ep-1999-08-393-hq nasa student involvement program · 2018. 9. 5. · national aeronautics and...

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

E D U C AT O R S

E D U C AT I O N A L P R O D U C T

G R A D E S 9 - 1 2

E P - 1 9 9 9 - 0 8 - 3 9 3 - H Q

NASA StudentInvolvement Program

Flight OpportunitiesEducator’s Resource Guide

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Use this Educator’s Resource Guide to explore how

space flight experimentation can be an exciting part of your

teaching. It provides descriptions of the flights on the Space

Shuttle (SEM) and the NASA sounding rocket (SubSEM), and

recommendations for preparing experiments. Refer to the official

NSIP Program Announcement for the current year for dates and

full details of the competition.

Designing, building, and flying an experiment and reporting the

results is likely to extend beyond a single school year, but the

rewards are great. Each stage can be educationally productive and

can help your students develop important science and life skills.

G R A D E S 9 - 1 2 , T E A M S

NSIP Flight Opportunities Competition Categories:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Introducing Flight Opportunities

2 The Sky is Not the Limit

4 NSIP Flight Opportunities Competition

6 Overview of Flight Experimentation

8 Six Steps to Develop an Experiment

10 The SEM and SubSEM Flights

12 Seeds in Space: An Example

16 Improve Your Chances of Selection

18 SEM Experiment Mounting Plate

20 SubSEM Experiment Mounting Deck

21 Resources

Space Experiment Module (SEM)Suborbital Student Experiment Module (SubSEM)

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[ 1 ]

Des ign , Bui ld , F ly

When done methodically, devel-

oping a space flight experiment

need not be daunting. The com-

petition provides several key

milestone steps to support and

clarify your efforts.

1. Select an experiment. Refer to page 8 for guidelines fordoing so.

2. Submit an optional Letter ofIntent. See the ProgramAnnouncement for details.

3. Conduct ground-based researchrelated to your experiment.

4. Submit an official CompetitionEntry as detailed in the currentProgram Announcement.

5. Announcement of Winners. Ifyour experiment is selected,

NASA will supply necessaryhardware and technical supportas you prepare your experimentfor flight.

6. Flight Opportunity Week andpreparation of a Final Report.

This guide is designed to help

you conduct educational class-

room activities and prepare a

Competition Entry. When your

team completes those tasks and is

ready to propose final details of

an experiment or to build experi-

mental apparatus, you will find

essential information for that stage

of work at web sites listed in this

guide and through communication

with NSIP staff and judges.

Feedback from NSIP

To help improve your students’

efforts, you can receive helpful

feedback from NSIP. You may

mail an optional Letter of Intent

in time to be received by the

deadline in the current year’s

Program Announcement. (For

1999, the deadline is October 22.)

NSIP staff will respond with

feedback regarding the suitability

of your project for flight and

suggestions for improving your

proposal. Whether or not you

have submitted a Letter of Intent,

and even if your team is not yet

ready to fly your experiment, you

may submit a full Competition

Entry. If your entry complies with

all of the NSIP Competition rules,

the judges will provide a brief

evaluation of your proposed

experiment and may offer

suggestions for further

development of your work.

No matter where you are along

the path to flight, welcome to

the program!

Introducing Flight OpportunitiesLearn through experimentation something about space flight or how

things behave in space that no one knew before. Learn about space by

participating in actual space exploration. Take advantage of the

opportunity to design and fly a scientific experiment on board

a NASA Space Shuttle or rocket.

STUDENTS PREPARE SUBSEM EXPERIMENTS

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[ 2 ]

“It’s indescribable –all the hard work that you do on something,

then to have it do what it’s supposed to,especially when it has to

go up into space.”

The Sky is Not the LimitYour students have the opportunity to fly their own experiments into space aboard NASA

rockets. Let the challenges and excitement of space exploration motivate their work.

KEVIN HAWORTH, A STUDENT AT GLENBROOK NORTH HIGH SCHOOL IN ILL INOIS , WHOLED THE SCHOOL’S “PROJECT LEONARDO,” WHICH FLEW ON STS-95, THE SPACE SHUTTLEMISSION LAUNCHED OCT. 29 , 1998.

The ground shakes and the roar

is so loud it can be felt. Atop a

mighty column of fire and smoke,

the giant rocket leaves the ground,

slowly at first, but rapidly reaching

almost incomprehensible velocities.

NASA has launched another probe

into space, and, like those that

came before, it is one of the great

achievements of humankind. Yet

this launch is not the exclusive

domain of “rocket scientists,”

those fabled few who create these

fabulous advanced technologies.

