Taylor

**Log Entry 31** **Facts you need to know in order to send a Rover to Mars** Fact Sheet on Mars
 * 4/9/12**
 * When the rocket is sent, Earth and Mars need to be aligned because, of the less distance and time to travel
 * You need to shoot the rover through and rocket, the bigger the rover, the bigger you rocket needs to be
 * Your aim has to be accurate so the rocket lands on the planet
 * Mars has polar caps
 * Not the same magnetic field as earth
 * Sky is covered in reddish dust
 * Temperatures can change from negative 250 degrees to 250 degrees
 * Large craters
 * Dust storms
 * Half the size of earth
 * Seasons just like earth
 * Only 44% of sunlight
 * Takes eight months to get there
 * Needs good attraction to the surface
 * Temperature can change dramatically within a few feet

// Ms. Mc: Good overview about Mars but needed to relate the fact to how it would affect getting a rover there. (-2). Good additions from class discussion. 8/10 //

** 4/9/12 ** ** Log Entry #2 ** ** Rocket History ** What did our rockets start out as? Where did they come from? Who created them? The first rocket ever created dates back as far as 100 B.C. It was created by a Greek inventor and was called the Hero (Figure 1). It worked by boiling water, turning it into steam, and turning a gold sphere around.

Years later the Chinese started to experiment with their gunpowder. They began to place it in bamboo tubes and attach it to arrows. This is when the first true rocket was born. Time went and what we now think of the rocket to look like began. In the 20th century, Germany began to develop rockets. They came up with the V-2 rocket (Figure 2). It used a mixture of oxygen and liquid.

Later the U.S. and the Soviet Union became interested in space travel. The Soviet Union launched a satellite into space. A few months later the U.S. created the NASA space program. Soon, many things were being launched into space by rockets. This is the history of our rockets.



//Ms. Mc: Good general history of rocketry. It's always good to include dates when talking about history (-1). Is the second figure, your own drawing? (-1/2). Like how you referred to the figures in your writing! 8.5/10.//

**4/9/12** **Log Entry #3** **Scratch Rocket Flight Simulation**

media type="custom" key="14053874"

Instructions for space simulation
 * 1) Turn on sound
 * 2) Click the Green Flag to start
 * 3) Click the Red Octagon to stop
 * 4) If simulation does not apear,

Fiona- I love your rover and your rocket! Maybe check your spelling and grammer on the definitions. All of your definitions are good though and make sense. Laura : Good job! there were a couple of spots that where confusing like at the beginning of lift off and while the rover was landing, so there should have been just a couple more tweaks you could have done on your video, but other than that and the spelling on the definitions, you did a very good job, very colorful. :)

**4/16/12** **Log Entry #4** **Rocket Parts**

There are 8 parts of the rocket. The first part is the nose cone. The nose cone is what guides the rocket. The second part is the body tube. The body tube, is the main part of the rocket. The third part is the recovery system. Its purpose is to land the rocket safely, and be able to use it for multiple times. The fourth part is the Recovery wadding, which protects the recovery system. The fifth part is the launch lug, which guides the rocket straight up, off the launch pad. The sixth part is the fins, which keep the rocket traveling straight. The seventh part is the motor mount, which holds the motor of the rocket in place. The last part of the rocket is the Motor, which is the non-reusable thrust for the rocket.

// Ms. Mc: Good general description and diagram. A little more specific information for the nose cone and the body tube would have helped (-1). For example, the nosecone cuts through the air to reduce drag and the body tube holds all of the internal parts of the rocket and gives it structure. -1 pt. late for the descriptions = 8/10 //


 * 4/18/12 **
 * Log Entry #5 **
 * V-541 Rocket **

The V-541 Rocket is made of 4 major elements. The first element is the First Stage V rocket. Its job is to power the rocket. The second major part is the 4 solid rocket motors, which increases the engine thrust. Following that, there is the third piece. It is called the Centaur, which helps the rocket get out of Earth's orbit. The last part of the V-541 Rocket is the Payload Fairing. Its job is to protect the spaceship form Earth's atmosphere. The V-541 Rocket was chosen for the mission because, it could hold a large weight mass. The rocket weighs about 1.17 million pounds, and is about 191 feet tall. //Ms. Mc: Good summary of the main parts and their function. A little more detail would be good. Also don't forget to refer to your figure in your text. 9/10//


 * 4/25/12 **
 * log entry #6 **
 * Rocket Launch Lab Analysis & Write-Up **

**INTRODUCTION**

The purpose of this study was to find if the mass of the rocket affects the apogee of the flight.

