TheEpicSquared
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I put it in a spoiler since it's so long:
SpoilerScience, Space Model Building, MYP3
16/12/16
UNIT: Space, the Final Frontier
GLOBAL CONTEXT: Orientation in Space and Time
KEY CONCEPT: Systems
Science Criteria A & D
INVESTIGATE:
1.BACKGROUND:
The “gravity assist”, also called a gravitational slingshot, is the section of orbital
mechanics concerned with using the gravity of a celestial body (eg. a moon or a
planet) to assist a spacecraft in getting to its destination (hence the name
“gravity assist”). The concept of the gravity assists was first documented by Yuri
Kondratyuk in his paper, published 1938 but dated 1918-1919. To conduct a
gravity assist, the spacecraft’s trajectory must intersect the sphere of influence
(SoI) of a celestial body (eg. a moon or a planet). This allows the trajectory to be
altered by the gravity of the celestial body. If this is done correctly, the gravity can
be used to assist the spacecraft in getting to its destination. This is because
when the satellite enters the SoI of the body, it takes away some of the body’s
energy and alters its orbit. This alteration is, however, so minute that it can be
neglected when doing calculations for orbital maneuvers. This is because the
body is much more massive than the spacecraft, so its orbit is not affected very
greatly. On the other hand, the energy gained by the spacecraft (from the
celestial body) results in a much greater change in trajectory, because the mass
of the spacecraft is several million times less than the mass of the celestial body.
Because of this, the concept of a gravity assist does not violate the Conservation
of Energy law. Instead, the energy is just distributed differently across the
celestial body and the spacecraft because of the difference of mass between the
two. In this demonstration, the alteration of a spacecraft’s trajectory due to the
gravity of a celestial body will be investigated, by using an accurate analogy and
a computer simulation.
2.RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS:
a)Documentary
Name: Voyager: To the Final Frontier
Evaluation: The people in the documentary are qualified and reliable (eg.
Michael Minovitch), the documentary is relatively recent (2012) and is relevant.
MLA citation: Voyager: To the Final Frontier. Dir. Christopher Riley. Perf. Dallas
Campbell, Michael Minovitch. BBC, 2012.
Notes: Talks about the Voyager 1 and 2 missions, and talks about gravity assists
and who found out how to use it for the Voyager missions. The gravity assist part
will be useful.
b)Article 1
Name: 10 Years Ago in Astronomy
Evaluation: Author is identifiable and the article is relatively recent (2009) and it
is relevant.
MLA citation: Kruesi, Liz. "10 Years Ago In Astronomy." Astronomy 37.8 (2009):
22. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
Notes: Does not say much about gravity assists in the actual article, but links to
another article explaining gravity assists in more detail. This article is not very
useful, however the one it links to is.
c)Article 2
Name: The Spacecraft’s got Swing
Evaluation: The author is qualified and the article is relevant. However, it is not
very recent (1999), but it is still useful.
MLA citation: Oberg, James. "The Spacecraft's Got Swing." Astronomy (1999)
Web.
Notes: Talks about how the Cassini spacecraft used gravity assists to get to
Saturn, and the history of gravity assists. This is very useful as it also gives
examples of how gravity assists are used.
d)Website
Name: A Gravity Assist Primer
Evaluation: The website is from a from a government organization (NASA) and
is relevant. It is not recent (2004) but the information is still true.
MLA citation: Doody, Dave. "A Gravity Assist Primer" NASA. NASA, 2004.
Web. 29 Nov 2016.
Notes: Talks about how gravity assists work and some easy-to-understand
analogies. This will be useful for thinking of models to portray gravity assists.
PLAN:
1.RESEARCH QUESTION: How does a gravity assist from a celestial body alter
a spacecraft’s trajectory?
