Transcript Current and Future Space Missions

Current and Future Space
Missions
Chapter 22 Section 3
The Space Shuttle
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Reusable spacecraft for transporting
astronauts and materials to and from
space.
The Space Shuttle
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Sent into space by an external liquid
fuel tank and two solid fuel boosters.
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two boosters separate at about 45 km
altitude and are recovered.
 The liquid fuel tank is not recovered.
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Lands like an airplane
Space Station
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A place with living quarters, work and
exercise areas, and all equipment and
support systems necessary for supporting
life.
Past Space Stations
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Skylab
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Space station launched by the US in
1973.
Fell out of orbit and burned up in the
atmosphere in 1979.
Mir
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Russian space station launched in
1986.
Fell out of orbit and burned up in 2001.
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Russia had previously launched 6 modules
of the Soviet Salyut station in the 1970’s.
International Space Station
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Began in 1993 as a vision in which 16 countries
(including the U.S., Russia, ESA, Canada, and
Brazil) would build parts for a joint space station.
The parts (8 large cylindrical sections called
modules and about 8 large solar panels) would
be transported to space by a U.S. space shuttle
and Russian boosters (more than 80 trips).
The space station would than be assembled in
space.
International Space Station
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Phase One
Began with the cooperation of Russia and the
US in 1995.
 Continued with a series of trips to Mir by US
astronauts and Russian cosmonauts on
spacecraft belonging to both the US and
Russia.
 Ended in 1998.
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International Space Station
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Phase Two
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Began in November, 1998 with the launch of the
Russian built Zarya (sunrise) Module, or the
Functional Cargo Block.
Included:
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December 1998 - the second module, Unity, was sent to
space.
December 1998 – first assembly in space occurred.
July 2000 – Zveda (star) or service module was sent to
space.
October 2000 – Various other pieces were sent to space
November 2000 - Full time crew, Expedition 1, made the ISS
the 9th inhabited space station
November 2000 – Sent up solar panels.
Ended with the delivery of the U.S. Destiny
Laboratory Module in February 2001.
International Space Station
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Phase Three
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Will deliver the Japanese Experiment Module, the European
Columbus Orbiting Facility, and another Russian lab to the space
station.
Has included:
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2001 – two additional modules were sent to space
April 2001 – first tourist to visit space station (second was in April of
2002)
2001 – realization by U.S that they were $5 billion over
budget…canceled plans for support of a 6 man crew by the space
station.
2002 – U.S. space shuttle replaced crew every 4 to 5 months.
Feb. 1st, 2003 – Columbia broke apart upon re-entry killing all 7 on
board.
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Russia began to carry crews to space station.
2005 – U.S. began to again carry modules to space station
2009 – space station expected to be able to support a 6 man crew
Expected completion date of July 2010.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/iss_manifest.html
Exploring Mars
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Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Pathfinder
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Launched in 1996.
Surveyor orbited Mars and took pictures.
Pathfinder descended to the surface of Mars
using a parachute and balloon system.
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Pathfinder carried a remote controlled robot called
Sojourner that was used to explore the surface.
Determined that water had recently seeped to the
surface in some areas.
Exploring Mars
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Unsuccessful Missions
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Mars Climate Orbiter
 Launched
in 1998 and lost in September of 1999.
 Engineers used English instead of metric units and
incorrectly calculated the force the thrusters should
exert.
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Mars Polar Lander
 Lost
in December 1999 as it was making a descent
to Mars.
 Thought that the spacecraft thought it had landed
and shut off its thrusters too soon.
New Millennium Program
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Goals:
Develop advanced technologies to send
smart spacecraft into space (reduces the
amount of ground control).
 Reduce size of future spacecraft to reduce
cost.
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Exploring the Moon
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Lunar Prospector
Launched in 1998
 Orbited moon and took pictures for one year.
 Indicated there might be hydrogen present at
the poles of the moon.