Before and during flight, there are forces acting upon the rocket. The first is when it is on the launch pad. The force of the launch pad is pushing it up, while the force of gravity is pulling it down. These forces are equal, so the rocket does not move. The next step in the flight is the lift off. The force of thrust is pushing up and the force of gravity is pulling down, and they are acting upon each other. The rocket rises off the launch pad because the force of thrust is greater. During powered flight, the same forces are acting upon each other; accept air resistance is pulling the rocket down as well. The thrust of the rocket is still greater the force of air resistance and gravity. Next is the apogee. During the apogee nothing is acting upon the rocket, so it stays at rest.

It was hypothesized that the weight does affect the height of the apogee, because due to inertia, the larger the mass, the harder it is to move an object. Also, the heavier the rocket, the more thrust is used at one time to move the rocket this causes the thrust to run out faster.



**RESULT SUMMARY**

After conducting the experiment, we collected a range of data for both the mass of rocket, and height of flight. The range of mass was between 43.5 g., to 47.2 g. The height of the apogee ranged from, 71.3m., to 142.8 m. After collecting the data for the experiment, there was a trend. The relationship for the data was an inverse relationship (seen in Graph #1). This means that as the weight of the rocket went up, the height of the apogee went down.

Once the experiment was conducted, it was proved that the hypothesis was correct. The lowest mass which was 43.5 g, had the highest apogee of 142.8m. The greatest mass which was 47.2 grams had the second lowest height of 100 m.

The relationship between the data is an inverse relationship. While conducting the experiment, there might have been some things that ould have affected the experiment. The weather on one day was different then the other. The wind of the weather could have veard off to the side. Also, there might have been an angle gun error. If this happend, the height of the rocket would be incorrect.

**4/30/12** **Log entry #7** **Rocket Fin Design for Maximal Altitude (Apogee) Lab**



I think that using six fins in this flight, will allow the rocket to have a higher apogee because, the fins will give the rocket more guidance. I think that this will work because, the new three fins are placed in the gaps above the old three fins. I think that keeping the shape of the fins will work, because even though they might have more mass, the shape still guides the rocket well.

The mass for my group's for rocket was 45.0 grams. After the fin redesign, the rocket had a mass of 57.1. On the day of conducting the experiment, the rocket had engine failure. This meant that the rocket could not lift-off.

**5/3/12** **Log entry #8** **History of Rockets**

The history of robotics starts from a long time back. In 250 B.C., a Greek mathematician Archytas, builds a mechanical bird that runs on steam. 150 years later in the year 200 B.C., a Greek inventor named Ctesibus of Alexandria designed the water clock. Up until then the Greeks used hour glasses. The clock changed time due to the amount of falling water at a constant rate.

Later, in 1783, Jacques de Vaucanson built the automata in Grenoble, France. People ate food while they watched different animals move (seen in figure #6), and play music. In 1898, Nikola Tesla build a remote controlled boat, at Madison square garden. In 1977 Stars Wars, came out (seen in figure #7). This movie had many robotic machines that fascinated the audience. In 1999, Lego released the Robotic Discovery Set, Droid Developer Kit and the Robotics Invention System. This history of robotics has led us to the technology we have today.

