Space Station Phyve A WebQuest for High School Physics  or any MST program.  By Mr. Richard DeRuvo  Pelham Memorial High School Physics Teacher  Email r_deruvo@yahoo.com

'Go out beneath the stars on a clear winter night, and look up at the Milky Way spanning the heavens like a bridge of glowing mist. Up there, ranged beyond the other to the end of the Universe, suns without number burn in the loneliness of space. Down to the south hang the brilliant unwinking lanterns of other worlds - the electric blue of Jupiter, the glowing ember of Mars. Across the zenith, a meteor leaves a trail of fading incandescence, and a tiny voyager of space has come to a flaming end.'  'Looking out across the immensity to the great suns and circling planets, to worlds of infinite mystery and promise, can you believe that man is to spend all his days cooped and crawling on the surface of this tiny Earth - this moist pebble with its clinging film of air? Or do you, on the other hand, believe that his destiny is indeed among the stars, and that one day our descendants will bridge the seas of space?'  "Interplanetary Flight" - British Interplanetary Society brochure (1938)

The Introduction                                           navigation

You are an up-and-coming scientist called upon to research and design a cost efficient but fully functional space station. NASA has spent over 330 million dollars the past few months on Mars landing crafts with disastrous results. Going to Mars and looking for water with the hopes of one-day terreforming the red planet for colonization has become quite challenging and costly. The government's and the public's faith in NASA has dwindled. The proposed space station of your design will not be constructed on Mars or any other heavenly body. You will revive old concepts of Dr. Wernher von Braun, Gerard O'Neill, and Arthur C. Clarke involving rotating stations with simulated gravity. You have the ability to secure NASA's future as the leader in space exploration.

The Task                                                       navigation

• You must justify the "need" to explore space.
• Identify the dangers of long term exposure to micro gravity.
• You will be researching all topics involved in controlled biosphere environments with simulated gravity.
• You will design a Space Station that will simulate Earth's gravity.
• Incorporate a dock from which a space shuttle can link to and launch from the Station.
• You will envision what life will be like upon your station.
• Your proposal will be in the form of a Power Point presentation.

1. You will be assigned to a group of 3 students. The Chief Engineer will gather and organize data as well as cite resources. The Counselor will maintain the philosophical and ethical integrity of your mission and assure credit to other scientists' ideas. The Captain's duties will be to make executive decisions and delegate all other responsibilities including presentations.
2. Once you have chosen a role to play, you must formulate a mission statement that justifies the human need to explore space. Make this a couple of paragraphs long with quotes from popular and influential scientists or philosophers. This is your argument to continue a failed exploration effort. You are encouraged to explore the many links found at each of the web sites listed and to explore the web using various search engines.
3. Explain what happens to the human body over extended periods of time and the difficulty of performing simple tasks in a micro gravity environment. This can be in list form but give details and examples of each.
4. Resurrect the ideas and visions of Dr. Wernher von Braun, Gerard O'Neill, and Arthur C. Clarke involving rotating stations with simulated gravity. Organize your thoughts and your plan. Include technical data and calculations. What will be the diameter of your station? What will be its tangential velocity to simulate Earth's gravity? Its period of rotation? Docking procedure? Systems of light, heat, water, recycling, maintenance and government? Will it orbit a heavenly body? What primary body will it orbit? Give all orbital data.
5. You will not proceed through this project in a strictly linear fashion. You will always be looking for material and information that will help to achieve the overall mission. By exploring beyond the links provided you make your proposal unique and most attractive. Draw your space station on computer or paper. Include your picture in your proposal. Your proposal will be a Power Point presentation. Include "a day in a life" (a personal journal entry) from some future inhabitant of your space station.

Gravity and Microgravity explained.
http://microgravity.nasa.gov/wimg.html
How and why astronauts exercise.
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/astronauts/exercise.html
Why study microgravity?
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/space/mg_ls.html
Dr. Wernher von Braun's picture and description of his space station.
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/history/VonBraun/SpaceAge.html
2001 A Space Odyssey and Pink Floyd "Echoes" synchronized.
http://www.xnet.com/~arkiver/synch/jabti.shtml
Arthur C. Clarke
http://www.acclarke.co.uk/a6.html
Virtual Reality tour of 2001 stations.
http://members.aol.com/Alprojects/2001
Gerard O'Neill's page on designs of futuristic space stations.
http://members.aol.com/oscarcombs/settle.htm

The Evaluation                                          navigation

Students will be evaluated individually on the performance of their duties. The rest of your grade is based on group achievement and presentation.
  

	Beginning  1	Developing  2	Accomplished  3	Exemplary  4	Score
Justification Statement	Weak argument with no obvious scientific research or quotes.	Weak argument with little research and weak or irrelevant quotes.	Strong argument with ample research and quotes.	Convincing argument with extraordinary research and quotes.
Data, Calculations and Innovations	Work contains mistakes and not very well thought out.	Some good ideas but not much applied knowledge.	All questions answered with realistic numbers. Some good ideas.	All answers well done with many innovative ideas.
Individual Duties and Performance	Let others do your work.	Tried but took mostly a passive role in reaching group goal.	Solid individual effort and responsibilities met.	Lifted the level of the rest of the group.
Presentation	Not much content and not too pleasing to watch.	Looks good but not much there.	Includes all required material and pleasing to watch.	Has it all and reflects mastery of material.
	4-9 F	10 D	11-12 C	13-14 B	15-16 A

  
 

Conclusion                                          navigation

 The physical  and mathematics concepts discovered and utilized in this WebQuest are not Science Fiction. The mathematics you used is a universal language. The scientific theories and laws you have followed are the same as those used by actual engineers. You have performed a very realistic activity. Each participant should exit this activity with a much greater understanding of space colonization. Hopefully you are better prepared for what lies ahead and can make a difference.
 

Credits                                                  navigation

I would like to credit my former teachers and students for all you have taught me over the years. You have unlocked the wonderful mystery in a grain of sand to the forces that hold the universe together. You have helped me see the beauty in all things great and small. May this chain of knowledge expand out beyond our present reach to worlds that now exist in our dreams. Peace.
   
 

Last modified October 15, 2002