Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Mission to Mars November 17th Update
On Monday, November 17th, we had four students that stayed for Robotics. We worked on our rovers and looked at our Mars cards and tried to stay inside the their budget. The challenges were many but progress was made. We will see what Monday brings next week.
We're Doing This Contest!
From NASA News Service this morning - NASA & Disney are sponsoring a contest to name the Mars Science Laboratory.
What's that? You never heard of the Mars Science Laboratory? Well it's the next generation Rover Robot set to launch in 2009. Don't worry - Look for a report about it from Taylor posted here very soon!
Anyway, about the contest - Go here for more info: http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov/
The winner gets a trip to the Jet Propulsion Lab in California so sign their name on the Rover! So get thinking of a catchy name!
What's that? You never heard of the Mars Science Laboratory? Well it's the next generation Rover Robot set to launch in 2009. Don't worry - Look for a report about it from Taylor posted here very soon!
Anyway, about the contest - Go here for more info: http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov/
The winner gets a trip to the Jet Propulsion Lab in California so sign their name on the Rover! So get thinking of a catchy name!
The Pictures Get Better....
Yesterday we posted a picture from ISS of the tail of Endeavour. Today's is even more spectacular.... Click on it to view it in a larger window.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Very Cool Picture!
Posted by the NASA news service today - Check it out -
Quoting the NASA News Service link: "The International Space Station's Expedition 18 crew provided a close-up view of Endeavour's tail section. The image provides partial views of the shuttle's main engines, orbital maneuvering system pods, vertical stabilizer, the payload bay door panels and the Leonard Multi-Purpose Logistics Module located in the cargo bay.
Before docking with the station, astronaut Chris Ferguson, STS-126 commander, flew the shuttle through a roll pitch maneuver or basically a backflip to allow the space station crew a good view of Endeavour's heat shield. Using digital still cameras equipped with both 400 and 800 millimeter lenses, the station crew took a number of photos of the shuttle's thermal protection system and sent them down to teams on the ground for analysis. A 400 millimeter lens was used for this image."
Quoting the NASA News Service link: "The International Space Station's Expedition 18 crew provided a close-up view of Endeavour's tail section. The image provides partial views of the shuttle's main engines, orbital maneuvering system pods, vertical stabilizer, the payload bay door panels and the Leonard Multi-Purpose Logistics Module located in the cargo bay.
Before docking with the station, astronaut Chris Ferguson, STS-126 commander, flew the shuttle through a roll pitch maneuver or basically a backflip to allow the space station crew a good view of Endeavour's heat shield. Using digital still cameras equipped with both 400 and 800 millimeter lenses, the station crew took a number of photos of the shuttle's thermal protection system and sent them down to teams on the ground for analysis. A 400 millimeter lens was used for this image."
Monday, November 17, 2008
Shuttle Endeavour Now Docked With ISS
Did anyone watch the Endeavour (STS-126) launch Friday evening? Check out www.nasa.gov for all the details. Go here for a fun space shuttle activity: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/MissionPlanner/MissionPlanner.html
You'll be asked a series of question about either STS-125 or STS-126 (the mission currently underway). If you answer them all correctly you get to print a cool certificate making you an official Mission Planner for NASA. If anyone brings one of these certificates to our meetings, with their name on it, I'll give them a prize. Good luck and keep following the mission.
I show the ISS & Shuttle will pass overhead this Weds., around 5:45pm-5:55pm, again on Thurs. around 6:10pm - 6:20pm, and on Saturday around 5:25pm - 5:35pm. It looks like a very bright star traveling quickly across the sky. When the shuttle is docked with ISS it's particularly bright. I always think it's kind of neat that the little bright dot has ten people on it!
You'll be asked a series of question about either STS-125 or STS-126 (the mission currently underway). If you answer them all correctly you get to print a cool certificate making you an official Mission Planner for NASA. If anyone brings one of these certificates to our meetings, with their name on it, I'll give them a prize. Good luck and keep following the mission.
I show the ISS & Shuttle will pass overhead this Weds., around 5:45pm-5:55pm, again on Thurs. around 6:10pm - 6:20pm, and on Saturday around 5:25pm - 5:35pm. It looks like a very bright star traveling quickly across the sky. When the shuttle is docked with ISS it's particularly bright. I always think it's kind of neat that the little bright dot has ten people on it!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Latest News on the Phoenix Probe
Mars Phoenix Lander Finishes Successful Work on Red Planet
11.10.08 NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander ceased communications after working for more than five months. As guessed, seasonal decline in sunshine at the robot's arctic landing site is not providing enough sunlight for the solar arrays to get the power that is necessary to charge the batteries to operate the lander's instruments.
Mission engineers last got a signal from the lander on November 2nd. Phoenix, in additon to shorter daylight, has gotten a dustier sky. More clouds and lower temperatures as the northern Mars summer comes on autumn. The mission exceeded its planned operation life to conduct and return the science data.
The project team will be listening carefully for the next couple of weeks to see if the Phoenix revives and phones home. :-) However, engineers think now that that is unlikely because of the worsening weather on Mars. While the spacecraft's work has ended, the analysis of data from the instruments is at its earliest stages.
