Introduction to Transportation
In traveling to your destination you will need to cover distances that are much greater than you have been accustomed to on earth. To get to ISS you will need to catch the space shuttle. To go to the moon, a rocket is required. Mars is very far from earth. In addition to traveling the large distance, which can take months, we need to take all the supplies that will be required to sustain the spacecraft and the crew. Scientists are working on new forms of propulsion that will make a manned mission to Mars possible.
Interestingly, you will not be taking the shortest route. This is because it is technically advantageous to orbit the sun, taking advantage of the suns gravity. Shown in the figure is the trajectory of Mars 96, a Russian probe that studied Mars.
This figure shows the trajectory of Mars 96, a Russian probe. A large effort is devoted to determining the best route. What route would you recommend? If I were traveling to Mars, I would like to stop every so often and stretch my legs. Might this be possible?
Your team role is that of Transportation Specialist. While working through the assignments, you will learn about spacecraft and manned missions. The assignments consist of questions that you will be answering in your notebook. You should keep in mind that what you are learning should also be used in the final team project. Talk with your team members from the start and decide what you will be responsible for. There are may extra credit assignments. You might want to do a few that pertain to your destination.
Click here to access the Modules:
|