// Ms. Mc - good general summary but it could have used a litle more about how we use robots. I like that you included Lego Mindstorms. 9/10 //

The purpose of this challenge, was to have the robot detect things, then stop itself. The robot went forward on the table. Once the robot got to the edge of the table, it was to stop itself, and say watch out. How did it start? -1/2 media type="file" key="trh_on the edge.AVI" width="270" height="270" Caption? -1/2
 * 5/17/12 **
 * Log Entry #10 **
 * On the Edge **

Block 1 - a movement block that tells the robot to activate servomotors B and C so it moves forward for unlimited at 75% power. This block isn't needed. -1.5 Block 2- when a sound is heard, it tells the robot to move. What port and how loud of sound? -1 Block 3- A stop block that tells the robot to stop servomotors B and C. This block isn't needed. -1.5 Block 4- a movement block that tells the robot to activate servomotors B and C so it moves forward for unlimited at 75% power. Block 5- when the sensor identifies the blue tape. This is an ultrasonic sensor connect to port 4 that detects distance. When the distance is greater than a certain amount, the robot does the action specified by the next block. -1. Block 6-a stop block that tells the robot to stop servomotors B and C. By braking or coasting? -1/2 Block 7-a sound block that tells the robot to say, watch out. At what volume and how many times? -1/2

Ms. Mc - Good start but missing some parts. 13/20

We are still unsure of whether or not there was life on Mars, at this point in time, but we have found evidence that proves the possibility, that there could have been once been life. Not only the U.S., but the Soviet Union, has sent probes to Mars. These probes have collected photos. Some of these photos label the evidence erosion caused by water. Water is one of the things that can sustain life. Viking, a Mars rover, was sent to mars specifically to find extraterrestrial life. Then, in September of 1997, the Global Surveyor of Mars had mapped many properties of the gravity and magnetic fields, on the planet, surface topography, and surface mineralogy. Next, in October of 2001 the Mars Odyssey discovered neutron measurements that had showed that the ice caps on the North Pole of Mars, had reservoirs of water. Later, Beagle 2 went to Mars with more instruments, and found water ice and Carbon dioxide in the South Pole. This was just like what Odyssey had found in the North Pole. This was a big discovery, because the things that were found in the poles are on Earth’s poles as well. Not only did Beagle find the water and Carbon Dioxide, but also found sulfur-rich deposits and clay materials. A few years later in January, 2004, Sprit and Opportunity, both found evidence of water in the past. One of the main discoveries between these two rovers was made by Opportunity. She had sent photos back to Earth of rocks laid down. This could have been on the shoreline of a salty body of water, from Mars’ past. At last the U.S. Phoenix probe had landed in Mars’ Polar Regions, and found water ice underneath Mars. We hope that Curiosity (seen in figure #1) will give us more evidence of life on Mars, and answer the question of life on Mars.
 * 6/4/12 **
 * Log Entry #10 **
 * Life on Mars? **

Now that we have a better understanding, of what is on Mars, the new rover Curiosity will be searching for Microbes, or micro-organisms (seen in figure #2). Now you may ask, what is a microbe? A microbe is an organism that is microscopic. This means that we can only see it with a microscope. It is a single celled organism that shows all 8 characteristics of life. So if we are looking for life on Mars, we need to know that characteristics of life. There are 8 of them in total. First, they must be made up of cells. Cells are the fundamental units of any living things; they have many parts, and can sometimes be organized. Living things also need materials, such as water, minerals, and air. Living things that these materials from the environment that they are in. They also have homeostatic, which means that internally living things stay about the same internally despite environmental changes. Another characteristic of life is that they respond to stimuli, which is anything that causes a living thing to react. Living things can also reproduce, sexually, or asexually (cellular division). They can also grow, meaning that they get bigger in their size. Another Characteristic of life is that they can adapt, meaning that they can make modifications to suit its way of life. The last of the 8 characteristics, is that they have respiration, which is releasing energy stored in the chemical bonds of sugars. After learning about what a microbe is, if it were found on Mars, I would classify it as living. It would have all eight characteristics of life, therefore being a living thing. // Ms. Mc - very well-written and complete! Remember, in order for an organism to be classified as "living," it must have all 8 characteristics of life and all 8 must be fully functioning. 10/10 //