Emma

=**4/10/12** = =**Log Entry #1 Fa****cts about Mars** =

// Ms. Mc: Good facts about Mars and its conditions! You were to relate each fact to how it would affect either getting a rover to Mars or how it would work on Mars though (-1). God job, overall! 9/10 //
 * ==Mars is the 4th planet from the sun ==
 * ==There are two polar ice caps with frozen water and Carbon Dioxide ==
 * ==In the past there could of possibly been life because there was liquid water (dry riverbeds, minerals only found in water) ==
 * ==Solid rocky planet ==
 * ==In the habitable zone with earth ==
 * ==Has large concentrations of iron oxide ==
 * ==** Very thin atmosphere ** ==
 * ** Years go by twice as long **
 * ** Rovers sent there are powered by solar energy **
 * ** Need enough fuel to get enough thrust to leave earth’s gravity **
 * ** At its closest, Mars is 35 million miles from Earth so we want to launch when they are closer so we get there quicker **
 * ** Takes about 7-8 months (214 days) **
 * ** Launch window occurs every 2 years **
 * ** Mars gravity is about 1/3 of earth’s **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Mars has strong seasons due to its tilt so need to be able to store energy for the winter **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Temperature is cold ( - 125 go 25 degrees C) so rover would need to withstand these temperatures **
 * **<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 21px;">Large sand/dust storms that can clock the sun so may be difficult to always use the solar panels for energy production **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** May also block communications **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Rover needs to be a “dust- proof” as possible **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Make rover sturdy to minimize need for repairs **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Mars surface is rocky, hundreds of thousands of craters, large mountains, and the largest canyon in the solar system **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Mars had polar caps made out of frozen carbon dioxide and water so need to land away from these. **

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=**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 21px;">Log Entry #2 **=

==<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** The first device to employ technology that is used in modern rockets was the hero engine. The hero engine works by a sphere on top of a water kettle, being turned by the water below it which is being powered by the fire lit below. The sphere rotates when the water boils. It has thrust because of the steam pushes through the two ** tubes coming out of sphere. Like what a rocket uses to launch. Later in the history of rockets in 1232 the idea of **them spread to china when they were at war with the Mongols. When the idea of rockets started the Chinese were at war with each other and so they saw it as a weapon. They would take a “rocket” that was attached to a stick that was used as a rudimentary way of steering the rocket to hit your enemies. Even before that they would simply attach the ro**c**ket to an arrow and shoot them.** ==

[[image:cascience7-2012/Hero_Engine.jpg width="225" height="201" caption="Figure 1: Hero steam engine "]]
**In 1898 a Russian school teacher Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was the first person to propose the exploration of space through rocketry. In a report he said that the use of liquid propellants for rockets would achieve greater range. For his ideas he has been called the Father of Modern Astronautics. On March 16, 1926 Robert H. Goddard conducted an experiment in rocketry. He had built a liquid-propellant rocket. It flew for two and a half** **seconds, climbed 12.5 meters, and landed 56 meters away. It was the first liquid- propellant rocket flight, and the forerunner of a whole new era in rocket flight.** **Later lots of small rockets were created such as when the Germans created the V-2 rocket, which was used against London during World War II. The V-2 rocket was made to be a weapon and when launched could take whole city blocks. It stunned the world when the Soviet Union launched a satellite** **called Sputnik I. The satellite caused a race between the two nations, Soviet Union and the US. The US followed with a satellite of its own, Explorer I. The United States organized a space program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Rockets have evolved from gunpowder machines launched and mounted on sticks to billion dollar machines that launch people into space.** // Ms. Mc: Great summary and drawings! Please refer to your figures in your text (i.e., "as seen in Figure 1"). 10/10 //

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 21px;">media type="custom" key="14087784"
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 21px;">4 / 10/2012  **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 21px;">Log entry #3 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 21px;">Intructions to watch simulation: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 21px;">1. Turn on sound. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 21px;">2. Click on green flag to start. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 21px;">3. To stop click red stop sign. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 21px;">4. If simulation does not appear click on the learn more about this project link. **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 31px;">**Charlotte: I really liked the cool sound effects at the beginning. I didn't like how your rocket moved sideways, though. Overall, I thought it was great though- especially the cool pictures.**

<span style="color: #432a09; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 31px;">Anneka: I really liked the green alien in the end. However, I don't think you should have made the mars picture show so long before the rocket appeared. I also really liked the beginning lift off.