This mission carries experiments

conceived, designed, and built by

high-school students. These high-

school students have a vested

interest in this launch, just like

the highly-trained professionals at

mission control. Moreover, this

launch and these students are not

unique.

The Stuff of Dreams

For countless generations, space

exploration was the stuff of

dreams and science fiction. Now

the thrill, joy, and challenges of

space discovery are accessible to

high-school classrooms. NASA is

launching student experiments

and probes alongside those of

scientists. This opportunity to

actually explore space is now

within the grasp of your class.

What characterizes students

whose experiments NASA has

launched is hard work, some

ingenuity and unbridled curiosity.

Students from Wading River, NY,

devised an experiment to test

how a microgravity environment

affects genetic recombination.

Students from Albuquerque, NM,

learned how such an environment

affects crystals. Others, including

students from a school in

Mitchellville, MD, studied how

the environment of space impacts

common features of Earth’s

environment, such as soil, water

and seeds. Girl Scouts from

Salisbury, MD, wanted to see how

space flight affects common items

of food. In Accomac, VA, a team

of parents, teachers, and students

SEM PROJECTS FLY ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE


[ 3 ]

experimented with how flower

and foliage seeds fared in space.

Your students, too, can participate

in space exploration. For their

efforts, your students, like their

peers before them, will gain truly

extraordinary learning opportu-

nities, an ineffable sense of

accomplishment, and experiences

rich enough to endure a lifetime.

Doing Real Sc ience

The possibilities for experimenta-

tion in the Flight Opportunities

Program are open-ended and

broad enough to draw in students

with many kinds of interests and

different abilities. The entry

process, however, is rigorous and

disciplined in order to engage

them in doing real science.

Group Effort is a Key to SuccessThe group can be of any size

although the range of skills and

degree of effort needed to win

means that larger teams are likely

to have a better chance. This

Guide addresses the complexity of

facilitating teamwork. Clear and

effective communication of team

goals and methods is stressed

throughout both to help the team

work together effectively and to

gain the support of others.

Delving Deeply into a FieldThe Flight Opportunities Program

complements and rewards ex-

tended investigations in your

classes. Competition Entries will

be reviewed by a panel that

includes educators and scientists

from NASA Centers. The judging

criteria reward research proposals

that are grounded in a continuing

program of classroom work. This

Guide offers examples of class-

room research projects, and the

NSIP web site will offer more.

Making InterdisciplinaryConnectionsMathematical, geographical, and

technological questions that arise

in the experiment design process

will stimulate student initiative

and build connections among

subject areas.

Implement ing theNat ional Standards

You can use the Flight Opport-

unities Competition in your

science classes to help you build

a classroom culture of discussion

and participation, of student

initiative and constructive criticism.

The National Science Teaching

Standards call for that kind of

classroom activity because it is

needed to achieve the goals of

the Science Content Standards.

The Flight Opportunities Compet-

ition addresses the following

common goals of many standards:

• Learning about the behavior ofthe universe and the matterand energy it contains;

• organizing this knowledge sothat is comprehensible anduseful;

• developing models and theoriesabout this behavior that notonly correlate with past obser-vations but also help predictfuture events.

The common characteristics of

curricula developed according to

these goals include:

• Integration of disciplines acrosstopics;

• Deductive and inductivereasoning;

• Inquiry-based learning;

• Systems and models;

• Historical perspectives.

The structure and rewards of this

Competition will support your

efforts to align your teaching

with the Standards.

COMMUNICATING RESULTS


[ 4 ]

NSIP Flight Opportunities Competition

Design an experiment to fly on the Space Shuttle

or on a NASA sounding rocket. The Shuttle flight is par-

ticularly suitable for microgravity experimentation. The

sounding rocket reaches above 99.8% of the atmosphere

and is suited to experiments in physics, instrumentation,

and atmospheric measurements. Judges

will select finalists, and several of these

experiments will be built by the project

teams and flown in space.

SEMSpace Experiment Modules (SEM) willbe mounted in a standard carrier whichwill later be launched on the SpaceShuttle. The active or passive experi-ment may weigh up to 2.7 kg and mustfit in a D-shaped module which has avolume of about 5 liters and a height of8 cm. The carrier provides a sea levelatmosphere, electrical power, and datarecording equipment. Astronauts willactivate the experiments early in theorbiting portion of the Shuttle's flight.Experimental materials will be returnedto experimenters within a few weeks ofthe Shuttle's return to Earth. Tempera-tures in the carrier may range as low as-20° C and as high as 60° C. Detailedsafety requirements apply.