2.MATERIALS:
●Stretchy fabric
●Large diameter bucket
●Large, heavy ball
●Small, light ball
●Ruler
●Masking tape
●Kerbal Space Program (software program)
3.VARIABLES:
Independent: The independent variable is the the distance from the “planet’s”
surface (3cm, 6cm, 10cm). This is to see if the distance of the ball representing
the spacecraft has any effect on the trajectory of the “spacecraft”, and if so, what
the effect would be.
Dependent: The dependent variable is the trajectory of the “spacecraft”,
represented by the trajectory of the small, light ball. This is done to see how the
curve of the fabric (representing the gravitational influence of the “planet”) alters
the trajectory. The alteration is visually observed by seeing where the light ball
comes to the end of the fabric. This position is then marked with a piece of
masking tape and compared to the other markings to see if a pattern can be
discerned.
Control: The control variables are:
1)The speed of the small ball representing the spacecraft, to make sure that
there is enough time for the curve of the fabric to affect the trajectory of
the “spacecraft”. However, the exact speed is not extremely accurate,
because there was no way to measure the speed and keep it consistent.
Instead, the speeds were kept roughly the same through visual
observation.
2)The weight (64.8g) of the ball that represents the planet, to keep the curve
of the fabric (representing the gravity) the same. This will ensure that the
effects on the trajectory remains consistent when the independent
variable (the distance from the surface) is tested.
CREATE:
1.PROCEDURE:
1) Stretch the fabric over the top of the bucket and secure it with the
masking tape.
2)Place the large, heavy ball in the center of the fabric. This represents the
planet. Note that the fabric curves down around the ball. This curve
represents the gravity of the planet.
3)Roll the small, light ball so the closest point to the “planet” (the periapsis)
is at a distance of 3cm from the surface. Mark where the “spacecraft”
meets the edge of the fabric with a piece of masking tape.
4)Repeat step 3 but with distances of 6cm and 10cm.
5)Use the computer software Kerbal Space Program to show the concept
of gravity assists by:
a)Using the Maneuver Node tool to set the moon apolune to
300,000m and note the resulting Earth apogee.
b)Using the Maneuver Node tool to set the moon apolune to
50,000m and note the resulting Earth apogee.
EVALUATE:
Reflection 1: Before beginning to build, reflect on the research you have done and if
you need to know more. Use the following questions as a guide.
1.What have I learned that I did not know before?
I have learnt about spacecrafts that have used gravity assists to fulfill their
mission. For example, Mariner 10 used the gravity of Venus to be able to get to
Mercury, and Voyager 1 used multiple gravity assists to reach a velocity fast
enough to escape the solar system. Without these assists, the Voyager 1
spacecraft would not have been able to escape the solar system as the current
technology would not have allowed the craft to have enough Delta-V (change in
velocity) to escape the solar system and enter interstellar space.
2.Is there something more that I need to know?
There is not anything more that I need to know to make my model. All the
information needed has been researched and/or is already known.
3.Describe how you visualize the model and what you need to do to make it work.
The physical model will consist of an elastic fabric stretched out flat, suspended
in the air. A large and heavy ball (representing a planet) will be placed in the
center of the fabric, which will bend as gravity pulls the ball down. This bend of
the fabric represents the gravity of the “planet”, or the Sphere of Influence (SoI).
Then, a smaller and lighter ball (representing a spacecraft) will be rolled along
the fabric. The bend of the fabric (representing the SoI of the “planet”) will make
the “spacecraft” follow a curved path, representing how the gravity of a planet
alters a spacecraft’s trajectory. By rolling the “spacecraft” at different speeds and
at different distances from the “planet”, the effect of a planet’s gravity on a
spacecraft can be clearly observed. This model will be made by stretching a
sheet of elastic fabric flat and suspending it in the air, so the heavy ball
representing the planet will have enough room to descend without hitting the floor
or a table. Then, the lighter ball (representing the spacecraft) can be rolled along
the fabric to observe the alterations in trajectory.
Also, the computer software Kerbal Space Program will be used to show the
concept of gravity assists.
Reflection 2: During the building process, reflect on how the product is coming
together. Use the following questions as a guide.
