Satellite Rescue
Scenario
• It’s day six of the space shuttle Endeavour’s maiden
voyage.
• The main goal of this mission is to rescue the Intelsat VI, a
communications satellite, from an unusable orbit and
relaunch it into geosynchronous orbit.
Geosynchronous Orbit
• Geosynchronous means synchronized with the Earth
(geo).
• A satellite in geosynchronous orbit revolves around
Earth’s equator at the same rate Earth rotates on its axis,
so from any point on Earth the satellite appears not to be
moving.
• A satellite in geosynchronous orbit provides continuous
communication channels to a wide area immediately
below it.
Scenario (cont.)
• Astronauts Sonia Perez and Bob Vaughn have tried
eight times over the last two days to recover the satellite,
all of which were unsuccessful.
• The crew has now proposed using a three-person EVA,
the first in history, to rescue the satellite.
EVA, or Extravehicular Activity
• An EVA is the NASA acronym for extravehicular activity.
• An EVA is a spacewalk.
Mission Objectives
• Capture the Intelsat VI.
• Attach a perigee kick motor, or PKM, to the satellite.
• Relaunch the satellite into the correct geosynchronous
orbit.
• All of these objectives must be met without overexerting
the astronauts and exhausting their oxygen supplies.
Perigee Kick Motor (PKM)
• Perigee is the lowest point in a satellite’s orbit.
• A perigee kick motor is designed to provide the
needed boost to move a satellite into its correct
position.
Overview of Teams
Satellite Rescue has four teams that work together to solve
problems and monitor the astronauts’ vital signs throughout
the mission:
• Life Support
• Task Control
• Special Operations
• Communications
Life Support Team
(6 students, 2 per astronaut)
• Monitor and calculate vital signs of astronauts
using online tools, proportions, crossmultiplication, and graphing
• Report astronaut vital signs and make
recommendations to the mission commander
• Send respiration rate data to the task control
team
• Graph data and predict astronaut
performance
Task Control Team
(6 students, 2 per astronaut)
• Organize and coordinate astronaut task timeline
• Use an online gauge to graph the amount of oxygen left
in astronauts’ tanks
• Calculate the amount of oxygen needed to finish each
task, using respiration rate data from the life support
team, proportions, and cross-multiplication
• Predict the amount of oxygen that will remain in the
astronauts’ tanks after finishing all tasks
• Report to mission commander on oxygen data and
predictions
Special Operations Team
(6 or more students)
• Solve problems through each event of the
EVA, using basic geometry, formulas, and
proportions
• Consult with teammates about solutions
• Report recommendations to the mission
commander
• Report to the task control team as each
problem is solved
Communications Team
(3 students)
• Communications officer 1: Organizes communication among
teams and mission commander; stationed at the primary
communication center; uses the chat window.
• Communications officer 2: Organizes communication flow
among life support team, task control team, and mission
commander; delivers respiration rate data from the life support
team to the task control team; reports orally to the mission
commander.
• Communications officer 3: Represents special operations
team; communicates directly with the mission commander and
delivers answers with recommendations.
Getting Ready
Before the mission begins, prepare your team by:
• Reviewing the directions for your team.
• Discussing the communication flow of data and
calculations.
• Practicing with the online tools.
Good luck on your mission!