Rachel+L

facts about mars you need to know in order to get a rover there.

 * Is a rocky, mountainous planet; with a thin atmosphere.
 * The surface is iron-rich soil.
 * Mars is half the size of earth, but has no water or life.
 * The surface pressure is about 1/100 th of earths.
 * The temperature range is from -190 degrees to 75 degrees F.
 * There are many craters, canyons, and volcanoes on mars.
 * Orbit inclination of 1.85 degrees
 * Needs to be "rust proof" as mars' atmosphere which contains trace amounts of oxygen which will oxidize iron.
 * Mars surface is covered with craters (need a smooth landing sight.)
 * There are seasons due to its tilt so to point rover at sun in order to collet solar energy.
 * Need energy for winter.
 * There are huge dust storms.
 * Takes 214 days or about 7 months to get to mars.
 * Need to launch when planets are close so we don’t need as much rocket fuel.
 * Launch window occurs every 2 years.

//Ms. Mc: Good facts about Mars and its conditions. Were to relate each fact to a concern either about getting a rover to Mars or having it operate on its surface (-1). Good additions from class discussion! 9/10 (Please make the date, entry # and title in "heading 2." I did this for you.) //

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">__The history of modern rocketry__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The history of rocketry dates way back to ancient times. The early Chinese civilization had a different view of rockets, the purpose of them was not for space exploration, but for religious ceremonies and warfare. The early idea of rockets came from a machine to boil water, from the Greek inventor, Alexandria. the hero engine uses steam to power the sphere to rotate using steam and fire, to make the object move. This idea was transformed into what the Chinese used to have celebrations. From firecrackers, an English monk took the idea of gunpowder and launching it, and turned it into model rockets with solid fuel.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">After this drastic change in how rocketry was seen, the technology used to launch rockets increased rapidly, and constantly changed the way we see rockets today. After the thought of launching rockets with solid fuel, the thought of launching with more combustible fuels came along. The use of liquid and gas fuels got the rocket further and with more power. Other drastic changes in thought of rocketry was the thought of space exploration. This was none the less successful, and led to more explorations, and discoveries of space and science.

//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Ms. Mc: Good general overview, however, more specific details were needed like dates and the names of the inventors (-1). Also, need more information about modern rocketry (i.e., V2s, Sputnik, and NASA) (-2). Good diagrams. Please refer to figures in your writing (i.e., "as seen in Figure 1"). 7/10 (Please put a horizontal rule between your entries.) //

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Scratch Rocket Flight Simulation
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">media type="custom" key="14055594"

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">instructions to run simulation <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">1. turn on sound <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">2. click green flag to enjoy <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">3. If the simulation does not appear, click on the " Learn More about this Project" link above. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">4. enjoy!

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Katie - I liked your presentation, but your parachute looks unrealistic. I liked the way the rover moved like it was actually roving Mars. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Rachel J- I loved your rocket! It was so cute! I would suggest turning the rocket a little bit after it's left earth, but you did a great job with the transitions.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: 17px;">Entry #4:
Nose cone : guides airflow around rocket, for air resistance, or less drag. Body tube: is the main structural part of the rocket, which encases the recovery system, recovery wadding, motor mount, and motor. Recovery System: device to get the rocket back safely to earth. A parachute is typically used to bring the rocket back safely. Recovery wadding: Is used to protect the recovery system from the fuel burning in the motor, and excess gases. Launch lug: is used to guide the rocket straight up at a 90 degree angle off of the ground for accurate flight. Fins: are used to guide the rocket, and to keep it going straight. Motor mount: is used to keep the motor in place. So during flight the motor doesn't fall out. Rocket Motor: is a safe non reusable motor, which is used to thrust the rocket off of the ground for lift off. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">

// Ms. Mc: great definitions and labels! Please include a date and title with your entries. 10/10 //

