Drake


 * 4/9/12**
 * Log Entry #1**
 * Facts about Mars You Need to Know in Order to Get a Rover There**
 * You need a fast rocket to escape Earth’s gravity
 * The heavier the rover, the more powerful the rocket needs to be
 * Every 2 years, Earth and Mars align at the perfect time to get there with the least amount of rocket fuel
 * Total trip is over 300,000,000 miles
 * You need to aim it to where Mars will be when you get there
 * Mars weighs 0.1 as much as Earth
 * Surface gravity is almost half as much as Earth
 * Mars has seasonally changing features
 * Mars has no global magnetic field
 * Polar caps on Mars and Earth are similar

//Ms. Mc: good facts about Mars and its conditions. You were to relate each fact as to how it might impact a rover either getting to Mars or working on its surface (-2). Please be sure to make all additions we discuss in class. Good job! 8/10//

For countless centuries, humans have wondered what it is like out there, out in outer space. Today we can go into space, but that didn’t just happen immediately. It happened over time. It started with the Hero Engine, created by Hero of Alexandria. The Hero Engine was an invention that used steam as propulsive gas, one of the first at that time. From then came Chinese Fire Arrows, which were small explosive fire-powered rockets that were used in the war between them and the Mongols. From then came the first idea of a rocket powered by liquid fuel. This idea proposed by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky is one of the biggest reasons we have rockets like this today. After Konstantin’s idea, American Robert H. Goddard put that idea to the test and successfully launched a liquid fuel powered rocket on March 16, 1926. From there came the Sputnik, the first adventurer into space. This was just the beginning. From then came N.A.S.A., the American space program. So far we have launched a countless amount of rockets, and recently we have launched 3 rovers; Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity. Curiosity is on its way, Spirit has been disconnected since 2009, and Opportunity is still roaming Mars
 * 4/9/12**
 * Log Entry #2**
 * History of Rocketry**

//Ms Mc: Good overview of the history of rocketry. Good to include dates when discussing history (-1). Left out the V2 rockets but really like your addition of the current Mars rovers! Please refer to your figures in your text (i.e., "as seen in Figure 1"). Good job. 9/10//

media type="custom" key="14055550" Instructions to Run Simulation:
 * 4/9/12**
 * Log Entry #3**
 * Scratch Rocket Flight SImulation**

1) Turn sound on. 2) Click the green flag. 3) If simulation doesn't appear, click on the "Learn More about this Project" link above. 4) Click the red button to stop. 5) Enjoy!

Christof- The animations were smooth. One of the few problems had to do with the rocket moving too fast at certain points. It was rather quick during "Coasting." It was rather well done, though.

Tyler- I really liked your rocket ship. I thought you could have made the rocket moving a little smoother, but good job. I really liked your rover.

There are several parts of a rocket. The Launch Lug, the little cylinder, is what aligns the rocket to the launch pad. The Motor is used to propel the rocket. The Fins are used to make the rocket on course. The Motor Mount is what makes sure the motor is in the correct position. The recovery wadding is what protects the recovery system //(Ms. Mc - from what?)// The recovery system is what makes the rocket return safely (Ms. Mc - how?) The Body Tube is a structural part, and the nose cone gets the air to streamline across the rocket.
 * Log Entry #4**
 * Rocket Diagram**

//Ms. Mc: good labels and descriptions but a little more detail needed (-1). Please add a caption with a figure # and title when you upload a file. 9/10//


 * Log Entry #5**
 * Atlas V-541**

The Atlas V-451 was the rocket that brought Curiosity into space. The main parts of the V-451 was the solid rocket motors, which increased the thrust, the fuel and oxygen tanks which were used for the engine, the fuel and oxidizer (also the vehicles brains), and the nose cone, which protected the spacecraft during the ascent. The V-541 was chosen because it has enough liftoff capability for a heavy rover like Curiosity, and rockets like this in the past were a huge success. The V-541 is 58 meters tall and weighs 531,000 kilograms.



//Ms. Mc: good general overview but more detail is needed. What were the names of the parts (i.e., common core booster, Centaur engine) and what exactly did they help the rocket do (i.e., lift off, get into Earth's orbit, send the cruise vehicle off to Mars). (-1.5). Please refer to your figure in your text (-1/2). Also, please include a date with each entry. 8/10//


 * Log Entry #6**
 * Rocket Launch Lab Analysis**

The purpose of this experiment was to see how high a model rocket could be launched. When a rocket is launched into the air, even though gravity is acting on it, the force of the thrusts is greater, causing it to go up in the air. The launch pad is also acting on the rocket. It was hypothesized that if the rocket is launched in the air, the mass will affect how high the rocket goes because if the rocket is a heavier mass, it won’t go as high, and it is the opposite with rockets with a lighter mass. The average mass was recorded to be 44.1 g, and the average apogee was recorded to be 75.5 m, and its 82.6 not including the 18.5 apogee. There seems to be no relationship, as everything differed, even the rockets with the same mass. The hypothesis was not correct as the graph shows that the mass did not matter that much. A couple of errors in this experiment could have been that the angles were off, and the parachutes worked better than others. This was probably what happened with the 18.5 apogee, because it seems like that is too low.

