Apollo 11 First Steps

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Load more

Apollo 11 First Steps Marketing & Educational Guide Topics Page Key Marketing Messages 3-9 Launch Ideas 10-17 Technology Then & Now 18-25 Table of Educational & Public Programs 26-38 Contents Marketing Materials 39-41 Lesson Plans & Activities 42-50 NGSS Film Tie-ins 51-53 Resources 54- 59 Key Messages Going to the moon was one of the greatest engineering feats ever achieved … taking humans on the longest trip in history 240,000 miles from earth. How many times have you heard the phrase…. If they can land a man on the moon, they can do …. anything. Key Messages The International Space Station flies 234 miles above earth. The Apollo spacecraft flew 240,000 miles from the earth to the moon. That’s 1,000 times farther away! And much more difficult to reach. Go to slide #27 for an activity that demonstrates why! Key Messages Apollo 11 was the ultimate adventure. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to ever set foot on another world. In total, 12 Apollo astronauts walked on the moon. Key Messages Nostalgia for that great year in history ... 1969 • Where were you on July 20, 1969 when man first walked on the moon? • Grandparents can take their grand kids to the movie and tell their stories. • Tap into the music and culture of the day… the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Woodstock was only 3 weeks away. Key Messages The International Space Station flies 234 miles above earth. The Apollo spacecraft flew 240,000 miles from the earth to the moon. That’s 1,000 times farther away! And much more difficult to reach. Go to slide #27 for an activity that demonstrates why! Key Messages Kids can experience what its like to be an astronaut and walk on the moon! Key Messages NASA looks to the Future and the Next Generation with the “Moon to Mars” program. Goal – build a permanent human presence on the moon. A new Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft is being built now – target is to fly to the moon in 2022. Next stop … Mars! VISIT www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars The goal was to explore the moon, but when we looked back, we discovered the Earth. Seeing the Earth as a whole without borders had a Key Messages profound effect on the world. In 1971, during the Apollo missions, organizations like Doctors Without Borders were formed. Apollo 11 Launch ideas Let the countdown begin … Recreate that historic day • Re-create a 1960’s living room with a TV from the times and play a video tape of the lunar landing. • The room shown here was built by the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago. • Have your staff dress like 1969, sunglasses and all! • Tap into the music of the day… The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” just came out. Where were you when we landed on the moon? Where were you on July 20, 1969? Anyone born before 1960 remembers exactly where they were when Neil Armstrong took the first small step for man. The worldwide TV audience was 550 million! Plan a social media campaign and invite your audience to share their memories and photos of where they were on this historic day. Launch a Moon Party Recreate the 60’s for an out-of-this-world party Show the lunar landing on a 60’s style TV – rabbit ears and all. Serve cosmo cocktails and Moon Pie, dance to music of the time – The Beatles’ “Abbey Road,” Rolling Stones’ “Let it Bleed” and remember … Woodstock was only 3 weeks away. Night at the Museum Apollo 11 landed on the moon at 4:00 pm Eastern time. Armstrong took the first step at 11pm EDT. Celebrate the first step exactly as it happened and host a Night at the Museum. Have educational programs and screenings at night or host an overnight Apollo Palooza! Moon Rock and Apollo Exhibits If your museum has a moon rock, Apollo artifacts or other space exhibits, now is the time to feature these valuable items and build a museum-wide program around the film celebrating the science, technology and history of the Apollo missions. Apollo Alumni across the U.S. It is estimated over 500,000 people employed at 20,000 companies across the U.S. worked on the Apollo missions. Reach out to companies in your city that worked on the Apollo missions and invite the alumni to participate in events and bring in their kids, grand kids, and friends to see the film. Technology Then and Now There is more COMPUTING POWER in your cell phone than the entire computing power for the Apollo 11 program. Technology Then and Now Great message for young people:: Your smartphone is millions of times more powerful than NASA’s combined computing in 