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: 39px;">Log Entry #5:
The Atlas V 541 is a great example of modern technology. It is actually a lightweight rocket with a mass of only 1.17 million pounds. With only four parts to the rocket, the height of it is 191 feet. The four parts of the rocket consist of the Atlas V rocket, solid rocket motors, stage 2 centaur, and payload fairing. Each part has a different purpose. As seen in figure 1, the payload fairing is encasing the rover, as a protective cover during the spacecraft's ascent into Earth's orbit. The Atlas V rocket provides fuel and oxygen for the ascent into earth's orbit. Stage 2 centaur is used to fuel and be an oxidizer and is the vehicle's brains. It fires twice, once is used to insert the vehicle spacecraft stack into low earth orbit, and then get it again to accelerate the spacecraft out of earths orbit and then to mars. The solid rocket motors are used to increase engine thrust. <span style="color: #ec34f0; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 40%;"> Ms. Mc: Good overview. Please be sure you are writing in your own words. You were to refer to your figure # in your text (-1/2) 9.5/10

Log entry #8 5/3/12 <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 80%;">Robotics started in 350 B.C. by a Greek mathematician, who made a bird that was powered by steam. This was known as the first robot. Later the water clock was invented, and was very popular, the water clock was used as part of religious ceremonies and theatrical productions. After the water clock, A mechanical contraption, built by Leonardo Davinci, was made to look like a knight in armor, and was used to entertain royalty (as seen in figure one). Inventions like Davicini's followed, such as the flute player, which was mechanical, and could play twelve songs. A Duck was also created from mechanics, it could walk, quack, flap it's wings, and even eat and digest food. These mechanical creations were made by Jacques de vaucanson in 1738. In 1801 Joseph Jacqard built an automated loom, controlled by punch cards. Later punch cards become a controlling device in early computers. In 1898 Nikola Tesla Creates the first robotic boat that could be controlled from an outside source. <span style="font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 80%;">In 1956, Alan Newell and Herbert Simon created "The logic Theorist." Or the first calculator. In 1966, Richard Greenblatt created the first software that could think on it's own. The software allowed the user to play chess with the computer. This was the first computer game. The chess software was able to beat even the chess masters, all by the power of it's own control. In 1977, people become more interested in robotics since the production of Star Wars, which stared two famous robots, R2-D2, and C-3PO. After the film was released the famous deep space explorers Voyagers 1 and 2 launched from Kennedy space center. In 1981 the first direct drive arm was built, the direct drive arm was a motor in the joint of the arm, which makes the arm much faster and more accurate. In 1997 Pathfinder, a mission to Mars lands on mMrs in July and sends data from the planet until September. In 1998 LEGO releases their first robotics software, Mindstorms to the public. In 2004 on January fourth, the rover Spirit lands on Mars (as seen in figure two), and a few weeks later, Opportunity lands on Mars on January 23, and roam Mars. //Ms. Mc - good overview and figures. Be sure to give your figures captions that include a # and title (-1/2). 9.5/10//

//Log entry #6// <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The purpose of this experiment was to see if the mass of a student made rocket affected the apogee of how high if flew. During the launch there were different forces acting upon it. While the rocket was sitting on the launch pad, gravity was acting downward on the rocket, while the launch pad acted against gravity, to keep the rocket where it was. Gravity is a force that acts on objects earth. Gravity is the attraction between an object and earth. The heavier mass of the object on earth, the greater the pull of gravity to keep the object on the surface. When the rocket was in flight, the forces acting upon the rocket were thrust, gravity, and air resistance. Thrust acted upward, forcing the rocket to accelerate upward, because the forces of thrust were greater than the force of gravity, and air resistance which acted downward on the rocket. Thrust is a force created by engines in the rockets. Air resistance is a force that acts in the opposite direction in which the object that is acted is moving. Another force that acted upon the rocket was inertia. Inertia is the force that kept the rocket suspended in the air for a brief moment during the rockets apogee. Inertia is when the forces are balanced, and the rocket and gravity become equal. It was hypothesized that rockets with a lower mass with have a higher apogee than a rocket with a higher mass. This was hypothesized because gravity has a greater pull on heavier objects, and since all of the rockets will have the same amount of thrust power, it came to the conclusion that lighter mass rockets will have a higher apogee.

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<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The masses of the rockets ranged from 42.2- 45.9. The range of the apogee height was from 53.2- 107.24. All of the rockets flew correctly accept for rocket number 4, which was an outlier. The rocket veered off course for a much lower apogee. If the rocket were to have flown correctly, it would have risen about eighty feet higher to be an average in the set of data. The hypothesis made was proven correct. The rockets with higher masses did not fly as high as other rockets whose mass was lighter. Heavier mass rockets had the lowest apogee not including the outlier. Example that also prove the hypothesis are rocket three, it had one of the lightest masses, and was the rocket with the highest apogee. Another rocket that proves this hypothesis was rocket number six; this rocket had the lowest apogee, aside from the outlier, and had the heaviest mass. In conclusion the hypothesis was confirmed, and rockets with lower masses will have a higher apogee.

