or asexual [on parents; cellular division])
 * Growth (new parts, shrinking, getting bigger)
 * Adaption (modifications according to climate)
 * Respiration (breathing, chemical food bonds, ingestion, producers)

// Ms. Mc - great overview of the findings of the spacecraft exploration and how you would classify a Martian specimen. 9.5/10 //