1969. It shows what you can do with creativity and determination! Computers were used for only a limited number of tasks on Apollo, such as guidance and communications. But Apollo did use computers for the FIRST TIME, launching the computer era. At left is the now ancient Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) developed by MIT. Astronauts could type in nouns and verbs that controlled the spacecraft. It only had 64K byte of memory and operated at 0.043MHz. She wrote the code that helped land man on the moon. Margaret Hamilton, from MIT, stands next to program “listings” of the actual computer code that she wrote by hand for the Apollo Guidance Computer. She is credited with inventing the term “software engineering.” “There was no choice but to be pioneers,” she said. In 2016 she received the Medal of Freedom from President Obama for her pioneering work. Women in STEM Then and Now! Many women were part of the NASA team in the early space program leading up to Apollo. They worked on mathematical problems and were sometimes called the human computer! Watch this video as NASA honors women throughout its history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIL- iRF5u34 Encourage Girls to explore STEM Now there are many resources available for girls to experience STEM. Use Apollo 11: First Steps to inspire girls in STEM and maybe even … rocket science! Technology Then and Now Then …at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland flight technicians and computer experts employed the IBM System/360 Model 75s mainframe for independent computations and to maintain communications between Earth and lunar landers. These computers cost $3.5 million each and were the size of a car! Now … A simple USB stick is more powerful! Amazing Engineering … all done with a slide rule! The F-1 Engine on the There were five F-1 engines and each one created Saturn V rocket lifted 1.5 million pounds of thrust. The turbo pump had to withstand liquid oxygen man to the moon. coming in at 300 degrees F below zero and when ignited it was 1,500 degrees F hot. A million elements and it all had to work perfectly. And it did! The Saturn 5 rocket had 3 stages with 11 different engines that had to be timed perfectly. The Service Module and Lunar Module separated, then docked in space, the Lunar Module then separated, landed on the moon and then one engine lifted the LEM off the moon and it docked again with the Command Module. The only part of the entire 360 foot tall Saturn 5 that returned to earth was the tiny Command Module at the top, the module that carried the astronauts home. And it all worked perfectly. “One of the unexpected but welcome things Apollo 11 accomplishes is restoring a sense of how insanely complex the lunar mission was, and how audacious. How did people even have the nerve to dream a dream this big, not to mention the determination and skill to pull it off without a hitch?” -The Los Angeles Times Educational & Public Program Ideas Public Programs, Symposiums, Speakers, Moon Days, Astronomy Nights and everything beyond. How far away is the moon? Farther than you think! Use this demo to explain how far. To show how far and how hard it is to get to the moon, use this demo to compare it to sending a spacecraft into Earth’s orbit. Start with Earth as the size of a basketball, the moon the size of a softball, then take a string and ask students to guess how far away the softball would be from the basketball. Answer: 24 feet! Then use a model of the ISS or space shuttle, that flies in earth orbit and ask them how far away the model would be. Most will guess half way. Answer: 1 centimeter! The moon is 240,000 miles from earth and the ISS flies 250 miles above Earth. Make your own Lunar Footprint! Build a mock-up of a moon boot and the lunar surface and have kids try on the moon boot and see what its like to create a footprint on the moon, just like Neil Armstrong! Apollo Palooza! • Go all out and plan interactive activities, exhibits, and seminars around Apollo 11 • Have an astronaut brunch • Showcase the latest in space exploration National Moon Day & Moon Rocks Celebrate National Moon Day on July 20, 2019. And get a moon rock! NASA has a small acrylic disk with pieces of moon rocks and meteorites available for a 2 week loan and requires an in-person workshop. https:// ares.jsc.nasa.gov/interaction/lmdp/ Astronauts and Other Speakers There are many NASA astronauts and retired astronauts that might live near you. Or there may be other engineers or other experts that worked on the Apollo program from engineering firms in your location.
Recommended publications
  • Apollo Spacecraft