4/16/2012

Entry #4: Rocket Parts


Each part of the rocket helps it launch. The nose cone breaks the air around the rocket and streamlines. The body tube is the structure of the rocket and holds everything in. The recovery system is a device that will recover your rocket after it has launched. The Recovery Wadding protects the recovery system from the heat and gasses from launching. The launch lug guides the rocket off the launch pad. The motor mount will hold the motor in place. The fins on a rocket help guide the rocket. A rocket motor is used to power the rocket and thrust it upwards.

//Ms. Mc: Great diagram and definitions. Don't forget to add a caption to your uploaded files and refer to it in your text (-1/2). Also, don't define a term with its name (i.e., recovery system above) (-1/2). 9/10//

Log entry #5
The Atlas V-541 launch vehicle will lift the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft from Earth to Mars. The Atlas V rockets are launch vehicles. The height of the rocket is 191 feet or 58 meters (19 stories!) and it is a whooping 1.17 million pounds which is 531,000 kilograms. The thee numbers in its name are designating the nose cone, four solid rocket boosters, and the one Centaur upper stage engine. In the name it says that the 5 stands for 5 meters in diameter nose cone, four solid rocket boosters, and one engine. As seen in Figure 1 : Atlas V 541 parts, the rocket also has the fuel and oxygen tanks used in ascent. The Atlas rocket motors are used to increase thrust, and the Centaur engine is used to steer it. The nose cone is used to part the air and let it through. The Atlas rocket was chosen to complete this mission because it has the capability to lift the heavy weight requirements of the mission. Currently Curiosity the rover is coasting to Mars and will arrive on August 6, 2012.

Ms. Mc: Good overview and diagram of the launch vehicle. The Centaur engine gets the rocket into orbit and then sends the cruise vehicle with the rover off to Mars (-1/2). Please include a title with your entries. 9.5/10

= = =4/25/2012= =Log entry #6= <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">The purpose of this experiment was to see if the mass of a rocket affects the height of the rockets apogee in flight and vice versa. When the rocket is resting on the launch pad the force from the launch pad and the forces from gravity are acting upon it. When the rocket launches the thrust from the engines push it upwards and overcome the force of gravity. When the rocket goes into powered flight the force of thrust pushes it forward and the force of gravity and air resistance are lower than the thrust from the engines. When the rocket coasts the rocket is moving on its inertia and nothing is pushing it forward, air resistance and gravity will eventually slow it down. Apogee is its highest point of flight and gravity will pull it down. Then it descends to the ground from the force of gravity. Thrust affects the rocket by pushing it up and launching it off the ground. When it does this is opposed gravity which pulls the rocket down to earth. Air resistance slowed the rocket down until it eventually stopped then gravity pulled it down to earth. It was hypothesized that if you add or subtract weight on a rocket then it will either reach a higher total flight and a lower total flight if the rocket was heavier, because it will be easier for the thrust of the engine to push up a light rocket, and harder for one to push up a heavy one. It is easier to lift a light object because it is easier to overcome its inertia (an object’s will to not change motion) therefor a heavy object would be harder to lift.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Rocket Launch Lab Analysis **

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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Apogee data as you can see in Graph #1 consisted of 8 heights in meters; the heights are 78.1, 67.5, 67.5, 62.5, 62.5, 62.5, 57.7, and 38.4. The rocket masses were 44.1, 44.8, 46.2, 44.8, 42.9, 44.3, 43.6, and 44.6. The changes between the independent and dependent variable did not affect the height of apogee. There was no clear upward or downward trend. As it shows in the data points (apogee 62.5 m and a mass of 46.2) had the same apogee of rocket (apogee 62.5 m and mass of 44.1) who had different masses but still had the same apogee so there is no relationship between apogee and mass of the rocket. The rocket that flew 38.4 meters and the rocket that flew 78.1 are outliers because they are so far from what the other rocket flew from which was around 60-70 meters. The hypothesis was proven wrong as it said that if the rocket was lighter it would have a higher apogee. The results showed that there was no relationship between the variables. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">There could have been an error in the experiment because of different launch conditions. Different placement of fins could cause it to react differently to launch. Location of launch could have affected the apogee. When measured apogee was measured with angle guns, different people and different angle guns measured the apogee so it could have been affected by that. The launch lug could have been clogged so the rocket did not launch the same way as other rockets. Wind at launch could have affected the apogee.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">4/30/2012