The second rocket launch went fairly well, as the altered rocket only lost an apogee of 1.84 meters (105.4 meters on the second launch, 107.24 on the first), while it gained a mass of 1.7 grams (42.8 grams on the first rocket, 44.5 grams on the second rocket). This big gain in mass could be due to too much glue attached to the newly placed fins. The apogee(s) could be correct, but there also could have been an angle gun error. The flight path stability was also a problem, as it spiraled upwards. This could have been a huge reason to why it didn’t fly as high as the first launch. This could have been because the 3 fins on top were slanted. The rocket also landed on the dugout, which could have been because the rocket was off balance. The center of gravity and center of pressure were both ok.
 * Log Entry #7**
 * Rocket Launch Summary**

Robotics has been here for thousands of years. It is said that robotics began in 350 B.C.E. when Greek mathematician Archytas of Tarentum built a mechanical bird that was powered by steam. It was given the name, “The Pigeon.” Then, in 200 B.C.E., the first Water clock was designed by Ctesibus of Alexandria. From there robotics jump all the way to 1495 where Leonardo DaVinci made a robot that looked like a knight in armor, and it was able to walk like a real human was inside it. Around 250 years later, in 1738, Jacques de Vaucancon created the first automaton, a robot that acted like a living being. One played the flute, one played the flute, drums, and tambourine, and the most famous one was a duck that quacked, moved, flapped its wings and digested food.
 * Log Entry #8 **
 * History of Robotics **

In 1847, George Boole was the very first to display logic in a mathematical form. 41 years later, Nikolas Tesla builds a remote control boat, and demonstrates it in Madison Square Garden. In 1956, Alan Newell and Herbert Simon create the first “expert system,” and it was used to solve difficult math problems. 6 years later the first industrial robotic arm was invented. 4 years later, in 1966, the first robot to realize and react to its own actions was created. In 1977 the classic film Star Wars is released, and it inspires a generation of researchers. In 1999, Sony released the AIBO Robotic Pet. In 2004, 2 rovers, Spirit and Oppurtunity, successfully land on Mars.

So yes, even though robotics seems very modern, it has been here for a very long time. Since the Pigeon, robotics have evolved from a huge amount, and it’s still evolving today.

//Ms. Mc - very good overview but you were to include to figures and refer to them in your text (-3). When you begin a sentence with a number, you need to write it out; i.e., Four). I like how you included the Mars rovers. 7/10//

media type="file" key="dwr robot video.AVI" width="300" height="300"
Video #1: Video of "On the Edge" Program

“On the Edge” is a program where a MINDSTORMS robot moves, and then stops when it is about to go off the table/counter, and say “Watch Out!” The robot begins when it hears any type of sound. This program can be completed with 2 types of ways; the first is to have the robot detect a piece of tape with the light sensor to stop, and the other is to have the ultrasonic sensor detect when it is about to go off the table/counter and stop the robot.

Block 1 – A “Wait for sound” block that tells the robot to only begin when it hears a sound greater than 50. What port? -1/2 Block 2 – A “Move” block that tells the robot to activate servomotors B and C so it moves forward infinitely at 75% power. Block 3 – A “Wait for light” block that tells the robot to do what the next block says when the light sensor detects a light less than 30. Port? -1/2 Block 4 – A “Move” block that tells the robot to activate servomotors B and C so it stops moving. Brakes or coasts? -1/2 Block 5 – A “Sound” block that tells the robot to say “Watch Out!” at 75% volume.

//Ms. Mc - good job! 18.5/20//

**Life on Mars**
Mars has been a main focus on space exploration, with good reason. It is the most earthlike planet, and it is most likely to hold life. U.S. has successfully flown by Mars 3 times, and placed lander modules on it 5 times (6 times if Curiosity lands without difficulties). These landers are: Sojourner (see Figure 1), Vikings 1 and 2, Spirit, Opportunity, and hopefully Curiosity. (Technically, Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity are rovers as they are able to move around the surface and not just stay in their landing location.) There is a massive amount of proof that there could be life on mars. In 1996, scientists found evidence on life on a meteorite from Mars. Water has been discovered on mars. Overall, the chance of there being organisms on Mars is huge.

A microorganism (see Figure 2) is an incredibly tiny organism that has either a single cell, cell clusters, or multicellular complex organisms. I would consider the microorganisms to be alive if they were found on Mars, as they would show all 8 characteristics of life. (and all 8 would be fully functioning)



//Ms. Mc - good in general but you needed to give specific evidence of the existence of water and/or life on Mars provided by the spacecraft explorations of Mars. (-1). You also needed to define the 8 characteristics of life (-1).// //8/10//