    Apollo Spacecraft

    APOLLO NEWS REFERENCE APOLLO SPACECRAFT The Apollo spacecraft comprises the lunar occupies the right flight station. The astronauts module, the command module, theservice module, transfer to the ascent stage, through the docking the spacecraft-lunar module adapter, and the tunne l, after the LM has docked with the CM and launch escape system. The five parts, 82 feet tall both have attained lunar orbit. The ascent stage when assembled, are carried atop the launch comprises three major areas: crew compartment, vehicle. midsection, and aft equipment bay. The cabin, comprising the crew compartment and midsection, After the launch escape system and the launch has an overa ll volume of 235 cubic feet. vehicle have been jettisoned, the three modu les remain to form the basic spacecraft. The command module carries the three astronauts to and from Because the LM is operated in either the weight­ lunar orbit. The service modu le contains the pro­ lessness of space or in lunar gravity, the cabin pulsion system that propels the spacecraft during contains harness- like restraint equipment rather the trans lunar and transearth flights. The lunar than the foldable couches provided in the CM. The module carries two astronauts, the Commander restraints al low the astronauts sufficient freedom and the Lunar Module Pilot, to and from the of movement to operate al l LM controls while in a moon, and serves as the base of operations during re lativelyupright position. the lunar stay. LUNAR MODULE The lunar module wil l be operated in the vacuum of space; there was no need, therefore,for it to have the aerodynamic symmetry of the com· mand module.
  • PEANUTS and SPACE FOUNDATION Apollo and Beyond

    PEANUTS and SPACE FOUNDATION Apollo and Beyond

    Reproducible Master PEANUTS and SPACE FOUNDATION Apollo and Beyond GRADE 4 – 5 OBJECTIVES PAGE 1 Students will: ö Read Snoopy, First Beagle on the Moon! and Shoot for the Moon, Snoopy! ö Learn facts about the Apollo Moon missions. ö Use this information to complete a fill-in-the-blank fact worksheet. ö Create mission objectives for a brand new mission to the moon. SUGGESTED GRADE LEVELS 4 – 5 SUBJECT AREAS Space Science, History TIMELINE 30 – 45 minutes NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS ö 5-ESS1 ESS1.B Earth and the Solar System ö 3-5-ETS1 ETS1.B Developing Possible Solutions 21st CENTURY ESSENTIAL SKILLS Collaboration and Teamwork, Communication, Information Literacy, Flexibility, Leadership, Initiative, Organizing Concepts, Obtaining/Evaluating/Communicating Ideas BACKGROUND ö According to NASA.gov, NASA has proudly shared an association with Charles M. Schulz and his American icon Snoopy since Apollo missions began in the 1960s. Schulz created comic strips depicting Snoopy on the Moon, capturing public excitement about America’s achievements in space. In May 1969, Apollo 10 astronauts traveled to the Moon for a final trial run before the lunar landings took place on later missions. Because that mission required the lunar module to skim within 50,000 feet of the Moon’s surface and “snoop around” to determine the landing site for Apollo 11, the crew named the lunar module Snoopy. The command module was named Charlie Brown, after Snoopy’s loyal owner. These books are a united effort between Peanuts Worldwide, NASA and Simon & Schuster to generate interest in space among today’s younger children.
  • Chapter 12 the Moon and Mercury: Comparing Airless Worlds The

    Chapter 12 the Moon and Mercury: Comparing Airless Worlds The

    11/4/2015 The Moon: The View from Earth From Earth, we always see the same side of the moon. Moon rotates around its axis in the same time that it takes to orbit Chapter 12 around Earth: The Moon and Mercury: Tidal coupling: Earth’s gravitation has Comparing Airless Worlds produced tidal bulges on the moon; Tidal forces have slowed rotation down to same period as orbital period Lunar Surface Features Highlands and Lowlands Two dramatically Sinuous rilles = different kinds of terrain: remains of ancient • Highlands: lava flows Mountainous terrain, scarred by craters May have been lava • Lowlands: ~ 3 km lower than highlands; smooth tubes which later surfaces: collapsed due to Maria (pl. of mare): meteorite bombardment. Basins flooded by Apollo 15 lava flows landing site The Highlands Impact Cratering Saturated with craters Impact craters on the moon can be seen easily even with small telescopes. Older craters partially … or flooded by Ejecta from the impact can be seen as obliterated by more lava flows bright rays originating from young recent impacts craters 1 11/4/2015 History of Impact Cratering Missions to the Moon Rate of impacts due to Major challenges: interplanetary Need to carry enough fuel for: bombardment decreased • in-flight corrections, rapidly after the formation of the solar system. • descent to surface, • re-launch from the surface, • return trip to Earth; Most craters seen on the need to carry enough food and other moon’s (and Mercury’s) life support for ~ 1 week for all surface were formed astronauts on board. Lunar module (LM) of within the first ~ ½ billion Solution: Apollo 12 on descent to the years.
  • Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong Broadcast from the Moon (July 21, 1969) Added to the National Registry: 2004 Essay by Cary O’Dell

    Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong Broadcast from the Moon (July 21, 1969) Added to the National Registry: 2004 Essay by Cary O’Dell

    Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong Broadcast from the Moon (July 21, 1969) Added to the National Registry: 2004 Essay by Cary O’Dell “One small step for…” Though no American has stepped onto the surface of the moon since 1972, the exiting of the Earth’s atmosphere today is almost commonplace. Once covered live over all TV and radio networks, increasingly US space launches have been relegated to a fleeting mention on the nightly news, if mentioned at all. But there was a time when leaving the planet got the full attention it deserved. Certainly it did in July of 1969 when an American man, Neil Armstrong, became the first human being to ever step foot on the moon’s surface. The pictures he took and the reports he sent back to Earth stopped the world in its tracks, especially his eloquent opening salvo which became as famous and as known to most citizens as any words ever spoken. The mid-1969 mission of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission became the defining moment of the US- USSR “Space Race” usually dated as the period between 1957 and 1975 when the world’s two superpowers were competing to top each other in technological advances and scientific knowledge (and bragging rights) related to, truly, the “final frontier.” There were three astronauts on the Apollo 11 spacecraft, the US’s fifth manned spaced mission, and the third lunar mission of the Apollo program. They were: Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins. The trio was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 16, 1969 at 1:32pm.
  • Apollo 13 Mission Review

    Apollo 13 Mission Review

    APOLLO 13 MISSION REVIEW HEAR& BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES UNITED STATES SENATE NINETY-FIRST CONGRESS SECOR’D SESSION JUR’E 30, 1970 Printed for the use of the Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 47476 0 WASHINGTON : 1970 COMMITTEE ON AEROKAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES CLINTON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico, Chairman RICHARD B. RUSSELL, Georgia MARGARET CHASE SMITH, Maine WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington CARL T. CURTIS, Nebraska STUART SYMINGTON, bfissouri MARK 0. HATFIELD, Oregon JOHN STENNIS, Mississippi BARRY GOLDWATER, Arizona STEPHEN M.YOUNG, Ohio WILLIAM B. SAXBE, Ohio THOJfAS J. DODD, Connecticut RALPH T. SMITH, Illinois HOWARD W. CANNON, Nevada SPESSARD L. HOLLAND, Florida J4MES J. GEHRIG,Stad Director EVERARDH. SMITH, Jr., Professional staffMember Dr. GLENP. WILSOS,Professional #tad Member CRAIGVOORHEES, Professional Staff Nember WILLIAMPARKER, Professional Staff Member SAMBOUCHARD, Assistant Chief Clerk DONALDH. BRESNAS,Research Assistant (11) CONTENTS Tuesday, June 30, 1970 : Page Opening statement by the chairman, Senator Clinton P. Anderson-__- 1 Review Board Findings, Determinations and Recommendations-----_ 2 Testimony of- Dr. Thomas 0. Paine, Administrator of NASA, accompanied by Edgar M. Cortright, Director, Langley Research Center and Chairman of the dpollo 13 Review Board ; Dr. Charles D. Har- rington, Chairman, Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel ; Dr. Dale D. Myers, Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, and Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, hpollo Director -___________ 21, 30 Edgar 11. Cortright, Chairman, hpollo 13 Review Board-------- 21,27 Dr. Dale D. Mvers. Associate Administrator for Manned SDace 68 69 105 109 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIOSS 1. Internal coinponents of oxygen tank So. 2 ---_____-_________________ 22 2.
  • Physical Characteristics