1.What is working well in my plan right now?
At this time, everything is going well in my plan. I have found a suitable material
to represent gravity and I have a reasonably sized bucket to fasten the fabric to.
Also, I have a large, heavy ball to act as the planet and I have a small, light ball to
act as the spacecraft. Preliminary tests have shown that the “spacecraft’s”
trajectory has been altered as expected when it is rolled at distances of 3cm,
6cm and 10cm.
2.What are some problems I am encountering?
At this point, there are no problems I am encountering while building my model.
Before I started, it was a bit difficult to find the stretchy fabric that I needed to
represent the gravity, but once that problem was resolved the rest of the model
went smoothly.
3.What changes or improvements should I consider/have I made?
The best improvement that could be made to the model is using a more stretchy
fabric, to make a more realistic representation of gravity. This would allow more
consistent results because the fabric would not have to be adjusted after every
test.
Reflection 3: After completing the model and demonstrating it to your peers/teacher.
Use the following questions as a guide.
1.What have I learned about model building that I did not know before?
I have learnt that often, the most difficult part is thinking of a model to build, but
once a model is decided upon the actual process of building it is very simple,
provided that there is a good understanding of the concept being studied (in my
case, gravity assists). Also, I have learnt that when making a model, there will
always be some setbacks (in my case, not being able to find a stretchy fabric),
and they will have to be overcome to ensure a successful model.
2.Did the people who viewed my working model learn something new? How do I
know?
I think that the audience of my gravity assist model did learn something new,
because they asked me questions for more information on the subject. Also, they
were engaged in the presentation since they were listening actively and
attentively, and they interacted with the model after the actual presentation was
over. The audience’s feedback was also positive, indicating that they had learnt
more about gravity assists.
3.What were the strengths of my model?
The main strength of the model was that it could accurately depict a gravity
assist. Also, a strength was that it was simple to build, and thus reduced the
number of potential issues that needed to be overcome. Additionally, it was easy
to understand which is beneficial when presenting a new concept for an
audience who has likely not learnt about gravity assists in the past. The final
strength was that it was easy to adapt to suit different needs. For example, if the
effect of the gravity of multiple planets on a spacecraft was being investigated,
the model could be easily modified to include many planets instead of just one.
Also, it could be scaled bigger and smaller to suit the needs of the
demonstration.
4.What were the limitations of my model?
One limitation of the model is that there is no accurate way of launching the small
ball at the same speed every time, and this affects the results of the
demonstration. Also, there is no way of getting the ball to pass by the 3cm, 6cm
and 10cm markers perfectly every time. Both of these require trial and error, and
visual observation, resulting in two main limitations in the model.
5.What could I do next or what new question could I ask to learn more about the
topic?
Next, I could investigate different types of gravity assists, such as unpowered
gravity assists (no thrust from an engine) or powered gravity effects (thrust from
engine, usually taking advantage of the Oberth Effect). I could investigate the
different affects of each type of gravity assist, and investigate the affects on a
spacecraft when it is affected by the gravity if two celestial bodies, instead of just
one, as seen in the demonstration. A new question that could be asked is “How
does an unpowered gravity assist and a powered gravity assist (using the
Oberth maneuver) differ and what are the effects?”It's my science class "lab report" on gravity assists. The teacher said it was supposed to be about 3 pages... mine turned out at 12 pages. Whoops
. I guess I got a bit carried away there. 
Also, I think some formatting is messed up, since I copied it from google docs.
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10 hours ago, ZooNamedGames said:
Should be publically noted that I joined the team as Flight Director and part of PR. @Tristonwilson12 can explain it better.
Ooh flight director... nice!
Meanwhile I'm stuck helping out with the website... ha ha I'm so important....
Oh and speaking of the website, when I go on it it says "website expired".
@Tristonwilson12, just to let you know.
Also, @ZooNamedGames how did you manage to get yourself into the Flight Director position?
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5 minutes ago, Tyko said:
Cool design. Which mod enables you to see the cutaways of your crew compartments?