Internet email and web access arerequired for the selected projects tomeet the launch requirements.

SEM: www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/sem.html

Sub-SEMSuborbital Student Experiment Module(Sub-SEM) experiments will be launchedon a NASA rocket to an altitude of 45km, which is above 99.8% of the atmos-phere. The experiments must be suitablefor mounting in a 30 cm circle and beno higher than 22 cm. An access dooron the side of the rocket can include awindow or port. The experiment can useelectrical power and data recordingequipment supplied by the rocket. Insome cases, NASA-supplied videorecording equipment may be used. Therocket accelerates at up to 15 Gs duringlaunch and spins at 4 revolutions persecond, so experiments must withstandthese loads and the flights are not suit-able for microgravity experimentation.

Internet email and web access arerequired for the selected projects tomeet the launch requirements.

Sub-SEM: www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/sub-sem.html

Research Pro jectComponents

Develop a Flight Experiment Proposalwith the four sections listed below.Sections I - III are limited to a total of1500 words.

I . Scient i f ic Object ives — Describebriefly and clearly the purpose and poten-tial benefits of the experiment. Whatresearch question will it help answer? Tellhow you conducted (or will conduct)ground-based control experiments.Explain why orbital flight or rocket flightis important to this experiment.

I I . Technical Plan — Describe theexperimental apparatus to be used andany special hardware to be built. Providea diagram of the experimental apparatuswhich shows the overall size, total weight,and materials used. Detail any use ofelectrical power, control signals, or datarecording equipment supplied by NASA.Describe the sequence of events duringthe flight. Show that your experimentcan function in spite of expected temper-ature variations, vibration of launch, andstorage periods before and after launch.Describe ground testing prior to flight.

OpportunitiesFlight

G R A D E S 9 - 1 2 , T E A M S

Space Experiment Module Suborbital Student Experiment Module

SHUTTLE LAUNCH10 SEMS FILL A G.A .S CANISTERLOADING THE SPACE CAPSULES INTO THE SEM

THIS IS A REPRINT OF PAGES 6-7 OF THE 1999-2000 PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT. BE SURE TO REFER TO


[ 5 ]

I I I . Team Organizat ion — The teamthat will travel to Wallops Flight Facilitywill be limited to 4 students and 1teacher/advisor, but in general they will be representatives of the largerteam which is necessary to carry out a successful experiment. In particular,teams should include students able tocarry out, and faculty members able toassist with, the following kinds of tasks:

• Planning and coordinating the work, • Building and testing experimental

apparatus,• Designing and conducting

experiments, and• Communicating the plans and results

of the project.

Show how your team is prepared tocarry out the experiment you propose,including the completion of the finalreport. If your experiment is selected forlaunch, how will classroom or clubactivities support the continuing work?

IV. Resource Credi ts — List all refer-ence books, periodicals, web sites andpeople (including names, work titles,and type of help provided) contributingto your proposal. (This section is notincluded in the word count.

Judging Cr i ter ia

In order to be selected as finalists forthis year’s launch, entries must demon-strate that the student team and facultyadvisor(s) are prepared to build theexperimental apparatus in time forLaunch Opportunity Week.

Scient i f ic Object ives (30 points) —Show that flying your experiment willaddress a relevant research question.

Judges will look for:

1. practical objectives (10 pts.)2. scientific validity (10 pts.)3. potential scientific benefits (10 pts.)

Technical Plan (25 points) — Showthat you are ready to provide the exper-imental materials on schedule and thatyour design can provide useful data.


1. practicality of the plan (10 pts.)2. suitability for construction (10 pts.)3. likelihood of success (5 pts.)

Team Organizat ion (25 points) —Describe the variety of skills team mem-bers contribute. Explain how your teammanages to work together effectively.


1. relevant skill and experience (10 pts.)2. effective cooperation (10 pts.)3. broad base of support (5 pts.)

Creat iv i ty, Original i ty, and At tent ionto Detai l (20 points) — NSIP valuescreative and original uses of the FlightOpportunities. Scrupulous attention tothe Competition Rules suggests thatteams will be able to meet all therequirements for a safe and successfullaunch.

Launch Schedule — Selected projectteams will build their experiments andmount them to NASA-supplied decks.NASA will cover expenses for 1teacher/advisor and up to 4 student representatives of the project team totravel to the NASA Wallops FlightFacility for Flight Opportunity Week inJune. SEM experiments will be installedin the carrier which will be scheduled fora Space Shuttle flight likely to takeplace during the next academic year.SEM project teams will need to be ableto complete their work without the participation of students who areseniors during the 1999-2000 schoolyear. SubSEM experiments will be

installed in the NASA Orion soundingrocket. The rocket will be launched,weather permitting, while the teams areat Wallops Flight Facility.

