Maneesha

[[image:mhp_program_code_on_edge.JPG width="738" height="118"]]3/22/2011, Log Entry 1, Electronics
You can describe charted electronic signals like different ways of getting from one place to another. An analog signal moves from point A to point B when charted. It’s a flow. But a digital signal is at point A, and then at point B, with nothing in between. Semiconductors make good switches, and can do well for digital signals. They are able to let out bursts of electricity when needed, like in a digital clock, or a blinking light. Diodes can keep electricity flowing in one direction, while transistors can switch the direction of electricity flow easily. Integrated circuits can be used to have many transistors and diodes in one small place with wires connecting them all.

Electronics are absolutely essential in a search for life on Mars. Fundamentally, the rocket would be unable to leave Earth without the assistance of electronic devices. The whole mechanism of releasing the payload from the booster rocket is the work of an electronic signal sent to the rocket, “telling” the latch to open. From that point on, the guidance, correction, oxygen ventilation, and communication systems are also electronic devices sending signals to the base. Once landed on Mars, the crew must still be able to communicate with base, to report findings, as well as breathe outside of the ship, all of which depends on electronics. Overall, electronics would be vital to the mission’s success.

Ms. Mc: Very good overview of electronics and ideas for how we would use electronic devices on a mission to Mars. Remember, our mission like NASA's current mission isn't manned but rather, just involves rovers. 9.5/10

=4/5/2011, Log Entry 2, Timeline of the History of Rocketry =

The beginning of rocketry was in Greece, 100 B.C. Hero of Alexandria, an inventor, created the aeolipile, a rotating sphere that was propelled by steam. It wasn't until the first century A.D that rockets propelled by fire were invented. At this point in time, the Chinese discovered fire-powered rocketry while trying to create explosions for festivals. Eventually they attached small tubes filled with the same powder used when they tried to make the explosions to arrows, and launched them with bows. In 1232, the Chinese used true rockets for the first time, to defeat the invading Mongols. Afterwards, the Mongols tried to create their own versions of the same thing. Through the 13th to 15th centuries, the English, French, Italians, and many other cultures began to experiments on rockets as well.

In 1898, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky introduced space travel by means of rockets for the first time. During the 20th century, Robert H. Goddard was experimenting with solid-propellant rocketry, and was the first to achieve flight of a liquid-propellant rocket in 1926. He continued researching and experimenting on liquid-propellant rocketry and developed the ideas of a gyroscope system, a payload, and a parachute recovery system. Many groups formed in the early 20th century were based and focused on rocketry. Some of these were NASA and Verein fur Raumschiffahrt. Eventually, people saw potential in rockets, for military and exploration use. In October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first thing launched from Earth into Space. Then, they launched a dog named Laika in a satellite as the first living being sent from Earth to Space. A few months later, Explorer 1 was launched from the U.S. Since then satellites, orbiters, shuttles, rockets, and rovers have been sent into Space, to the moon, Mars, and other planets too.

//Ms. Mc: Excellent summary of the history of rocket and fantastic drawings! Don't forget to refer to them in your text ("as seen in Figure 1. . . ). 15/15//

** 4/4/2011, Log Entry 3, Rocket Simulation **

media type="custom" key="8986672"

Instructions:

 * Press the green ﻿flag button to play the program.
 * Press the red ﻿stop sign button to stop the program.
 * Press your space-bar to reset the program to the NASA scene.

= 4/13/2011, Log Entry 4, Anatomy of a Rocket =



In a standard model rocket, there are four main superficial parts: the body tube, nose cone, fins (3 per rocket), and the launch lug, and four main inner parts: the recovery system, recovery wadding, motor mount, and the actual motor. The body tube is the main frame/structure of the rocket. The nose cone has a point which splits the air when flying and reduces air resistance. The fins direct the rocket in a straight line. The launch lug sets the direction of flight from the launch pad. The recovery system ejects the nose cone and deploys the parachute so that the rocket can return safely. The recovery wadding is a semi-flame-retardant tissue that keeps the fire, from the engine/motor, from burning the recovery system. The mount is used to hold the motor in place, as well as direct it straight down. The rocket motor provides the thrust to push the rocket upwards.

