Understanding Space Travel
OBJECTIVES:
Students will understand the following:
1. At some time in the future, there likely will be cities in space.
2. The first of these cities will probably be lunar based, Mars based, or space based (orbiting Earth).
3. Designers of such a city will have to work within the parameters of the unique conditions of the base
environment.
4. Designers will have to consider the conditions and services that will be necessary for people living in the
city.
MATERIALS:
For this lesson, you will need:
 Computer with Internet access
 Research materials on the moon, Mars, and space stations
PROCEDURE:
1. Think about the design of a large city near your area. What materials are common in buildings and other
structures? What kinds of recreation facilities are available? How is power provided to the residents?
What are the main businesses and industries carried out in the city? Can you think of any reasons for the
characteristics that you’ve ascribed to the city? Are the city's characteristics related to its geography,
location, or available natural resources? In what ways?
2. Consider the following: In the future, we are likely to have cities in space—either lunar based, Mars
based, or space based (i.e., orbiting Earth). As on Earth, the characteristics of space cities will be, in part,
dictated by the unique conditions of the base environment.
3. Design a SimCity situated in one of the following locations:
 lunar-based
 Mars-based
 space-based
4. Before beginning, you will need to research the base environments of the moon, Mars, or space stations.
5. Plan your city with the following questions in mind:
i.
What building materials will be available?
ii.
Which jobs will be required; what skills will people need?
iii.
What kind of recreational facilities should be available for the inhabitants?
iv. How will power, food, water, oxygen—the necessities—be provided?
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v.
vi.
What conditions and services will people need?
Are there any special scientific research projects that could be carried out on this base that are
unique to this location?
vii.
What types of businesses and commercial services will be most likely to thrive in this city?
6. Create a plan of your lunar, Mars, or space – based city using a computer-aided design, a physical
model, or drawings of your city. If you think of another option, great, but run it by me first.
7. Prepare a written report on one of the following:
 Life at the Base (“A Day in the Life of a . . . Student, Scientist, Teacher, Doctor, Artist, Writer,
etc.”)
 Tourist Brochure (tourist traps; best restaurants; sports activities; museums; historic sites, such
as Apollo and other landing sites on the moon, Viking and Pathfinder on Mars).
 The Daily News (newspaper and/or newsletter that communicates the current events on the
base)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Discuss fully, the following “What ifs”:
a. What if...the Soviet Union had never launched the Sputnik?
b. What if...the Apollo Program had never resulted in a landing on the Moon?
c. What if...no one had ever tried to break the sound barrier?
d. What if...the Soviet Union had landed on the Moon first?
e. What if...you were offered an opportunity to ride on the Space Shuttle?
2. Discuss why people want to go into space and debate (pros and cons) whether human space exploration
should be replaced with robotic missions. Are there compelling reasons why humans should have a
presence in space travel?
3. Explain how the exploration of space is similar to an expedition to Mt. Everest.
4. Debate (pros and cons) the value of the Apollo Lunar Mission Program. Support your opinion with
specifics.
5. Debate (pros and cons) the value of a manned mission to Mars. Support your opinion with specifics.
6. Discuss the benefits which could result from private industry's participation in the commercialization of
space.
7. Explain how space travel has affected people's lives. How has it affected your life?
WEB LINKS:
A Guide to Microgravity for Students of all Ages
How does NASA create “weightless” environments for training astronauts here near the surface of the earth?
The principles of “real” microgravity and “fake” microgravity can be explored at this site.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/microgravity/home/index.html
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...From the stars we are born, to the stars we will return...
For many, space may truly be the final frontier. If your lifetime ambitions for being an astronaut can't be
satisfied, check out how the funeral industry is taking commercial advantage of helping you to become an
“ashtronaut.”
http://www.celestis.com/
The Problem of Space Travel
An excellent reference site with over seventy different practical challenges in space travel are explored.
Technological solutions deal with every problem, from how do rockets get us there, to how do we create an
artificial environment.
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4026/contents.html
How Do Rockets Stack Up?
Learn all about the history and scientific principles of Rocketry. When people think about jobs at NASA,
certain careers come to mind first. Astronaut is almost always near the top of the list, often followed by the
fabled "rocket scientist." The job title is almost mythical -- the gold standard for a challenging occupation. To
put a task in perspective, a common expression is "Well, it's not rocket science." But, at NASA, it is.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/rocketry/home/index.html
VOCABULARY:
weightlessness
Having little weight: lacking apparent gravitational pull.
Context: For film director Ron Howard the most challenging aspect of recreating the drama of the Apollo 13
spaceflight was figuring out how to show weightlessness.
free fall
The condition of unrestrained motion in a gravitational field; a rapid and continuing drop or decline.
Context: Weightlessness for an astronaut in space and free fall for a bungee jumper are exactly the same.
parabola
A plane curve generated by a point moving so that its distance from a fixed point is equal to its distance from
a fixed line.
Context: You really can't wait for the next parabola.
terminator
The dividing line between the illuminated and the unilluminated part of the moon's or a planet's disk.
Context: You can actually look out and see the terminator between night and day coming toward you.
speed of light
A fundamental physical constant that is the speed at which electromagnetic radiation propagates in a vacuum
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and that has a value fixed by international convention of 299,792,458 meters per second—symbol c.
Context: In the laws of physics, the speed of light is the fundamental speed limit.
biodome
An enclosed area containing all necessary elements to support Earth's life forms.
Context: We could launch a self-contained biodome.
Understanding Space Travel – CHECKLIST
 Lunar, Mars, or Space City – Plan
 Report – Day in the Life, Tourist Brochure, or The Daily News
 Discussion Questions
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