    Physical Characteristics

    Physical Characteristics Encyclopedia—moon The study of the moon's surface increased with the invention of the telescope by Galileo in 1610 and culminated in 1969 when the first human actually set foot on the moon's surface. The physical characteristics and surface of the moon thus have been studied telescopically, photographically, and more recently by instruments carried by manned and unmanned spacecraft (see space exploration). The moon's diameter is about 2,160 mi (3,476 km) at the moon's equator, somewhat more than 1/4 the earth's diameter. The moon has about 1/81 the mass of the earth and is 3/5 as dense. On the moon's surface the force of gravitation is about 1/6 that on earth. It has been established that the moon completely lacks an atmosphere and, despite some tantalizing hints that there might be ice under the surface dust in shaded portions of Shackleton Crater (near the moon's south pole), there is no definite evidence of water. The surface temperature rises above 100°C (212°F) at lunar noon and sinks below -155°C (-247°F) at night. The gross surface features of the moon are visible to the unaided eye and were first studied telescopically in 1610 by Galileo. Surface Features The lunar surface is divided into the mountainous highlands and the large, roughly circular plains called maria (sing. mare; from Lat.,=sea) by early astronomers, who erroneously believed them to be bodies of water. The smooth floors of the maria, varying from flat to gently undulating, are covered by a thin layer of powdered rock that darkens them and accounts for the moon's low albedo (only 7% of the incident sunlight is reflected back, the rest being absorbed).
  • Apollo 13--200,000Miles from Earth

    Apollo 13--200,000Miles from Earth

    Apollo13"Houston,we'vegota ­ problem." ­ EP-76,ProducedbytheO fficeofPublicA ffairs ­ NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration ­ W ashington,D.C.20546 ­ U.S.GOVERNM ENT PRINTING OFFICE,1970384-459 ­ NOTE:Nolongerinprint. ­ .pdf version by Jerry Woodfill of the Automation, Robotics, and Simulation Division, Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058 . James A. Lovell, Jr., Commander... Fred W. Haise, Jr., Lunar Module Pilot... John L. Swigeft, Jr., Command Module Pilot. SPACECRAFT--Hey, we've got a problem here. Thus, calmly, Command Module Pilot JackSwigert gave the first intimation of serious trouble for Apollo 13--200,000miles from Earth. CAPSULECOMMUNICATOR--ThisisHouston;say again, please. SC--Houston, we've hada problem. We've hada MainBbusundervolt. By "undervolt"Swigert meant a drop in power in one of the Command/Service Module's two main electrical circuits. His report to the ground began the most grippingepisode in man's venture into space. One newspaper reporter called it the most public emergency and the most dramatic rescue in the history of exploration. SC--Andwe hada pretty large bang associatedwith the cautionandwarning here. Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise was now on the voice channel from the spacecraft to the Mission Control Center at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Manned Spacecraft Center in Texas. Commander Jim Lovell would shortly be heard, then again Swigert--the backup crewman who had been thrust onto the first team only two days before launch when doctors feared that Tom Mattingly of the primary crew might come down with German measles. Equally cool, the men in Mission Control acknowledged the report and began the emergency procedures that grew into an effort by hundreds of ground controllers and thousands of technicians and scientists in NaSA contractor plants and On university campuses to solve the most complexand urgent problem yet encountered in space flight.
  • Celebrate Apollo

