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Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of the machinery in a rocket?
What is the primary purpose of the machinery in a rocket?
What is the significance of geosynchronous orbit for radio and television satellites?
What is the significance of geosynchronous orbit for radio and television satellites?
What is the plan for decommissioning old satellites to prevent space debris?
What is the plan for decommissioning old satellites to prevent space debris?
What is the 'Kessler Effect' in the context of space exploration?
What is the 'Kessler Effect' in the context of space exploration?
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Where is the 'Spacecraft Cemetery' located?
Where is the 'Spacecraft Cemetery' located?
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What materials can be used as fuel for rockets?
What materials can be used as fuel for rockets?
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Which characteristic defines a geosynchronous orbit?
Which characteristic defines a geosynchronous orbit?
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What is the purpose of the machinery in a rocket?
What is the purpose of the machinery in a rocket?
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What happens to large objects that cannot burn up completely upon re-entry?
What happens to large objects that cannot burn up completely upon re-entry?
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What is the main concern related to the Kessler Effect?
What is the main concern related to the Kessler Effect?
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Explain the significance of the Hubble Space Telescope in space exploration.
Explain the significance of the Hubble Space Telescope in space exploration.
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Describe the components of a rocket and their respective roles.
Describe the components of a rocket and their respective roles.
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What measures are taken to manage space debris, especially large objects?
What measures are taken to manage space debris, especially large objects?
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Discuss how satellite positioning in geosynchronous orbit benefits communication.
Discuss how satellite positioning in geosynchronous orbit benefits communication.
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Identify the implications of the Kessler Effect on future space missions.
Identify the implications of the Kessler Effect on future space missions.
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Study Notes
Rockets
- A rocket is made of machinery, fuel, and a payload
- Rockets use a combination of fuel, combustion chambers, and nozzles to generate thrust.
- The payload of a rocket includes everything needed for the flight, including crew cabins, food, water, air, and people.
Space Exploration Technologies
- The Hubble Space Telescope has been orbiting Earth since 1990.
- Radio and television satellites are usually placed in geosynchronous orbit, 36,000 km above Earth, directly over the equator.
- Geosynchronous orbit allows satellites to appear motionless to observers on Earth.
- Space junk is a serious hazard to active satellites, and its buildup can cause a chain reaction called the Kessler Effect.
Hazards of Living in Space
- Environmental dangers in space include a vacuum, harmful cosmic rays, meteoroids, extreme temperatures, and the lack of air pressure that regulates human heartbeat.
- Psychological challenges of space travel include prolonged confinement and social isolation.
- Microgravity affects the body in various ways, including space sickness, bone density loss, muscle atrophy, and impaired visual depth perception.
Space Suits
- Space suits are essential for astronauts to work outside spacecraft, providing a miniature Earth system.
- Early space suits were rigid and bulky, while modern EMUs are more flexible and durable, allowing astronauts to move and perform tasks.
- They are custom-designed for each astronaut and contain life-support systems like oxygen supply, communication, cooling, and even a portable toilet.
The Pros and Cons of Space Exploration
- Some potential benefits of space exploration include:
- Accessing resources like solar energy and minerals from asteroids.
- Reducing the cost of space travel by using resources found in space to produce fuels, supplies, and equipment.
- Some ethical and environmental concerns associated with space exploration include:
- Who has the right to own and use resources in space?
- Who is responsible for protecting the space environment and cleaning up space junk?
Galaxies & The Solar System
- Our solar system is located in the Milky Way Galaxy, a spiral galaxy shaped like a flattened pinwheel with arms spiraling from the center.
- Galaxies are vast collections of stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity, and they can be classified by their shapes and features.
- Most galaxies have a bulge (round center), a disk (flattened part), a halo (ring beyond the galaxy), and sometimes spiral arms.
- The solar system's formation is based on the protoplanet hypothesis or nebular theory, which involves three stages:
- A nebula collapses under gravity, forming a rotating cloud of gas and dust.
- The core of the cloud becomes dense, hot, and eventually glows, forming a protostar.
- Fusion begins in the protostar's core, it releases energy and radiation, and becomes a star.
Star Life Cycle
- Stars have lifecycles similar to living beings, undergoing birth, life, and death.
- Sun-like stars spend most of their lives in the main sequence stage, fusing hydrogen into helium, and becoming red giants as they age.
- Massive stars, larger than our Sun, evolve similarly but become red supergiants and end as either neutron stars or black holes.