It's not a mod. It's a stock feature that was added in 1.1. Somewhere near the crew portraits there's a circular button, press it and the cutaways will become visible.
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What do you call a blind dinosaur?
A Doyouthinkhesaurus...
Who's the king of the classroom?
The ruler!
Ha... ha... ha... I'll see myself out
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22 minutes ago, Kosmonaut said:
Sometimes I try to do that for a challenge
@TheEpicSquared there has been a bit of a delay on the base... I have a shared steam account with my older brother. I live in Toronto, and he lives in a small town in Nova Scotia (some 4000 km away). For some reason, he changed the password on the account, so I don't know it anymore. Due to a massive storm, phone lines and internet are down, and his phone broke a while back, so I can't text him. I should, however, if I'm lucky, be able to get it to you on the weekend, as that's when he gets his new phone, and the storm should have passed by then, so the services will be up. I'm very sorry.
No problem! Weather and other people's actions are very hard to control (I know this from experience
), so I can't really blame you even if I wanted to (which I don't).
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Awesome start! Congrats on writing again, @DMSP!
Also, do you have any downloads for the 3 planes? They look awesome! Thanks
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Mario Art - The game where you must use the impeccable painting skills of Mario to replicate art, each picture getting more difficult as the levels increase.
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4 minutes ago, The Raging Sandwich said:
The first stage of its Falcon 9 booster attempted to land back at a separate pad, but it landed a bit too hard and tipped over, but no serious damage was done.
Hah.
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Gets a pug sniper.
Inserts vending machine in vending machine.
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Looks like I'm a bit late to the party (
) but not late enough to be necro-ing (
)!
Is the Cheerson CX-32S a good quadcopter? I'm thinking of buying it, and I want to be sure that it's a good quad (particularly the camera and First Person View, and I've heard that the camera quality is very good). Can anyone help?
Thanks!
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Hi @Ger_space, sorry if this has been asked before, but is it possible to make the KK statics able to be destroyed, like the KSC buildings? I'm not sure if this can even be done without access to the game's code, which is why I'm asking.
Again, sorry if this has been asked before.
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This is awesome! @allista, great work!
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1 hour ago, Gordon Fecyk said:
Finally saw, "Adding more struts..." yesterday. The other half of the "Adding more boosters" equation.
--
Kerbal math in a nutshell
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18 minutes ago, Steel said:
The plan for FH, at least initially, is to only recover the booster cores, not the centre core (don't quote me on that, it might be the other way around, but they're not planning to recover all three)
Really? I thought they were going to land the boosters back on land, and the core on the ASDS.
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31 minutes ago, Kosmonaut said:
Don't worry. I've got a six year old Toshiba, I can guarantee that yours is better than mine. Any mods you would like or not want?
A stock base would be fine. Thanks again for offering!
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RTF postponed to Jan 14th due to bad weather, unfortunately.
10 hours ago, StrandedonEarth said:According to http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/, SES 10 is slated for February (exact date TBD). That should be an experienced booster, although it doesn't specifically say so.
Spaceflightnow says Feb 8th now for SES 10.Actually, ignore that, it's CRS 10 that launches on Feb 8th, not SES 10. Whoops
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8 hours ago, Jeb federation said:
Can I enter this challenge? I have a vehicle ready.
Sure, go ahead.
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Awesome! Great work!
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On 1/3/2017 at 9:42 PM, Kosmonaut said:
Do you need Duna Landers or Bases? Because I'm still on break, and willing to make some
Ooh, a small duna base would be nice! Preferably a single-launch base, but with docking ports for expansion opportunities. Thanks for offering!
Oh, and please try not to make them too part-count heavy, or my poor laptop won't be able to take the strain.
. I guess I got a bit carried away there. 
), so I can't really blame you even if I wanted to (which I don't). 
) 
)!
Guess Who Will Reply Next?
in Forum Games!
Posted
Hello again
@Kosmonaut