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Bruce McCandlessII A nationsthanksandfarewell: Weightlessness DoesNot exist! Transformation Take MeWithYou MATH HatesMe O LRAD S T E MA G AZ I N E

Aerospace

January 2018 \\004v We are a 501(c)(6) Non-profit corpora- tion promoting the growth of space and space-related industries in Colorado.

Our organization is united by a common desire to advance the growth of Colorado aerospace. Together, our members, embody the voice of Colorado Aerospace from start-ups to government and academic stakeholders...we strive to be a collective voice for the aerospace industry.

Our Summer Internship Program is accepting applications now!

CSBR CSBRoffers offers a 2-week a 2-week summer summer internship internship programprogram forfor Colorado Colorado high high school school and andcollege college students students interestedinterested in pursuing in pursuing careers careers in inthe the aerospace aerospace industry.industry. StudentsStudents from from all all over over the thestate state are are encouragedencouraged toto apply. All students interested in pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) All students interested in pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) related disciplines are encouraged to apply. related disciplines are encouraged to apply. Areas such as: Engineering, Medicine, Physics, Geology, Computer Science and Social Sciences. Areas such as: Engineering, Medicine, Physics, Geology, Computer Science, Social Sciences, and

Find out more about our summer internship program here : http://www.coloradosbr.org/csbr-summer-internship-program “This iconic photo of Bruce soaring effortlessly in space has inspired generations of Americans to believe that there is no limit to the human potential,” Sen. John McCain said in a statement. The Arizona Republican and Mr. McCandless were classmates at the U.S. Naval Academy.

McCandless said he wasn’t nervous about the historic spacewalk. “I was grossly over-trained,” he told the Daily Camera of Boulder, Colo., in 2006. “I was just anxious to get out there and fly. I felt very comfortable . . . It got so cold my teeth were chattering and I was shivering, but that was a very minor thing.”

During that flight, Mr. McCandless and fellow astronaut Robert L. Stewart pioneered the use of NASA’s backpack Bruce McCandless II, device that allowed astronauts walk- ing in space to propel themselves from a NASA astronaut who was the first the shuttle. Stewart became the second person to fly freely and untethered in person to fly untethered two hours af- space during a 1984 space-shuttle ter Mr. McCandless. mission, died this past Dec. 21 in California. He was 80. “I’d been told of the quiet vacuum you experience in space, but with three Mr. McCandless is photographed here radio links saying, ‘How’s your oxygen floating in space with a hefty space- holding out?’ ‘Stay away from the walker’s jet pack, alone in the cosmic engines!’ ‘When’s my turn?’ it wasn’t blackness above a blue Earth. He traveled that peaceful,” Mr. McCandless wrote more than 300 feet away from the in the Guardian in 2015. space shuttle Challenger during the spacewalk. Thank you to Bruce for his courage, and devotion to space flight. Take Me With You / by CSBR

Weightlessness Does Not Exist / by Wayne Carley

MATH Hates Me / By Dr. Rayann Simmons

Transformation / By Jamie Trafficanda Manager of Communications, Colorado Succeeds

The Great Digital Rush / By Dr. Richard Larson, MIT

The Orbital Mechanic: A Father, Daughter Story / by Kenneth Richard Hardman

Environmental Engineers / by Staff Writer Colorado Aerospace STEM Magazine Unlimited distribution is permitted to believes that the key to success in everyone receiving Colorado Aerospace seeing higher graduation rates, STEM Magazine. Please feel free to improved testing results, student share with educators, students, parents inspiration, creativity, excitement and and interested individuals or organiza- career satisfaction rests in the hands tions. of the teacher. The example and inspiration of individual educators carries Colorado Aerospace STEM Magazine tremendous weight on a daily basis, strives to encourage the educator to greatly impacting the quality and effec- better understand the importance of tiveness of the classroom environment. STEM skills, their use in every school subject, the need and ease of integration Our mission: Encourage curiosity, into curriculum and the urgency for investigation, inspiration, creativity, students to embrace STEM. and innovation; the foundations of every career passion and career in the To find out more, please send your Colorado workforce. E-mail request to:

Wayne Carley [email protected] Publisher

Every December for the past 14 years, The setting featured several of our leaders throughout Colorado’s space sponsors and exhibitors hosting tables community have gathered to network throughout the atrium. This year we and share ideas about the future of the opened up the upper atrium with a industry and its impact on the state. beautiful view of downtown Denver. Several of our exhibitors were able to This year, the Annual Colorado Space take advantage of the new surroundings. Business Roundtable (CSBR) Round Up took place on the first Wednesday, CSBR recognized Mr. Tom Bugnitz of December 6, 2017 – a gorgeous sunny Manufacturer’s Edge with our Cosmic day where over 250 participants of Contributor Award for 2017. He was Colorado’s Space community gathered. honored by CSBR “in recognition of your personal and professional drive to The theme this year, Take Me With advance aerospace and manufacturing You: Human Spaceflight in Colorado, in Colorado, the nation and the world, reflects the growing efforts of human and across the Cosmos!” spaceflight both near – CisLunar, and far – Mars! Technological innovation Our luncheon keynote speaker, Chris- has brought us this far and Colorado topher Hansen of NASA, took the au- is right in the heart of it all. Many of dience to a new level of exploration. the companies here in Colorado have a He shared a big picture view of space, big stake in the human spaceflight and Earth and our connections to both. we recognized those efforts during this With awe-inspiring video footage from year’s Round Up. the International Space Station, Mr. Hansen was able to give us all the real reason for our work here in aerospace freshman at Metro State University, – to bring humanity together. Through a senior at University of Colorado at our exploration of the stars we can Boulder, and a Young Professional make our world a better place. Each from Ball Aerospace. Each one provided one of us is participating in that explo- insight into the life path of a STEM ration in some way. We are ready for student, discussing social pressures, the next generation to take the mantle their love of space, and what is on their of this important mission. YouTube feeds.

The next panel focused on the activities of the CSBR organization, which featured our partnership with the Colorado Space Coalition, our road trips through Colorado, and our CSBR Internship program. By the way, we are accepting applications from students all over Colorado for the 2018 Sum- mer Internship program. (http://www. coloradosbr.org/csbr-summer-internship-program).

(Keynote Speaker – Mr. Chris Hansen, Manager NASA Extra Vehicular Activities for International Space Station)

This year’s panels, while familiar, had a different twist to them. Our first panel focused on STEM programs. Typically, we have program directors participate but this year we hosted students who were participating in the programs, they are, after all, the voices of the next generation. Students ranged from a junior in a high school Aerospace Academy from Erie, Colorado, to a (STEM Panel – Voices of the Next Generation) An important part of the aerospace whether we should send humans or industry is partnerships. Not only Artificial intelligence (AI). Our panel- local, but national and international. ists brought perspectives from NASA, Our Congressional panel allowed our Computer Science, Psychology, Robot- local and national representatives to ics, and the Mars Base Camp concept. share their efforts in aerospace. There After much discussion and debate, they was also a separate panel discussion on settled on the idea that humans want to the impact of the re-established explore space themselves, but could use

(CSBR Board Chair Rick Ward, addressing a full house for the Round Up luncheon) National Space Council. While on the help of the robots and AI. the international front, Secure World Foundation hosted our international As you can tell, we had quite an exciting partners from Canada, Mexico and the day. Each year we continue to expand United Kingdom to discuss how Col- the event and the ideas discussed. We orado companies are continually part- hope you will join us next year on the nering with them. first Wednesday of December - Decem- ber 5, 2018 - to learn about what’s next Our final panel was our theme panel. in Colorado Aerospace! Humanity is ready to go to the stars, but who or what do we send to explore? Our panelists debated the question of

Disclaimer: Considerations of Mass v/s actual weight and other complex non-orbital physics have been simplified for this topic and non-graduate understanding of basic concepts.

Weightlessness does not exist!

Weightlessness is an illusion…a sensation; it is not real.

Astronauts who are orbiting the Earth experience sensations of weightlessness. These sensations experienced in orbit are the same sensations experienced by anyone who has been temporarily suspended by jumping off a pool high dive, sky diving, bungee jumping or maybe an amuse- ment park ride. Not only are the sensations the same If you picked any of the given choices (for astronauts and roller coaster …….you are incorrect. (sorry) riders), but the causes of those sensations of weightlessness are also If you really believe in any one of the the same. Many people have difficulty above statements, then it might take a understanding the causes of the little convincing to understand the real illusion of weightlessness but maybe illusion of weightlessness. As is the case this article will help. on many topics, some unlearning must first be done before doing the correct The things we thought we knew or learning. thought were facts often stand in the way of our ability to understand the Put another way: it’s not what you don’t scientific truth. Consider the following know that makes learning a difficult multiple choice question about weight- task; it’s what you think you already lessness as a test of your preconceived know that makes learning a difficult notions on the topic: task. So if you do have a strong belief about what weightlessness is, you need to be aware of that you might be wrong from a scientific perspective. Q:Astronauts on the orbiting Inter- national Space Station are weightless because... a. There is no gravity in space and they Contact versus Non-Contact Forces do not weigh anything?

