Solaria 2008

3,2,1, Blast Off!

Space School Application

The following is the application the students needed to complete to demonstrate their commitment to the program. They had 3 weeks to complete the activities and were given time in class. All students applied and were part of the Space School. The marks helped in the decision of what positions to assign each of the students for the simulation.

Astronaut Space School Application

You are very fortunate to be one of the participants chosen to apply to this year’s Astronaut Space School. During this camp you will be fortunate to simulate a space shuttle launch, gain understanding our solar system, learn about and then simulate living and working in Space, forces, the moon, seeing stars and much more. Just some of the questions you will answer through the experiments you will conduct: Can anyone hear you scream in space? Do astronauts grow taller in Space? Does practice make perfect in the Space shuttle?

Points are allotted for each section of the application and this may influence the position you are assigned in our crew of astronauts. Time will be given in class to complete much of this application although you will need to do some at home if you need more time. Also, the Physical Training Portion will require a parent signature. The following is what needs to be included in your application.

Section 1: Essay (20 points)

Funding a manned space program is very expensive and dangerous. On January 28, 1986, 7 astronauts lost their lives when the space shuttle Challenger was destroyed in a tragic accident. On February 1, 2003, another 7 astronauts lost their lives when the space shuttle Columbia re-entered the atmosphere. Many people are wondering why we should continue funding such an expensive and risky program when we have so many problems to solve right here on Earth, problems like overpopulation, deforestation, loss of the ozone layer, global warming, pollution, war, poverty, disease, and so on.

Write an essay explaining why countries should continue funding a manned space program.

(See http://www.rice.edu/armadillo/Simulations/astroap.htm)

Section 2: NASA Food Experiment (20 points)

You have been nominated as a possible candidate for the first mission to Mars. If you are chosen you will be responsible for mission logistics and crew support as you travel to and from Mars. It will be a mission that lasts over a year, and as crew support you must plan all the food that is needed for the long voyage.

Planning all the supplies and food is a very important job as you must take into account the mass and volume of the food supplies, and the energy needed to heat or cook the food. If the food is heavy, takes up space, or needs a lot of energy to cook it, it will then take more space, fuel and equipment to operate the mission, and therefore cost a lot more money for NASA.

NASA wants to keep costs as low as possible, and has asked you to conduct an experiment to test two types of soups for the mission. It will be your job to design, write and conduct an experiment that will determine what is the best soup to take for the mission. You can choose any two soups to test in the experiment, but then you must make a decision on the best one for the mission. Remember your decision should be based on the mass and volume of the soup packaging, any other supplies needed to cook the soup (for example, water or milk) and the energy needed to cook the soup (the time it takes to bring the soup to a boil).

You need to write and conduct a neat and organized experiment that follows the scientific method and includes the sections: Purpose, Hypothesis, Materials, Procedures, Observations and Conclusion. If your experiment comes to a logical conclusion about the type of soup to bring, then NASA will be very impressed with your scientific abilities. They could choose you for the mission!

Good Luck and Happy Experimenting!

Section 3: Physical Training (10 points)

Being an astronaut requires excellent health and physical fitness. It also requires independence. This task is to prove that you can independently train for Space. You will need to ask your parent or legal guardian to verify that you do the outlined exercises for 10 consecutive days.

[A chart was given to the students. They needed to do push-ups, crunches and running. Five push-ups were required on Day 1 and increased gradually to twelve. Students were expected to do twenty-five crunches the first day and by the tenth they were doing thirty-five. Finally, students were were asked to run 1.6 km or 1 mile each day for ten days. The time it took to complete the distance was to decrease over the ten day period.]

Please note that to get a total of 10/10 in this part of the application, all days must be completed. Push-ups need to be done with a straight back. Proper technique has been demonstrated in class. Good luck!

Section 4: Astronaut Self-Portrait (10 points)

You will need to draw yourself as an astronaut. The picture must be in colour but the art medium you choose is up to you.

Section 5: Cover Letter (10 points)

Once you have completed the other tasks, you will need to write a cover letter explaining why you would be an ideal candidate for the Astronaut Space Camp. You will be given help in class as to how to write a cover letter. This is time to boast about your qualities!

Section 6: Mission Emblem (10 points)

Whenever a space mission is planned, an official mission emblem is designed and created to reflect the purpose of the mission and the nationalities involved. As a member of this shuttle mission, it is your task to design and colour a badge /emblem that reflects the unique qualities of the mission. Finished emblems will then be judged by the students with the winning design becoming the official emblem of the shuttle mission. Good Luck!

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