    Celebrate Apollo

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration Celebrate Apollo Exploring The Moon, Discovering Earth “…We go into space because whatever mankind must undertake, free men must fully share. … I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth. No single space project in this period will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish …” President John F. Kennedy May 25, 1961 Celebrate Apollo Exploring The Moon, Discovering Earth Less than five months into his new administration, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy, announced the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the moon before the end of the decade. Coming just three weeks after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space, Kennedy’s bold challenge that historic spring day set the nation on a journey unparalleled in human history. Just eight years later, on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module, taking “one small step” in the Sea of Tranquility, thus achieving “one giant leap for mankind,” and demonstrating to the world that the collective will of the nation was strong enough to overcome any obstacle. It was an achievement that would be repeated five other times between 1969 and 1972. By the time the Apollo 17 mission ended, 12 astronauts had explored the surface of the moon, and the collective contributions of hundreds of thousands of engineers, scientists, astronauts and employees of NASA served to inspire our nation and the world.
  • Apollo Over the Moon: a View from Orbit (Nasa Sp-362)

    Apollo Over the Moon: a View from Orbit (Nasa Sp-362)

    chl APOLLO OVER THE MOON: A VIEW FROM ORBIT (NASA SP-362) Chapter 1 - Introduction Harold Masursky, Farouk El-Baz, Frederick J. Doyle, and Leon J. Kosofsky [For a high resolution picture- click here] Objectives [1] Photography of the lunar surface was considered an important goal of the Apollo program by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The important objectives of Apollo photography were (1) to gather data pertaining to the topography and specific landmarks along the approach paths to the early Apollo landing sites; (2) to obtain high-resolution photographs of the landing sites and surrounding areas to plan lunar surface exploration, and to provide a basis for extrapolating the concentrated observations at the landing sites to nearby areas; and (3) to obtain photographs suitable for regional studies of the lunar geologic environment and the processes that act upon it. Through study of the photographs and all other arrays of information gathered by the Apollo and earlier lunar programs, we may develop an understanding of the evolution of the lunar crust. In this introductory chapter we describe how the Apollo photographic systems were selected and used; how the photographic mission plans were formulated and conducted; how part of the great mass of data is being analyzed and published; and, finally, we describe some of the scientific results. Historically most lunar atlases have used photointerpretive techniques to discuss the possible origins of the Moon's crust and its surface features. The ideas presented in this volume also rely on photointerpretation. However, many ideas are substantiated or expanded by information obtained from the huge arrays of supporting data gathered by Earth-based and orbital sensors, from experiments deployed on the lunar surface, and from studies made of the returned samples.
  • Surveyor 1 Space- Craft on June 2, 1966 As Seen by the Narrow Angle Camera of the Lunar Re- Connaissance Orbiter Taken on July 17, 2009 (Also See Fig

    Surveyor 1 Space- Craft on June 2, 1966 As Seen by the Narrow Angle Camera of the Lunar Re- Connaissance Orbiter Taken on July 17, 2009 (Also See Fig

    i “Project Surveyor, in particular, removed any doubt that it was possible for Americans to land on the Moon and explore its surface.” — Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Scientist-Astronaut ii Frontispiece: Landing site of the Surveyor 1 space- craft on June 2, 1966 as seen by the narrow angle camera of the Lunar Re- connaissance Orbiter taken on July 17, 2009 (also see Fig. 13). The white square in the upper photo outlines the area of the enlarged view below. The spacecraft is ca. 3.3 m tall and is casting a 15 m shadow to the East. (NASA/LROC/ ASU/GSFC photos) iii iv Surveyor I: America’s First Moon Landing by William F. Mellberg v © 2014, 2015 William F. Mellberg vi About the author: William Mellberg was a marketing and public relations representative with Fokker Aircraft. He is also an aerospace historian, having published many articles on both the development of airplanes and space vehicles in various magazines. He is the author of Famous Airliners and Moon Missions. He also serves as co-Editor of Harrison H. Schmitt’s website: http://americasuncommonsense.com Acknowledgments: The support and recollections of Frank Mellberg, Harrison Schmitt, Justin Rennilson, Alexander Gurshstein, Paul Spudis, Ronald Wells, Colin Mackellar and Dwight Steven- Boniecki is gratefully acknowledged. vii Surveyor I: America’s First Moon Landing by William F. Mellberg A Journey of 250,000 Miles . December 14, 2013. China’s Chang’e 3 spacecraft successfully touched down on the Moon at 1311 GMT (2111 Beijing Time). The landing site was in Mare Imbrium, the Sea of Rains, about 25 miles (40 km) south of the small crater, Laplace F, and roughly 100 miles (160 km) east of its original target in Sinus Iridum, the Bay of Rainbows.
  • X-Ray Computed Tomography of Tranquility Base Moon Rock