b. Space is a vacuum and there is no Gravity is always pulling us down. As gravity in a vacuum.? we walk, we are balancing with each step to keep gravity from pulling us c. The ISS and astronauts are far enough over….better known as falling down. from the Earth’s surface at a distance The only thing preventing us from where gravity has a minimal effect? falling to the center of the earth is the ground. Our physical contact with the ground prevents gravity from completing its effort to pull us further down. This contact with the ground or Earth, Any satellite (orbiting object) is kept in orbit by its speed - it is continually falling as the Earth curves from underneath it.

Newton’s 1st Law:

If there were no gravitational force, the satellite would move in a straight line.

is called “Contact Force”. Sitting in a once again interrupted by another chair interferes with gravity pulling us to Contact Force; probably the floor. the ground, so our body in the chair or contact with the chair becomes a Contact If there is nothing to interfere with your Force. falling, this is called: “Non-Contact Force” On the other hand, if someone were to That makes sense, right? You’ve just had a pull the chair (Contact Force) out from lesson, maybe your first, in Physics. under you, you would suddenly continue to fall from gravity until your fall was Now to the point. Why do astronauts Air molecules create resistance and float with the illusion and sensation of slow down anything that tries to go fast weightlessness? through it, like a car or plane or you running. In space where there is no air Simple. They are constantly falling to slow things down, spacecraft like the while in space. The interesting part is Shuttle, Space Station and other they are falling around the earth (in satellites keep going fast for much, orbit) rather than toward the earth. much longer and are able to stay in While in orbit, they are traveling about space for long periods of time. 17,100 miles per hour around the earth which does not allow gravity to grab The force of gravity can never be felt them and pull them down. The faster because our bodies are designed to they orbit, the less strength gravity has function in this gravity. Yet those forces on them. that result from contact can be felt, such as falling down or crashing your So how do they come back to earth? bike. In the case of sitting in your chair, That’s simple too….they just slow you can feel the chair force; your body down. The slower they go, the more is pushing down against the seat of earth’s gravity can pull on them and the chair and it is this feeling or force once they slow enough, gravity pulls that provides you with a sensation of them violently downward to earth. This weight. allows them to re-enter Earth’s atmo- sphere and drop by parachute or land like the space shuttle.

If I throw a baseball or a football, it doesn’t drop to the ground, but rather seems to float through the air for a while until it slows down and gravity pulls it to the grass. The harder you throw the ball, the longer it stays in the air. The faster astronauts travel in orbit, the longer they stay in space. The big difference is that in space there is no air to slow them down. The gravitational force of Earth would make a falling object accelerate at 9.81 meters per second squared (if there is no resistance).

Weightlessness is only a sensation; it is not a reality. People don’t suddenly have no weight. As you are free falling like a sky diver, you have not suddenly lost all your weight. The sensation or illusion of weightlessness has very little to do with weight and mostly to do with the presence or absence of forces.

Many people believe that orbiting astronauts are weightless because they do not experience a force of gravity. To think that the absence of gravity is the cause of the weightlessness experienced by orbiting astronauts would be incorrect because there is never an absence of gravity…..anywhere. Everything always weighs something. Everything is always falling.

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APPLY NOW FOR FALL 2018! colorado.edu/aerospace Why do most kids hate math?

APPLY NOW FOR FALL 2018! colorado.edu/aerospace Ask most students what their favor- as summer school, a private tutor or ite subject is and the answer is rarely longer hours of homework study. math.

What I have found interesting as I query thousands of students is that if you ask a second grader if they like math, they are likely to say yes. What is happening between second grade and fifth grade to create such a dislike for a subject we use every day at home, school and work?

If blame has to be placed in order to find a solution (math term), it’s spread across several guilty parties. The first culprit is state math standards, deter- mined and required by administrators that would be hard pressed to pass a basic algebra exam to keep their job.

Experts agree that we push our students too fast and too hard to com- prehend, memorize and apply basic and pre-algebra math in preparation for middle and high school require- Does the average math teacher have ments. Once a student falls behind or time to spend one on one, everyday, to fails scholastically in math, their level help their students keep up? Of course of confidence in math drops to levels not. Teachers don’t get to choose what rarely recovered from. has to be covered during a semester or how long to spend on a specific chap- Playing catch up in math or any subject ter. Goals must be reached for test- is a tough assignment and would ing….ready or not. require a very high level of commitment by teachers, students and parents such The math causalities are high and growing. Who is next on our list of suspects? Adults

Ask most parents and non-math teachers if they like math and the answer is almost always a resounding “No..I hate math and always have.” I have actually heard adults utter those very words to their students and children. When an influential adult plants the reinforce- ment of math hatred in the mind of a student it serves to support the child’s confusion about how to feel about math and how much extra effort to exert.