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Log Entry #7 <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Rocket Re-Design Lab

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The smaller fins will have less of a mass and the flat bottoms of the fins will hopefully help with accuracy and stability. With the stability increased a more clear launch flight will be achieved allowing a higher apogee to be reached. As seen in Figure #1 the design is smaller and flatter than the normal fin design. The beginning mass was 42.9 grams and the redesign mass was 42.8 grams so basically the same mass. The first launch apogee was 67.5 meters. The re-design flight would not be measured because of a faulty engine and a launch lug that was to close to a fin. Since we did not have the re-design apogee we could not compare the apogees but things that could have affected it were mass, the number of fins, shape of fins, placement of fins, center of gravity, center of pressure, and flight path stability.

History of Robotics
=== Robotics starts as early as 350 B.C when the brilliant Greek mathematician, Archytas built a mechanical bird that was run by steam. Then in 1495 the brilliant Leonardo DaVinci designs a mechanical device that looks like an armored knight (as seen in Figure 1). It is designed to make the knight move as if there was a real person inside, and the first real robot was created. === People were becoming even more interested by robots and later Issac Asimov's said that the Three Laws of Robotics were to be: 1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Then in 1977 a breakthrough when the Deep space explorers Voyagers 1 and 2 launch from the Kennedy Space Flight Center. In 1994 robots were well known and becoming a sport. Marc Thorpe starts Robot Wars. The first node of the International Space Station is placed in orbit in 1997 and in the same year the Pathfinder Mission lands on Mars. Its robotic rover Sojourner goes onto Mars soil. In 1998 LEGO releases their first Robotics Invention System, MINDSTORMS. Robots are now everywhere. Some like the rover "Spirit and Opportunity" (as seen in Figure 2) go to mars and help see if there is possible life on mars. Robots are in our daily lives and are the normal for our race. From here many more robots will appear and we will have even more robots in our lives.

[[image:cascience7-2012/oppurtunity.jpg caption="Figure 2: Oppurtunity Rover "]]
//Ms. Mc - good general overivew of early robotics and space robots. How are robots primarily used today? (-1/2). Good figures and captions too. 9.5/10//

5/17/2012 Log entry #10 "On the edge challenge"

This "On the edge challenge" is designed for a rover on mars. If the rover came across a crater or drop off using this they would sense the drop and stop before they fell in.

media type="file" key="elb_rovervid.AVI" width="300" height="300" Video #1: "On the edge challenge"



Block 1 - a wait block that instructs the robot to wait until it senses a sound using the sound sensor attached in port 2. How loud of sound? (-1/2) Block 2 - a loop block that is used to repeat sequences of code. It says to the robot to keep on moving unlimitedly until it senses a change with the ultrasonic sensor in port 4. Block 3 - a movement block telling the rover to move forward at 75% power unlimitedly. What ports are the motors connected to? (-1/2) Block 4 - a sensor block saying to use the ultrasonic sensor in port 4 and if something is sensed to go out of the loop. Block 5 - a movement block saying for the rover to stop. Block 6 - a sound block saying to the robot to play the sound file "Watch Out" at 75% volume 1 time.

// Ms. Mc - good explanation. The rover was supposed to start when you said "go." (-1). 18/20 //

**5/20/2012** **Log Entry #9** **Summary of Curiosity's Mission and Instruments**

The rover (Curiosity) is a mobile laboratory. Its assignment is to: Investigate whether conditions have been favorable for microbial life and for preserving clues in the rocks about possible past life. Curiosity is different from past rovers because of its payload of scientific gear to collect and analyze rocks on the surface of the planet. It is the most advanced so far and is 10 times as massive as those of earlier Mars rovers. In landing Curiosity will be using a new method of a Sky crane which differs to what has been done before. Curiosity is around 2 times as long (10 feet) and five times as heavy as the past rovers Spirit and Opportunity (as shown in Figure #1). Curiosity resembles them from its six-wheel drive, a rocker-bogie suspension system and cameras mounted on a mast. The rover's power will not be by solar panels this time but will be supplied by electrical power. This power will be supplied by the U.S. Department of Energy radioisotope power generator. It produces electricity by the heat of plutonium-238’s radioactive decay. This power source is long lived and will last a Mars year (687 Earth days). The scientists will communicate with the rover by radio relays via Mars orbiters.

