Jan. 8 – Space Exploration Challenges and Spinoffs

Learning Goals: Understand the challenges and positive outcomes of space exploration.

Success Criteria: You can describe some of the challenges, including health issues faced by astronauts.  You can also describe various technology spinoffs from space exploration that we use every day.

Handouts: Space Travel Challenges and Spinoffs

Watch this impressive video of the space shuttle taking off:

Here are the stages of a space shuttle launch,

 The Shuttle Program has been retired, but there are plans to replace it with a new type of rockets called Ares:

Most rockets used chemical fuel, but new types of ionic thrusters are being developed.  It should remind you of the Chemistry and Electricity units.  Have a look at how this thruster works from the video on this site:

http://www.space.com/22916-nasa-ion-thruster-world-record-test.html

The first space tourist was named Dennis Tito, who went up with Russian rockets to spend time on the ISS.  He was the first non-astronaut to take the trip and paid $30 million for the honour!

Virgin Galactic plans to offer tourist flights to space for a much cheaper cost of $250 000.

Once in space, the human body faces many challenges.  Blood begins to pool in the upper body and legs become thinner.  Refer to the handout for a more health complications.

Watch this video and notice how weak the astronauts look when they land.  You can see that Chris Hadfield is carried over to his chair because he can't walk right away after returning!

Spinoffs are technologies designed for space travel that become useful on Earth in our every day lives.  Without research in space, many modern advances would not be possible.  This image shows some examples.  For more examples, visit this interactive site designed by NASA:

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/nasacity/index2.htm

Homework: 

• P. 373 # 2, 5, 7, 10
• P. 382 # 3, 4, 6, 7, 10
• P. 391 # 1, 4, 8, 9