Optional Let ter of Intent — Projectstaff will provide feedback that canhelp you improve your entry if yousubmit a Letter of Intent of 500 wordsor fewer. Describe briefly the plan foryour experiment according to Sections I - III of Research Project Componentsbelow. Send two copies of the letterwith a self-addressed stamped business envelope (4” x 91⁄2”) to be received by October 22, 1999 to:

NSIP-IGES2111 Wilson Boulevard - Suite 700Arlington, VA 22201Attn: Letter of Intent for FlightOpportunity

Don’t stop working on your projectwhile you wait to hear. Project staff willrespond in late November with brieffeedback regarding the suitability ofyour project for flight and suggestionsfor improving your proposal.

An Educator’s Resource Guide will beavailable in September.

Supplementary materials are available onthe web sites (see bottom of page 6).

SUBSEM EXPERIMENT MOUNTING FINAL PREP. ON LAUNCH PAD SUBSEM ROCKET

BE SURE TO REFER TO THE CURRENT YEAR’S PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT FOR DETAILS AND DATES.


[ 6 ]

Histor ica lBackground

Space flight is a reality only

because thousands of researchers

and other experimenters worked

for decades to understand how

technologies and people can

function successfully in space.

Their experiments also answered

some important questions about

Earth. The first probes sent aloft

were aboard balloons, but they

were unable to leave the atmos-

phere. A breakthrough came

with the development of modern

rocketry. Although crude rockets

had flown for centuries, Robert

Goddard was first to develop

rockets able to carry research tools

much higher into the atmosphere.

In 1929, he launched the first

rocket to carry instruments – a

barometer, a thermometer, and a

small camera. Soon, technological

advances enabled larger, more

powerful rockets capable of

carrying increasingly sophisticated

payloads into space itself. Your

students will carry on this vital

tradition.

Three Themes forPro jects

Physics of Space FlightBefore human beings flew in

space, researchers conducted

countless experiments to learn

about the conditions inside a

rocket in flight. Jarring vibration,

sudden and intense acceleration,

rapid spinning, brief or sustained

weightlessness, harsh solar

radiation, increased cosmic

radiation, extreme temperatures,

and an altered breathing

atmosphere are some of the

characteristics encountered in

space flight. To appreciate these

conditions, imagine carefully

monitoring an experiment while

riding on a speeding roller coaster.

Astronauts on the Space Shuttle

experience about 5 gs during

launch. The unmanned Orion

sounding rocket used for the

SubSEM launch accelerates at 15

gs off the launch pad. In only 0.3

seconds it reaches over 100

M.P.H. in its first 23 feet of

travel. Half a minute later, it is

going 1700 m.p.h. and spinning

four revolutions per second.

Experiments carried out under

such extreme conditions can help

us better understand the physics

of daily life.

Overview of Flight ExperimentationRocket flight offers many kinds of opportunities for experimentation. This Guide suggests

three broad areas for useful and productive rocket-based research. In one of these areas, your

students may develop their own space-flight experiment.

ATMOSPHERE

ORION ROCKET

NOSE CONE

ADAPTER

ORIONBOOSTER14”

225”

SUBSEMEXPERIMENTS(4 DECKS)

SUPPORTELECTRONICS

RECOVERYSECTION


Studying Earth’s AtmosphereSome of the earliest rocket-

launched experiments studied the

upper levels of our atmosphere

that were inaccessible to aircraft.

When stratospheric ozone

depletion was discovered in the

1980s, rocket-borne instruments

were used to measure how ozone

levels varied with altitude and

to help trace the fate of ozone-

destroying chemicals. Scientists

today use rockets to study how

the solar wind strikes the Earth’s

ionosphere. These interactions,

at altitudes too high for aircraft

but too low for satellites, affect

conditions on Earth in ways that

are increasingly important to

modern societies but are not

yet well understood. Sounding

rockets such as the Orion used to

carry the SubSEM experiments are

a practical way to fly instruments

to these altitudes.

Life in MicrogravityWe, of course, take gravity for

granted in our daily lives, but

what is life like without it in

space? We have learned that we

can live without gravity, but we

are still researching the health

effects, and the potential benefits

and difficulties of microgravity

(where gravitational effects are

minuscule or absent). Some things

that are difficult or impossible

on Earth are practical in space.

For example, it may be possible

to create valuable chemical

compounds in microgravity that

could not be made on Earth.