- Fusion powers stars and dictates their life cycle, and their final fate depends on their mass.
Rockets
- Rockets are made of three main parts: machinery, fuel, and payload.
- Machinery includes components like engines, storage tanks, and fins.
- Fuel can include liquid oxygen, gasoline, and liquid hydrogen.
- The payload refers to the materials needed for the flight, including crew cabins, food, water, air, and people.
- The science of rocketry is based on the principle of expelling gas out of a nozzle, creating thrust.
Technologies for Space Exploration
- The Hubble Space Telescope has been orbiting Earth since 1990.
- Radio and television satellites are usually placed in geosynchronous orbit, about 36,000 km above Earth.
- Geosynchronous orbits allow satellites to appear motionless from Earth.
Space Junk
- Most objects in orbit are orbital debris, not functional satellites.
- To prevent collisions, old satellites are slowed down to fall out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere.
- Large objects that cannot burn up are sent to a remote location in the South Pacific Ocean, nicknamed the Spacecraft Cemetery.
- Farther satellites are sent to a graveyard orbit in space.
Canadian Contributions to Space Exploration
- Canadian contributions include astronauts like Chris Hadfield and Roberta Bondar.
- Canada has also contributed to the development of the Canadarm, a robotic arm used on the International Space Station.
- Canadian technology is helping with the development of space suits and the Canadian Space Agency is studying the potential for human missions to Mars.
Hazards of Living in Space
- Environmental hazards include a lack of oxygen and water, radiation exposure, meteoroids, extreme temperatures, and lack of air pressure.
- Psychological challenges include confined living spaces and potential isolation.
- Microgravity affects the body, leading to space sickness, muscle weakness, and changes in vision.
Storage Space and Recycling in Space
- Space suits, such as the EMU, are essential for astronauts to perform tasks outside of a spacecraft.
- Space suits provide oxygen, cooling, communication, and a portable toilet.
Galaxies
- Galaxies contain billions of stars and are classified into different types: spiral, elliptical, lenticular, and irregular.
- Spiral galaxies have a bulge, disk, halo, and spiral arms.
- Elliptical galaxies lack a disk and have a smooth, oval shape.
- Lenticular galaxies have a bulge, disk, and halo but lack spiral arms.
- Irregular galaxies have no defined shape and contain a mix of young and old stars.
Our Solar Neighbourhood
- The formation of our solar system is based on the protoplanet hypothesis or nebular theory, which involves a cloud of gas and dust swirling and collapsing.
The Sun
- The Sun is at the center of our solar system and is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium.
- The Sun's surface temperature is 5500°C, while its core is close to 15 million degrees Celsius.
- The Sun emits solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles that bombards Earth.
- Earth's magnetic field protects us from the harmful effects of solar wind.
Asteroids
- Asteroids are rocky bodies that orbit the Sun, most of which are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
- Comets are icy bodies that orbit the Sun and leave trails of gas and dust as they move.
Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites
- Meteoroids are small pieces of rock or metal that travel through space.
- Meteors are meteoroids that enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up, creating a streak of light.
- Meteorites are meteoroids that survive their journey through the atmosphere and impact Earth's surface.
Tracking Objects in the Solar System
- NASA tracks asteroids, comets, and meteors to monitor their orbits and potential impact risks.
Beyond the Milky Way
- The universe is estimated to be about 13.8 billion years old.
- Galaxies are moving away from each other, indicating that the universe is expanding.
What is a Star?
- Stars are hot, glowing balls of gas that emit light and energy.
- Most stars are composed primarily of hydrogen.
- Stars vary in temperature, brightness, size, and color.
- The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is a tool used to classify stars based on their properties.
Rockets
- Rockets have three main parts: machinery, fuel, and payload.
- Fuel can be liquid oxygen, gasoline, or liquid hydrogen.
- The payload includes crew cabins, food, water, and people.
Space Exploration Technologies
- The Hubble Space Telescope has been orbiting Earth since 1990.
- Radio and television satellites are placed in geosynchronous orbit, 36,000 km above Earth.
- Geosynchronous orbit allows satellites to appear motionless for people on Earth.
Dealing with Space Junk
- 95% of objects in orbit are space junk.
- Old satellites are slowed down with fuel to burn up in the atmosphere.
- Large debris can be directed to a remote location, nicknamed "Spacecraft Cemetery", in the South Pacific Ocean.
- Farther satellites are sent to a graveyard orbit.
- The "Kessler Effect" describes a chain reaction of collisions caused by space junk.