Overview of Curiosity instruments - In Figure #2 it is shown were all the instruments are placed on the rover. Sample Analysis at Mars is a collection of instruments that will analyze samples of material collected on Mars. SAM includes a mass spectrometer, a gas chromatograph, and a tunable laser spectrometer. It will identify a wide range of organic compounds and find the ratios of different isotopes of elements. The CheMin will examine samples collected by the robotic arm. It will identify the minerals in the rocks and soils, and to measure the composition. On the robotic arm the Mars Hand Lens Imager will take super close-up pictures of rocks, soil and ice. The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer for Mars Science Laboratory is located on the arm of the rover and will find how much of different elements there are in the rocks and soils. The Mars Science Laboratory Mast Camera is mounted on the rover and will take images and videos of the rover’s surroundings. The instrument ChemCam will use a laser to vaporize layers of material from Mars rocks. It will have a spectrometer to see which types of atoms are excited by the laser, and a telescope to take images of the area. The laser/telescope will sit on the rover’s mast. The Radiation Assessment Detector will see how much radiation the environment on Mars has. The Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument is to measure subsurface hydrogen up to one meter (three feet) below the surface. The Sample Acquisition/Sample Preparation and Handling System has tools to collect dust from rocks, scoop up soil, drill into rocks and collect samples from rocks, sort samples by particle, and bring samples to other instruments. //Ms. Mc: Excellent overview! 10/10//

//6/3/2012// //Log entry #11// //Life on Mars//

Life can survive in a wide array of conditions. It can survive deep-sea vent temperatures over 1,000 °C, and in very saline and acid environments. The conditions on early Mars were Earth-like. So when Earth and Mars exchange materials life could be transported with it. Life may have been originally on Mars or started from Earth. A Martian meteorite showed signs of a bacteria like object. Sadly it was then proved that there were plausible explanations for the observations saw on the rock that show that the "bacteria" may not have been alive. Scientists are trying to find microbial communities instead of intelligent life. Now the search for life on Mars is focused on liquid water. Life as we know it relies on it so if we find liquid water we might find life. They need to find warm enough conditions for the water to constantly stay in liquid form. There is now evidence that on early Mars there was liquid water. Mars is the planet we will most likely one day visit. It is the most earth like of the planets, and it is the most likely to develop life.

Mariner 9 (as shown in Figure 1) went up to monitor surface changes on mars.There was a possibility that these changes were biological. Mariner 9 returned 7,330 pictures covering 80 percent of the surface. It found a history of volcanism, erosion by water, and the reshaping of areas. The rover Sojourner reached the surface and then the mars global surveyor arrived and mapped the planet from orbit. After that it then led to the launch of the Viking landers, they completed experiments to detect organic molecules, when there search came back with nothing the idea of life on Mars started to become implausible.



The Mars Odyssey found that the polar regions contain huge reservoirs of water ice. Then the Mars Express orbiter detected fields of water ice as well as carbon dioxide ice at the south pole. The south pole permanently contains frozen water. Spirit and Opportunity rovers found evidence of past water. A most famous discovery when Opportunity found a group of rocks that appeared to have been laid down at the shoreline of an ancient body of salty water. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took photographs of streaks that appeared to be salty water flowing downhill after it had melted during the Martian spring. The Phoenix landed in the north polar region of Mars. It had a chemical laboratory to study the arctic soil. It found water ice underneath the surface of Mars and alkaline soil.

A microorganism (as shown in Figure #2) is a microscopic organism that is made up of either a single cell, cell clusters, or multicellular relatively complex organisms. If a sample of microbes was found on Mars it could be classified as dead, alive, non - living, or dormant. For something to be alive it would have to have all the characteristics of life which are has cells, reproduces, grows and develops, uses energy, responds to stimuli, uses materials, has homeostasis, is adapted, and has respiration. For something to be dormant one or more of those characteristics would have to be slowed or not working. But if certain conditions were achieved it would have all 8 characteristics. For something to be dead it would have to have been alive at some time and now does not have all 8 characteristics. If something was non - living it never was alive and never will be.

// Ms. Mc - excellent entry and photos! 10/10 //