If enough adults and peers support that disdain for math of any kind over the course of years, why should we be sur- prised by failing grades and lower test scores and a bad attitude about math?

As parents and teachers we regularly fib to our kids about how great they did at the game, how beautiful their art creation is, how talented they are…..no harm, no foul. Why not add math to the list. “I love math…and you should t o o.” We only have a few choices regarding Regarding S.T.E.M. careers….yes, math math success for our students: is very important and high levels of pro- ficiency are demanded to enter those - Math isn’t that important so don’t careers such as engineering, medical worry about it. science, computer science, many aerospace applications, technology innovation and - Math is important. Let me get you all more. the help you need to understand it. More general math subjects such as - Let’s change the standards to allow geometry, pre-algebra, the ability to for a more realistic level of success and measure and estimate, using fractions or understanding for OUR kids. balancing your check book are required for almost any job you can name from We can’t fairly compare our kids to other carpenter to trash collector, secretary to nations or their scholastic achievements CEO. due to cultural influences and traditions, the role of government in the curriculum Very few of our students will enter official or other countries or the framework of the school system that is far different than S.T.E.M. careers, not because they don’t the U.S. qualify, but simply because it doesn’t interest them.

“ The number of Japanese student suicides is up 25% from 2005, the second worst globally.”

“Students in southern India, the new technology and economic hub of the country, now have the highest suicide rate in the world.”

“Is that a price we are interested in paying?” You’ve read my messages before that “Ev- My observations over the last decade ery job is a STEM job and every teacher is point to a lack of interest in these a STEM teacher.” That’s still true in prin- careers by American students due partly ciple since every career uses many STEM to a lack of introduction and curiosity applications to some degree, but the real- early in life, a pushy testing and curricu- ity is that only about 5% of the U.S. labor lum formula designed to fail, and an un- force works in engineering and science dermined level of student self-confidence whereas over 20% of the U.S. labor force scholastically and personally. in engineering and science jobs are held by foreign born professionals. This is the How do we as educators care for and STEM crisis so many refer to. support our students in a healthy way while at the same time, preparing and encouraging them to excel in school and career to meet the industrial needs of our nation where we need them? What about what they want?

Here’s what we can do:

Early exposure to STEM careers to generate possible interest.

Constant encouragement in personal capabilities.

Positive feedback about all career fields.

Promote curiosity……this is the foundation of everything that follows.

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Learn more at lockheedmartin.com