11.10.08 NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander ceased communications after working for more than five months. As guessed, seasonal decline in sunshine at the robot's arctic landing site is not providing enough sunlight for the solar arrays to get the power that is necessary to charge the batteries to operate the lander's instruments.
Mission engineers last got a signal from the lander on November 2nd. Phoenix, in additon to shorter daylight, has gotten a dustier sky. More clouds and lower temperatures as the northern Mars summer comes on autumn. The mission exceeded its planned operation life to conduct and return the science data.
The project team will be listening carefully for the next couple of weeks to see if the Phoenix revives and phones home. :-) However, engineers think now that that is unlikely because of the worsening weather on Mars. While the spacecraft's work has ended, the analysis of data from the instruments is at its earliest stages.
The Mission to Mars Begins Nov. 10, 2008
Today we all met and received our mission briefing. We began by reading the expectations of what we had to do and began planning how to get to Mars. We need a rocket, rover , and many other things to make it happen. The mission brief is below:
Jonesboro Robotics Club Mission 001 – From Earth To Mars And Back
Our first mission is to build a Robot capable of traveling from “Earth” to “Mars” and then return to “Earth”. This won’t be a “competition” in the sense you’re used to – There’s no best way or right way to do the job. You should all share your ideas and help each other achieve the final goal of getting your “Spacecraft” to Mars and bringing it home.
There are several things we hope you’ll take away from this:
A) Learn some of the aspects of spacecraft design and about the scientific missions (past & present) going on Mars now.
B) Learn to start building more functional Robots – Ones that are built for a specific purpose and don’t rely so much on flashy disco balls, fire wings and LEGO mini-figures.
C) While programming you’ll learn to record data from sensors (data-log) and make the Robot perform a series of actions to navigate from one place to another.
Each person or group will be given a RCX, 2 motors and a deck of Marsbound cards to help in your design, along with the attached Spacecraft Design Log Sheet. The final design of each Robot will also have a temperature and light sensor attached to provide real data which will be recorded by the RCX.
The Marsbound cards feature pictures and information about the various components that go into an interplanetary spacecraft. They give a weight, power usage number, and cost. You’ll need to design your spacecraft to fit into the mission “budget” of $250,000,000 (250 Million Dollars!). You’ll also need to be mindful of the weight of your craft, so that your rocket can lift it, and the power usage of the components you attach, making sure your ship can generate enough power. Each component you choose to add from the cards (except for the rocket, which is the RCX and motors) will need to be built from LEGO pieces and attached to your spacecraft, securely, and so they don’t block the functions of other components.
Finally – to stir things up just a little more – each group will draw one of the six Green cards, laid face down. Three of these will add money to your budget – the other three cause you headaches! Good luck to all!
Hopefully you will be successful. Keeping within the budget is hard. Getting your rover to Mars may be harder. Take your time and plan your design carefully and stay within your budget. A challenge to be sure. Also being sure you rover doesn't have so much stuff on it that the rocket can't lift off!!! Try to make your project with more substance and less flash!!! Someday people will make it to Mars and we will by flying around at Warp speed but in the mean time, Keep It Simple Silly!!! :) !
Jonesboro Robotics Club Mission 001 – From Earth To Mars And Back
Our first mission is to build a Robot capable of traveling from “Earth” to “Mars” and then return to “Earth”. This won’t be a “competition” in the sense you’re used to – There’s no best way or right way to do the job. You should all share your ideas and help each other achieve the final goal of getting your “Spacecraft” to Mars and bringing it home.
There are several things we hope you’ll take away from this:
A) Learn some of the aspects of spacecraft design and about the scientific missions (past & present) going on Mars now.
B) Learn to start building more functional Robots – Ones that are built for a specific purpose and don’t rely so much on flashy disco balls, fire wings and LEGO mini-figures.
C) While programming you’ll learn to record data from sensors (data-log) and make the Robot perform a series of actions to navigate from one place to another.
Each person or group will be given a RCX, 2 motors and a deck of Marsbound cards to help in your design, along with the attached Spacecraft Design Log Sheet. The final design of each Robot will also have a temperature and light sensor attached to provide real data which will be recorded by the RCX.
The Marsbound cards feature pictures and information about the various components that go into an interplanetary spacecraft. They give a weight, power usage number, and cost. You’ll need to design your spacecraft to fit into the mission “budget” of $250,000,000 (250 Million Dollars!). You’ll also need to be mindful of the weight of your craft, so that your rocket can lift it, and the power usage of the components you attach, making sure your ship can generate enough power. Each component you choose to add from the cards (except for the rocket, which is the RCX and motors) will need to be built from LEGO pieces and attached to your spacecraft, securely, and so they don’t block the functions of other components.
Finally – to stir things up just a little more – each group will draw one of the six Green cards, laid face down. Three of these will add money to your budget – the other three cause you headaches! Good luck to all!
Hopefully you will be successful. Keeping within the budget is hard. Getting your rover to Mars may be harder. Take your time and plan your design carefully and stay within your budget. A challenge to be sure. Also being sure you rover doesn't have so much stuff on it that the rocket can't lift off!!! Try to make your project with more substance and less flash!!! Someday people will make it to Mars and we will by flying around at Warp speed but in the mean time, Keep It Simple Silly!!! :) !
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