//Ms. Mc: Excellent labels, caption, and explanation! 20/20//

=4/17/2011, Log Entry 5, Rocket Experiment Analysis & Write-Up =

 The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether or not the mass of a model rocket affects the height of its apogee. When the rocket was resting on the launch pad, the force of the launch pad was equivalent to that of gravity, as gravity was pulling the rocket downwards at all times during its flight. During both lift off and powered flight, the rocket was being pushed upwards by its thrust, but the forces of gravity and air resistance were stronger during powered flight. Then, when the rocket was coasting, the thrust was shut off while gravity and air resistance remained present. When the rocket had reached its apogee, gravity was the sole force acting upon it, as it overcame the inertia provided by the thrust. It was hypothesized that if the mass of a rocket is increased, the apogee would reach a lesser altitude because the thrust would have a more difficult time in surpassing the inertia of the rocket.



For the 7 tested model rockets, the masses fell into the range of 42 g through 49 g (shown by Graph #1). On the contrary, the apogees of the given rockets were spread out between 71 m and 135 m <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px;">(shown by Graph #1). Upon best judgment, the data was found to be a direct relationship, shown by the blue line in Graph #1. The hypothesis was not confirmed, but not flagrantly incorrect, as the data is more scattered instead of the opposite. The main unanticipated factor that may have affected the results would be weather, i.e. wind or the brightness of the sun. Wind and sunlight may have affected how well the angle gunmen could discern the apogee point. Also, the fact that the masses were not varied much and that the sample size was not very ample may have affected the results as well, as the method was not very well thought out, and a larger amount of data would make it easier to determine a relationship.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25px; line-height: 27px;">4/25/2011, Log Entry #6, Introduction to Astronomy =

A galaxy is a system of stars, gas, and dust, held together by gravity. Galaxies were form 2 million years after the Big Bang, when the clumps of matter in space were collapsed by gravity. Galaxies are classified by shape: spiral, elliptical or irregular. Figure 1 shows an example of a spiral galaxy.



When another massive body collided into Earth, 4.5 billion years ago, it broke up into debris. Some of this debris went into orbit around earth, becoming asteroids, or in one case, the Moon. In Figure 2, the many phases of the Moon are shown, the results of our perspective on the Moon because of the rotation of the Earth. // Ms. Mc: Very good answers and pictures. The moon phase animation is particularly cool! If you say something occurred a certain # of years after something else, you need to give a date for the first event (i.e., the Big Bang occurred 15 billion years ago). (-1/2) Nice work! 9.5/10 //

=<span style="font-size: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 25px; line-height: 27px;">5/5/2011, Log Entry #8, Explanation of a Programing Code ** =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 39px;">Block 1: A sound block telling the robot to play an A note tone for half a second at a volume level of 75 (to notify people that it will start recording). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Block 2: A record/play block telling the robot to record what movements someone makes it do (with servo motors B and C) in a period of 2 seconds. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Block 3: A sound block telling the robot to play another A note tone for half a second at a volume level of 75 (to notify people that it is done recording). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Block 4: A wait block telling the robot to wait until 4 seconds pass. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Block 5: A record/play block telling the robot to replay what movements it recorded before.

Block 1: A wait block telling the robot to wait until its sound sensor picks up a noise louder than 75% volume. Block 2: A move block telling the robot to advance forward (with servo motors B and C) forever at 45% power. Block 3: A wait block telling the robot to wait until its ultrasonic sensor tells it that the closest thing in the direction of the sensor is at least 20 inches away. Block 4: A move block telling the robot to stop all movement (in servo motors C and B). Block 5: A wait block telling the robot to wait until 3 seconds pass. Block 6: A sound block telling the robot to play a sound file saying "Watch Out!" at 100% volume.