<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Log entry #10 <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;">media type="file" key="robot video.AVI" width="300" height="300"

Caption? -1/2 General description of the challenge? -2

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the first block was the sound sensor, this sensor, once it had heard a noise, it would tell the robot to move. (What port and how loud of sound? -1) That is what the next block is, once the robot has detected sound, it will move forward. (What port and sensors? -1) It will move forward until it saw the line on the edge of the table, and that is what the third block is. The Third block shows the light sensor. The light sensor is when the robot senses the dark line, the robot knows to stop moving (What port and how much light? -1/2). T he fourth block shows the robot not moving. The fourth block is the brake, this sensor tells the robot to brake once it has detected the dark line. The fifth and final block is the noise sensor (not a sensor but the sound block), this sensor knows to make noise once the robot has processed that it has stopped, and detected the dark line. The sensor will say "watch out" while the robot is at rest. after the robot has said "watch out" the robot programming is complete, and the robot will stay at rest. (How loud will it say "watch out?" -1/2)

Ms. Mc - good overall just missing some details. 14.5/20

Log Entry #11

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In the early and late 70's, and 80's scientists sent missions to mars to find life. They tried sophisiticated experiments to see if there was metabolism and organic molecules. Through these numerous tries, no organisms came back positive as living. Despite these set backs, there were other ideas that had an optimistic view, to try to see if there was life on mars. Scientists recognized that some organisms thrived in these harsh conditions. Also, they know that the bombardment between earth and mars millions of years ago, created life on this planet as we know it today. scientists have found pieces of mars on earth, so it supports the fact that life once or could be living on mars.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Since earth can sustain life, and if materials from earth do exist on mars, then scientists concluded that it is becoming more and more possible that mars can, or could sustain life. In 1996, scientists were shocked to discover evidence that supports Martian life, from the samples they collected from a Martian meteorite. This was questioned as faulty, and there are plausible other explanations and ideas for this conclusion. We are still on the search for life on mars today.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A micro-organism is a microscopic organism that is made up of one cell, or is a cell cluster (as seen in figure #1). Micro organisms are essential for nutrient recycling ecosystems. They act as a decomposer. They live in all parts of earth, they range from living in liquid water, to soil, and hot springs, and even on the ocean floor. If a sample from mars, were to have microbes in it, it would depend on what kind of microbe would be in the sample, because some microbes are classified as living and others are not. If the sample had a living microbe in it, such as bacteria, or algae then I would classify the sample as alive. Because the sample is partly living, then, it has to be alive since it is being sustained.





<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The eight characteristics that all living things must have in order to be alive are, they are made of cells, need materials, homeostatic, respond to stimuli, reproduce, grow, adapt, and respiration. To be made of cells the organism must be composed of living cells, that are bonded together, or are fundamental units of living things. To need materials, living things must their surroundings, like using, oxygen, drinking water, ect. Homeostatic means the organism must can stay the same composition throughout, even though the environment around them, may change ie. Weather, temperature, ect. (as is seen in figure #2, the person still stays the same even in the rain.) To respond to stimuli, the organism has to react to the environment around it, the life form can either move towards or away from the stimulus. To reproduce, the organism must be able to create offspring of their own kind. There are two ways to reproduce, sexual, and Asexual. Sexual reproduction involves two of one kind of species to create an offspring, while Asexual only involves one organism to create an offspring. To be living an organism must be able to grow. Growing is developing it from a simpler to a more complex form. Organisms also must be able to adapt. For them to be able to adapt, they must be able to make modifications to suit their way of life. And finally, all living organisms must have respiration. Respiration is releasing energy stored in bonds stored in sugars- (or foods), for example cells use oxygen to release the energy stored in food molecules from digestion.

//Ms. Mc - very good discussion of the characteristics of life but you didn't provide much evidence of water or life existing on Mars from the spacecraft missions to Mars (-1). 9/10//