- Space agencies have plans for the end-of-life disposal of devices launched into orbit.
Five Canadian Contributions to Space Exploration
- Astronauts like Chris Hardfield and Roberta Bondar.
- Canadarm and Canadarm2, robotic arms for space assembly and repair.
- Dextre, a two-armed robotic system performing complex tasks on satellites.
- Contributions to the International Space Station (ISS) and the Hubble Space Telescope.
- Development of technology for human missions to Mars.
Hazards of Living in Space
- Environmental hazards include lack of oxygen and water, cosmic rays, solar radiation, meteoroids, extreme temperatures, and lack of air pressure.
- Psychological challenges include prolonged confinement and close quarters.
- Microgravity affects the body leading to space sickness, muscle weakness, and visual depth perception changes.
Space Suits
- The first space suits were worn on the Mercury spacecraft in 1962.
- The Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) is sturdy and flexible, providing oxygen, cooling, communication, and a portable toilet system.
The Eight Planets
-
Mercury:
- Diameter: 4,880 km (0.38x Earth)
- Surface Temp: 430°C (day), -180°C (night)
- Day: 59 Earth days
- Year: 88 Earth days
-
Venus:
- Diameter: 12,104 km (0.95x Earth)
- Surface Temp: 464°C
- Day: 243 Earth days
- Year: 225 Earth days
-
Earth:
- Diameter: 12,756 km
- Surface Temp: Varies widely
- Day: 24 hours
- Year: 365.25 days
-
Mars:
- Diameter: 6,779 km (0.53x Earth)
- Surface Temp: -62°C
- Day: 24.6 hours
- Year: 687 Earth days
-
Jupiter:
- Diameter: 142,984 km (11x Earth)
- Surface Temp: -145°C
- Day: 10 hours
- Year: 12 Earth years
-
Saturn:
- Diameter: 120,536 km (9.5x Earth)
- Surface Temp: -178°C
- Day: 10.7 hours
- Year: 29 Earth years
-
Uranus:
- Diameter: 51,118 km (4x Earth)
- Surface Temp: -224°C
- Day: 17 hours
- Year: 84 Earth years
-
Neptune:
- Diameter: 49,528 km (3.9x Earth)
- Surface Temp: -214°C
- Day: 16 hours
- Year: 165 Earth years
The Sun
- The Sun is 1 million times larger than Earth with a diameter 110 times wider.
- Its surface temperature is 5500°C, while the core is 15 million degrees Celsius.
- The Sun is mostly hydrogen and helium.
- Solar wind, charged particles emitted from the Sun, bombards Earth at 400 km/s.
Asteroids
- Comets have elliptical paths allowing astronomers to predict their return.
- Halley's comet has a 76-year orbit and was last seen in 1986.
- Unexpected brightening of Halley's comet might indicate a collision.
Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites
- Meteoroids are small objects in space.
- Meteors are meteoroids that burn up in the atmosphere.
- Meteorites are meteors that survive the journey to Earth.
Tracking Objects in the Solar System
- Planets orbit the Sun in a roughly flat plane.
- Pluto's orbit is tilted 17.2° from the plane of the other planets.
- NASA tracks asteroids, comets, and meteors discovered by observatories.
Beyond the Milky Way
- The universe is estimated to be 13.8 billion years old.
- Galaxies are moving away from each other.
Stars
- Stars are hot, glowing balls of gas, mainly hydrogen.
- Stars vary in temperature, brightness, size, and color.
- 90% of stars are main sequence stars, with our Sun in the middle.
- Betelgeuse is 670 times larger than our Sun but less dense.
- The largest known star would be 2.3 km wide if our Sun was 1 m wide.
The Birth of a Star
- Stars are born in nebulas, composed mostly of hydrogen and helium.
- Gravity pulls gas and dust together, forming a spinning cloud.
- The core heats up and glows, forming a protostar.
- Nuclear fusion begins at 10 million degrees Celsius, releasing energy and radiation.
- Star formation is determined by the mass of the star.
The Life Cycle of Stars
- Sun-like stars spend most of their time in the main sequence.
- As fuel runs out, a Sun-like star becomes a red giant.
- Massive stars become red supergiants.
- Red giants and supergiants eventually collapse, forming either a neutron star or a black hole.
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Description
Test your knowledge on rockets, their components, and the technology behind space exploration. This quiz covers the mechanics of rockets, the role of satellites, and the hazards of living in space. Expand your understanding of how we explore beyond Earth!