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 Possibly
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frozen ice at the bottom of the craters.
The Lunar Prospector was supposed to crash
into a crater at the south pole when finished
with the mission to – failed.
Cassini
Launched in October of 1997.
 Destination is Saturn
 Will deliver the European Space
Agency’s probe Huygens to the
moon Titan which may have an
atmosphere similar to that of the
Earth.
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http://www.nasaimages.org/luna/servlet/detail/NVA2~1~1~2330~1024
99:Huygens-Arrival-at-Titan--ontoland?qvq=q:huygens;lc:nasaNAS~5~5,NVA2~14~14,nasaNAS~20~2
0,NVA2~1~1,NVA2~13~13,nasaNAS~16~16,NSVS~3~3,NVA2~8~8,
nasaNAS~8~8,NVA2~4~4,nasaNAS~6~6,NVA2~18~18,nasaNAS~4~
4,nasaNAS~2~2,nasaNAS~13~13,NVA2~17~17,nasaNAS~12~12,na
saNAS~22~22,NVA2~16~16,NVA2~9~9,nasaNAS~10~10,nasaNAS~
7~7,NVA2~15~15,nasaNAS~9~9,NVA2~19~19&mi=4&trs=4121
Cassini - Updated
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Cassini completed its initial four-year mission to
explore the Saturn System in June 2008.
Cassini is now being used for the Cassini
Equinox Mission (through Sept 2010) which is
trying to answer questions raised during the first
four years.
Cassini will observe seasonal changes brought
by the changing sun angle on during the August
2009 equinox on Saturn, the rings, and the
moons.
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
Cassini Equinox Mission
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Saturn
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The Equinox mission will look for visible
changes in the atmosphere of Saturn (such as
variations in temperature, winds, and cloud
patterns) due to the shifting of sunlight from
south to north.
Cassini Equinox Mission
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Rings
The rings of Saturn are a complex place with
small moons and ring particles that jostle and
collide.
 The Equinox mission will look for changes in
ring activity due to changing sun angle.
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Cassini Equinox Mission
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Magnetic Environment
Cassini found that water ice jets from the
moon Enceladus played a major role in the
magnetosphere of Saturn.
 The Equinox Mission will study this
phenomena in unexplored areas of the
magnetosphere.
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Cassini Equinox Mission
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Enceladus
Small, icy very active moon.
 Tidal heating keeps the moon warm.
 Contains complex organic chemicals.
 Has potential liquid water.
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Cassini Equinox Mission
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Titan
Has a thick smog filled atmosphere with
complex organic chemistry.
 Has vast methane lakes and wind-driven
hydrocarbon sand dunes.
 Has an internal liquid water-ammonia ocean.
 The Equinox mission will:
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 Look
for seasonal climate changes such as
storms, flooding, or changes in lake level.
 Look for evidence of volcanic activity.
Cassini Equinox Mission
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Icy Moons
The Equinox Mission will try to determine why
the small moon Iapetus has a mountainous
bulge around its center and why one side is
black and the other side of the moon is white.
 The Equinox Mission will look at what appears
to be rings around the moon Rhea.
 The Equinox Mission will look for possible
activity on the moon Dione and Tethys.
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The Next Generation
Space Telescope
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Part of the Origins project
Renamed the James Web Space Telescope in 2002 after
the former NASA administrator.
International collaboration between NASA, the European
Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.
Will be a large infrared telescope with a 6.5-meter
primary mirror.
Will:
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help scientists to study the evolution of galaxies, the production
of elements by stars, and the process of star and planet
formation.
be able to see objects 400 times fainter than those currently
viewed with and based telescopes.
be used to view the closest stars and galaxies.
Launch is planned for 2013.
Everyday Space Technology
Technology developed through the space
program has been used in everyday life.
 Examples:
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Programmable pacemakers
 Advanced jet engines
 Chemical diagnostic indicators
 Activation of traffic lights by emergency
vehicles
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