By Jamie Trafficanda Manager of Communications, Colorado Succeeds

But it wasn’t always that way. “Ten years ago, this district was in trouble. Over the past seven years, with little Many thought it would be absorbed” fanfare and almost entirely under the into a neighboring district, said Bill radar until recently, the 3,000-student Gilmore, Englewood’s STEM coordina- Englewood School District has built tor, who has played a key role in build- one of the best Science, Technology, ing the program. Back then, STEM was Engineering, and Math (STEM) all but nonexistent. There was a wood- programs in Colorado. shop and a place for kids to learn small engine repair, but that was about it. The district has become a STEM pow- erhouse thanks to long-range planning, That began to change about seven years visionary leaders, strong partnerships ago, when Englewood was hit with the with local businesses, and substantial state’s lowest rating: “accredited with investment from a Denver-based phil- turnaround plan,” which meant if the anthropic foundation. district didn’t get serious about im- proving, the state would intervene. Every school in the district now has a state-of-the-art STEM lab. A fabrica- District leaders launched community tion lab inside the district’s main conversations about how to transform educational complex allows students to the district so that it would provide work with laser engravers, 3-D printers, students with an education to prepare and other high-tech machinery to them for post-secondary options – produce everything from go-karts to college, certification programs, or job jewelry. training – sustainable careers. Robust STEM education emerged as the best path forward, and the community bought in. A $50 million bond issue passed in 2011 funded construction of the Englewood Campus, which houses in STEM education,” Whinnen said. the districts two middle schools and Englewood High School. “Often kids of color and girls don’t see themselves in STEM programs, Each of the middle schools and the which often are implemented at mid- high school have their own STEM labs, dle school and high school, which is and the Fab Lab is available to high too late,” Whinnen said. “By then the school students ready for higher-level culture of the room tends to be very work. white-upper-middle-class-boy-orient- ed, so girls and kids of color don’t see This year, Englewood’s three elemen- themselves as having a place in those tary schools that lacked STEM labs classrooms.” By starting STEM in opened with labs up and running, elementary school, as Englewood now thanks to a $400,000 grant from the does, “we hope we can change this per- Denver-based Gill Foundation. That ception and that will have a transfor- makes Englewood the second district mative effect on diversifying the kids in the nation to establish STEM labs in who go into these programs.” every school in the district, according to Superintendent Wendy Rubin. At the high school level, Englewood has robust partnerships with a number “What attracted us to Englewood is a of businesses, colleges, governmental constellation of really cool activities,” agencies, and nonprofits, all of which said Denise M. Whinnen, director of provide students with hands-on experi- Colorado strategies for the Gill Foun- ences and an opportunity to earn dation. “From the building level to the industry credentials before they graduate. highest levels of administration, there is an absolute commitment to STEM Industry partners include behemoths and to changing the trajectory of the like Lockheed Martin Space Systems lives of high minority, low income stu- as well as other businesses, includ- dent population in their school district. ing Reata Engineering and Machine All of that made it appealing.” Works, and Palmer Drives, Controls, and Systems. Higher education part- The STEM project also landed squarely ners include the Colorado School of in the foundation’s sweet spot. Founder Mines, Arapahoe Community College, Tim Gill and board co-chair Scott Miller Metropolitan State College of Denver, are the driving forces around this work and University of Colorado – Colorado to expand opportunity for all kids Springs. Government partners range from the level in the computer science strand, U.S. Geological Survey to the Little- and are working on a similar document ton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment for the other STEM fields. Plant. And nonprofits include Mile High United Way and One World One In computer science, for example, stu- Water, as well as the Gill Foundation. dents in the primary grades (pre-K through second) learn how to use tools Gilmore has established an advisory creatively to solve problems and to committee for the STEM program. express themselves, develop key 21st He strives for balanced representation century skills such as persistence, prob- from all partnership sectors, as well as lem-solving and taking initiative, and parents and students. “It’s important be creative with technology. that it stay balanced so we’re not hear- ing just one voice,” Gilmore said. In By the middle school years, they develop addition, each Career and Technical competencies and skills including the Education (CTE) program also has its ability to create simulations and mod- own advisory committee run by that eling, demonstrate logic and problem program’s lead teacher. solving, and use of a digital portfolio to track all projects. High school students can follow one of three career pathways: Natural Re- sources, which includes a Sustainable Agriculture and Green Energy program; Robotics, Advanced Manufac- turing, Aerospace, and Engineering; and Computer Science.

By next year, Englewood hopes to have identified industry certification opportunities in each of the career pathways, Gilmore said. The cohesive and com- prehensive STEM experiences offered in Englewood are the result of thought- ful and detailed planning. Gilmore and Englewood’s STEM focus has played a his team have meticulously mapped significant role in pulling the district out what skills and competencies out of the bottom tier of districts in students must develop at every grade Colorado. It has infused students with enthusiasm For students and teachers alike, the and a vision for what their future might new approach is “cool and daunting hold. Visiting the Fab Lab, you see all at once,” Gilmore said. “It takes students working independently and in patience and perseverance on every- teams, intensely focused on the project one’s part. If you push hard enough, at hand. The instructor is present, but eventually there will a lot of failure. It allows students the freedom to learn by needs to be failure in a positive way. doing, with minimal interference. That’s what you want. That’s how you learn.”

Photo credit: Seth McConnell, YourHub

Bishop Elementary School students Jayce Prante, left, and Gage Luna read an instruction manual as they discover different color patterns that will make their Ozobot perform a variety of tasks Sept. 6, 2017.