    X-Ray Computed Tomography of Tranquility Base Moon Rock

    X-ray Computed Tomography of Tranquility Base Moon Rock Dr. Justin S. Jones / Code 541 Dr. Jim Garvin / Code 600 Collaborators: Mike Viens/540, Ryan Kent/541, and Bruno Munoz/541 GSFC X-Ray CT System (Code 541 NDE Laboratory) Technique Background: • X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) is very similar Filtered Back- to Medical “CAT” scans Projection • An x-ray source creates a “cone beam” which enables geometric magnification • A series of 2D radiographs are taken at precise angle steps as the part rotates • Feldkamp filtered back-projection algorithm is applied to image “projections” to create 3D reconstructed “volume” Main Components: • 7-axis motion/manipulator system, up to 100lb capacity on rotation stage X-ray Source • Detector: Dexela 7529 CMOS with CsI scintillator – 75 µm pitch, 3888 x 3072 pixel array X-ray Detector • X-ray Source: Yxlon FXE-225.99 Dual Head Microfocus: 225kV • Installed in radiation shielded room Sample Stage (arbitrary • North Star Imaging and VG Studio Max software sample shown) • Reconstruction PC with 4 Tesla GPU computing North Star Imaging, custom X5000CT 2 GSFC CT Examples - Composites Impact Damage in Structural Experimental “Topological Composite Core” Composite Structure 3 GSFC CT Examples – Metallic Parts JWST: ISIM Structure 3D Welded Joint ISS: Cracked magnet in Europa: Additively EMU FPS Rotor Manufactured “Venturi” Assembly with stress relief crack 4 GSFC CT Examples – Circuit Boards/Components Circuit Board Interior Wiring Plane Full Circuit Board HV801 Diode Terminals 5 GSFC CT Examples – Reverse Engineering / 3D Reproduction JWST: CT Scan of Transition Link Assembly (fuse wire, ~1cm) 3D Model “Surfacing” to export as STL file for CAD/FEA/3D printer 3D printed replica of actual TLA (lower) at 10x scale 6 Apollo 11 Mission Background The following text was sourced, with minor edits, from the NASA site: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/masterCatalog.d o?sc=1969-059C • ‘The Lunar Module landed at 20:17:40 UT (4:17:40 p.m.
  • Geology of the Moon

    Geology of the Moon

    Geology of the moon William Joyce The moon is a little more accessible than other bodies in the solar system and this talk aimed to explain what moon rock reveals about the geology of the moon, which is an igneous cumulate complex. After some facts about the moon it looked at early ideas of the nature and origin of the moon, observations from earth, a look at both sides of the moon, major surface types – maria, highlands – craters and fieldwork near and on the moon. It finished with modern ideas on how the moon formed and some thoughts on impacting asteroids and volcanic eruptions. Facts The moon’s mass is 7.35x1022kg, 1.25% that of the earth. Its radius is 1,737km, 27.25% of the earth’s and its surface area 3.79x107km2, 7% of the earth’s. Its density is 60% of earth’s at 3.3g/cm3 and its gravity is 16.5% of earth’s at 1.62m/sec2. Its day is 27.322 earth days and temperatures range from +130oC to -130oC. As the only long-term natural companion of earth, the moon is a fairly large planetary body in its own right and has a complex geological history. 1t is 384,400km distant from earth, the equivalent of 60 earth radii. Early ideas Galileo Galilei was one of the first to make observations of the moon using a 20X telescope and published drawings of it in his Sidereii nunclus (1610). Thomas Harriot used a 6X telescope and produced the first drawings of the moon in 1609, before Galileo, and produced a map of the moon.