Let’s Think Through the Great Digital RUSH

Dr. Richard C. Larson MIT

Teachers, at least half in their mid-40’s and older, were not raised and trained in the digital age now so familiar to our young people. Bringing technology into the classroom must start with bringing our teachers, usually decades older than their tech-savvy students, into the digital age – to train them before trying out all sorts of fancy digital gadgets in the classroom and before offering computer coding or programming lessons. First, let me say I agree with the Another example: How many young general argument. But I have hesitation people can read maps? I mean old- in the implied context of the argument. fashioned paper maps. They often rely First, it is not true that going digital on Google or equivalent digital is all good and not doing so is all bad. directions and have no idea how to find Research and experience have shown ‘south’ in a strange place on a sunny that over reliance on digital tools can day. remove common sense reasoning and knowledge that we all must have. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, research has shown that doing digital Example: How many students today much of the time can rewire the brain. have an intuitive feel for order of Now activities are often multi-tasked magnitude? Can they catch decimal and usually of short duration. The point mistakes as they use a calculator ability and willingness to concentrate or similar device? My experience has long and hard, like a laser beam, on often been “No.” And that includes one difficult topic is a needed life skill not only students (yes, even MIT that may be slowly vanishing. students!), but also young physician specialists who almost overdosed one One last thought: In high school and in of my children due to lack of intuition college, students have many teachers, for quantity of an anesthetic in a one for each subject taught. No one syringe. We have recently posted a would expect a physics teacher to teach BLOSSOMS lesson that requires biology, or a math teacher to teach students to use pencil and paper (no chemistry. So, why should we expect calculators!) to estimate order of any k-12 teacher necessarily to be magnitudes. fluent in computer programming?

This is a skill that must be retained, not If coding is now thought to be a nec- relegated to digital devices whose essary skill in primary and secondary answers are only as accurate as the education (and I believe it is, to develop finger strokes inputting data. algorithmic thinking), why not have coding/computer-programming specialists come into the classroom to offer that teaching module? A special topic taught by specialists, even in Each letter of the English alphabet is elementary school. In k-12 we do that composed of a combination of 8 one’s routinely for teaching musical instru- and zero’s...with a slight separation ments and sports skills, so why not between each group of 8 digits. computer programming? ______It reads left to right just like the English language. (not up and down) Lesson one: DON’T BE AFRAID, it’s fun Here is my first name in binary code:

On the next page is a great classroom Wayne activity by the way. DVD’s, CD’s, com- puters and most computing and infor- 01010111 01100001 01111001 mation storage devices use binary 01101110 01100101 language because of its basic and simple structure and you can make it REALLY small. 1’s and 0’s CAPITAL LETTERS LOWER CASE A 01000001 a 01100001 B 01000010 b 01100010 C 01000011 c 01100011 D 01000100 d 01100100 E 01000101 e 01100101 F 01000110 f 01100110 G 01000111 g 01100111 H 01001000 h 01101000 I 01001001 i 01101001 J 01001010 j 01101010 K 01001011 k 01101011 L 01001100 l 01101100 M 01001101 m 01101101 N 01001110 n 01101110 O 01001111 o 01101111 P 01010000 p 01110000 Q 01010001 q 01110001 R 01010010 r 01110010 S 01010011 s 01110011 T 01010100 t 01110100 U 01010101 u 01110101 V 01010110 v 01110110 W 01010111 w 01110111 X 01011000 x 01111000

Y 01011001 y 01111001 Binary Alphabet Z 01011010 z 01111010 Go to this web site and type anything you want in the box.....then click TRANSLATE

http://www.binarytranslator.com/index.php

This also works in reverse. Copy your 01000100 01101111 00100000 binary code to a Word.doc or note pad. 01101110 01101111 01110100 Paste your binary code in the box and 00100000 01100010 01100101 click TRANSLATE again. Ta-da, you have the translation into English. 00100000 01100001 01100110 01110010 01100001 01101001 Wouldn’t it be interesting to Email a class assignment to students in binary 01100100 00100000 01101111 so they have to translate it using this 01100110 00100000 01110111 online site (one of many)? 01101000 01100001 01110100 To the right is my message to you and 00100000 01111001 01101111 your students in binary code. 01110101 00100000 01100100 Use the website to translate or write it 01101111 00100000 01101110 out by hand using the binary 01101111 01110100 00100000 alphabet on the left page. 01110101 01101110 01100100 Remember, read left to right and every 01100101 01110010 01110011 group of 8 digits is a letter or number. I’ll help you out by highlighting the 01110100 01100001 01101110 groups. 01100100 00101110

GREAT Green Job: What Environmental Engineers Do

Aside from making about $80,000 per year, here is what they do:

Environmental engineers use the principles of engineering (a decision making process), soil science, biology, and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental problems. They are involved in efforts to improve recycling, waste disposal, public health, - Advise corporations and government and water and air pollution control. agencies about procedures for cleaning They also address global issues, such as up contaminated sites. unsafe drinking water, climate change, and environmental sustainability. - Environmental engineers conduct hazardous-waste management studies Duties- in which they evaluate the significance of the hazard and advise on treating Prepare, review, and update environ- and containing it. mental investigation reports.

Design projects leading to environmental protection, such as water reclamation facilities, air pollution control systems, and operations that convert waste to energy.

- Obtain, update, and maintain plans, permits, and standard operating procedures.

- Provide technical support for environmental remediation projects and for legal actions.

- Analyze scientific data and do quality- control checks.

- Monitor the progress of environmental improvement programs.

- Inspect industrial and municipal facilities and programs to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. They also design systems for municipal and industrial water supplies and industrial wastewater treatment, and research the environmental impact of proposed construction projects. Environmental engineers in government develop regulations to prevent mishaps.

Some environmental engineers study ways to minimize the effects of acid rain, global warming, automobile emissions, and ozone depletion. They also collaborate with environmental technicians, engineers, and other scientists, planners, hazardous waste specialists, such as experts in law and business to address environmental problems and environmental sustainability. Education-

Students interested in becoming an environmental engineer should take high school courses in chemistry, biology, physics, and math, including algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.

Entry-level environmental engineering jobs require a bachelor’s degree. Programs typically last 4 years and include classroom, laboratory, and field studies. Some colleges and universities offer cooperative programs in which students gain practical experience while completing their education.

At some colleges and universities, a student can enroll in a 5-year program that leads to both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. A graduate degree allows an engineer to work as an Important Qualities instructor at some colleges and universities or to do research and development. Imagination - Environmental engineers sometimes Many engineering programs are have to design systems that will be part accredited by ABET. Some employ- of larger ones. They must be able to ers prefer to hire candidates who have foresee how the proposed designs will graduated from an accredited program. interact with other components of the A degree from an ABET-accredited larger system, including the workers, program is usually necessary to machinery, and equipment, as well as become a licensed professional the environment. engineer. They must be able to identify and anticipate problems in order to prevent losses for their employers, safeguard workers’ health, and mitigate environmental damage.

Reading skills - Environmen- tal engineers often work with business people, lawyers, and other professionals outside their field. They frequently are required to read and understand documents with topics outside their scope of training.

Writing skills - Environmental engineers must be able to write clearly so that others without their specific training can understand their plans, proposals, specifications, findings, and other documents.

Interpersonal skills - Advancement - Environmental engineers must be able As beginning engineers gain knowl- to work with others toward a common edge and experience, they move on to goal. They usually work with engi- more difficult projects and they have neers and scientists who design other greater independence to develop systems and with the technicians and designs, solve problems, and make mechanics who put the designs into decisions. Eventually, environmental practice. engineers may advance to become technical specialists or to supervise a Problem-solving skills - team of engineers and technicians. When designing facilities and process- es, environmental engineers strive to Some may even become engineering solve several issues at once, from workers’ managers or move into executive posi- safety to environmental protection. tions, such as program managers. Colorado Environmental Engineers use STEM Skills every day.

Save Colorado, Saving the World

Class Assignment: Think of a problem in your neighborhood, school, or city. Figure out a solution. You’re an engineer. Colorado Environmental Engineers use STEM Skills every day.

We need you to save us.

Look into it. Use your imagination, your skills, solve a problem with trash at school or at home, read about it. Engineering Stories The Orbital Mechanic

A Short Story in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

“Dad, what a cool office.” Kayla hopped into the high-back chair behind a handsome desk lined with little spacecraft models and rockets. “I didn’t know you worked in a place like this.”

“Well,” Dr. Thomas Dixon said to the fourteen year old.“I also spend some of my time in conference rooms and laboratories.” Kayla’s father carefully lifted a small model and glided it through the air in a curved path in front of his office window. The company marquee outside read, “Welcome to Bring your Child to Work Day.” “It seems extra bright outside.” Dr. “That’s easy, we just search for it on the Dixon closed the blinds. Internet. I did a research paper last year on Pluto. Did you know it’s not a planet “I’m just glad to be out of school for a anymore?” d a y.” Kayla said. Now, how am I going to get her to see how exciting science “So they say.” Tom tightened his lips. is? Tom thought. He slid a chair right beside Kayla, tapped the space bar on “No one on Pluto told us what Pluto is his laptop keyboard, and typed a pass- like, and there’s certainly no Internet word. connection there, yet. What we know came from using telescopes and space “So dad, I know that you do something probes to take pictures, measure motion, with spaceships, but whenever you leave and frequencies of light, then someone papers around the house, all I see is could put the information on the world- circles and curves and numbers. Are you wide-web.” some kind of spacecraft artist?” “Hey, do you think we’ll ever have a so- I guess conic sections could be viewed lar-system-wide-web?” as art. He thought. “Not a tradition- al artist; I’d say I’m more of an archi- “Likely!” Tom said with a smile, pleased tect, but I don’t design buildings.” Tom that such a thought came from his moved the mouse around, clicked daughter. “And maybe you’ll be the one a couple times, then pointed at the that invents it.” screen. “Look here. Do you recognize this?” Kayla picked up one of the models on the desk. “So is that what these are, in- “Of course dad, it’s our solar system.” terplanetary space camera’s?”

“Right. Well, what do humans know “Yes, but they do more than take about all these planets, and how did we p i c t u r e s .” get that information?” “So your company designs spaceships. Orbital Mechanics What exactly do you do?” The Cassini spacecraft has spent six years orbiting Saturn, using the moon Titan’s “I decide what path or trajectory to take gravity to propel itself into the complex to get there.” trajectories required to observe the planet’s many rings, moons and other moving “That doesn’t sound too hard. Just targets. launch it on a rocket, and point it at the planet you want to go to.” Kayla turned when she heard her father snicker. Cassini Dotted lines trace the 155 planned Tom clicked again and pointed. “Look orbits in Cassini’s final mission, named Solstice, from Sept 2010- here. This is called a interplanetary 2017. Gray dots show the point in each trajectory map. It’s an overlay, kind of a orbit where Cassini is farthest from road map printed on the solar system.” Saturn.

“One, two,” Kayla pointed at the circles on the screen starting from the sun moving outward. “Three. This one is Earth, right?” Lapetus

“Yes. Now as you know all these planets are moving around the sun. Our planet goes around the sun in…”

“I know dad, 365 days.” Changing Course Titan is the only one of Saturn’s moons massive enough to alter Cassini’s orbital path. In the series of 17 Titan flybys shown below, Cassini uses Titan’s gravity to gradually flip itself from one side of the planet to the other

Titan Last nine flybys First eight Titan flybys on on the day side. the night side of Saturn. Primary Mission, 2004-08

Titan’s orbit

Equinox Mission, 2006-10

Titan’s orbit

The final 22 orbits passed between the rings and the planet.

First Two Missions Cassini’s original four-year mission used a large amount of fuel to visit high-priority targets in 75 orbits. The craft has ended its second mission, a two year tour with 64 similarly sized orbits in different orientations.

Larger Loops The Solstice mission incorporated larger orbits than the Equinox mission, to save what remained of Cassini’s fuel and save money by increasing the amount of time between personnel-intensive Titan flybys. “That’s my girl. The closer the planet is the spacecraft and give it enough speed to the sun, the faster it orbits around or energy to make it farther out into the sun. If we want to go from Earth to, space, farther away from the sun. This say Jupiter, we can’t just aim for Jupiter, way, we don’t have to use as much rocket because it takes a number of months to fuel; fuel is heavy and very expensive to get there, and Jupiter won’t be there any lift into space.” more if we just point in that direction from the start.” Kayla wiggled in her seat and rubbed her nose. “So, you plan pathways that Kayla pointed at Earth’s ellipse. “Why is follow the planets, which speeds up the the spaceship path from Earth to Jupiter spacecraft to keep it going deeper into going around the sun?” space.”

“Kayla, what you’re looking at is the “That’s a simple view of it, but pretty very mission we are performing right much correct.” now, in space. In fact, we are at an exciting time in our mission to Jupiter. “But if you just come in behind the planet, The spacecraft is called Vector1.” why doesn’t the planets gravity just pull it in and make it crash?” Tom pointed at Earth on the map. “We launched a years ago and in three -- Continued next month -- days Vector1 will pass by Earth on it’s way out to Jupiter. It’s been around the About the author: s u n …” Ken Hardman graduated from Brigham Young University with a Master of Science degree in “Wait. Why is Vector1 coming back to Mechanical Engineering. He is an Associate Technical Earth if it hasn’t been to Jupiter yet?” Fellow at a major aerospace company, and a Licensed Professional Engineer. “It’s called a gravity assist maneuver or fly-by. To get to great distances As of this release, he has worked nearly 30 years in and speeds, we swing by planets and the aerospace and industrial automation fields take some of their energy.” Tom slowly defining, creating, researching, evaluating, managing, moved his finger along the curve ap- testing, and supporting satellites, aircraft, test equip- proaching earth. “We fly in behind them ment, and industrial automation. As an Adjunct and let the planets gravity accelerate Faculty, Ken has mentored and coached engineering students for many of those years. He loves to solve design problems, create useful solutions and encourage others to do the same. NASA’s solar-powered Juno spacecraft successfully refined its flight path recently with the mission’s first trajectory correction maneuver. O L O R A D O is

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