On the other hand, some routine

tasks on Earth can be challenging

in microgravity.

Some research focuses on ways

to make life healthier and more

productive for astronauts. (Can

we grow fresh vegetables on the

International Space Station? Can

you take a bath in microgravity?

How about a shower?) Other

research uses the microgravity

environment for experiments

that may answer basic questions

in chemistry or biology. SEM

experiments are affected by

microgravity for hours or days, a

condition which simply does not

occur on Earth.

[ 7 ]

MICROGRAVITYTypica l SubSEM Fl ight T imel ine

Time (sec)

Altitude(km)

Range(km)

Velocity(mps)

MachNo.

Q(psf)Event

RAIL RELEASE

ORION BURNOUT

APOGEE

PARACHUTE DEPLOY

BALLISTIC IMACT

PARACHUTE IMPACT

Fl. E(degree)

0.3

32.5

105.2

110.0

183.0

235.9

986.7

0.0 0.0 46.3 0.1 27.5 84.4

18.4

44.3

6.1

0.0

0.0

44.2

2.7

11.5

12.1

22.0

22.2

22.4

759.4

120.0

128.7

103.4

180.0

6.45 0.02 0.5 -90.0

-88.4

-55.1

-21.2

0.0

79.92.6

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.5 414.2

72.9

0.4

0.3

694.1

PAYLOAD SEPARATION

Altit

ude

- Km

0.0 45.0 90.0 180.0 225.0135.0

0.0

15.0

30.0

45.0

60.0

NOMINAL

270.0

Time - Seconds

Typica l SubSEM Fl ight Alt i tude vs. T ime


[ 8 ]

I . Study How F l ightCondit ions Differfrom GroundCondit ions

The SEM and SubSEM flights

each provide unusual

environments for experiments.

SEM experiments experience

microgravity conditions during

most of the Shuttle flight and

receive increased exposure to

cosmic rays. SubSEM experiments

travel from sea level through

nearly all of Earth’s atmosphere

and can include a window or

gas-sampling port. Solar radiation

above the atmosphere is much

more damaging to living things

than is ground level sunlight.

These are only a few of the

conditions to consider. See pages

10-11 and the SEM or SubSEM

web sites for more information:

SEM:www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/sem.html

Sub-SEM:www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/sub-sem.html

I I . Cons ider theEffects of thoseCondit ions

Pick a particular condition of

rocket flight that is different from

normal conditions on the ground

and investigate its likely effects.

For example, higher levels of

cosmic radiation of space flight

might alter data stored on

magnetic media or in computer

memories. You may want to

consider the effects of several

different conditions. NASA

publications (see page 21)

describe a wealth of effects of

gravity and microgravity. Even

though SEM and SubSEM

experiments do not fly human

beings, you may want to ask

“How would things around us be

different if we were launched on

a rocket?”

I I I . F ind Ways toStudy those Effects

Your experiment could make

use of DC power, sequencing

signals, and recording equipment

supplied by NASA. Such

experiments are classified as

“active.” For example, a team

might construct for SEM flight

a small electrical device with

sources of heat and temperature

sensors to learn how heat is

dissipated without the gravity-

driven convection currents that

help cool things on Earth. “Passive”

experiments send materials into

space and then study them on

the ground after their return to

learn how they may have been

affected by their flight.

Six Steps to Develop an ExperimentPlanning a productive experiment involves studying the flight environment and how it

affects things you find interesting. It is important to select something to study that has a realistic

chance of being affected by the conditions of flight.

onof


[ 9 ]

IV. Carry OutGround-BasedExper iments

Although the conditions of

rocket flight are difficult if not

impossible to duplicate on Earth,

you may find ways to experiment

with similar phenomena on the

ground. For example, if you are

interested in measuring how sky

light changes as the rocket rises

through the atmosphere, you

could study how sky light is

affected by the changing angle

of the sun in the sky. Or, if you

are interested in how seeds grow

after a trip into space, you could

experiment with how seeds grow

after exposure to different

conditions on Earth.

V. Submit a Letterof Intent and/orCompet i t ion Entry

Report on your progress and

plans to NSIP judges and staff

by submitting a Letter of Intent

or Competition Entry. Refer to

the current year’s Program

Announcement for the detailed

requirements, including dates by

which submissions must be

received. Professional scientists

are accustomed to putting their

proposals through several stages

of review and revision prior to

acceptance. The best way to

obtain the advice of the judges

and project staff is to prepare

your submission carefully. The

judges will do their best to offer

a fair evaluation and constructive

suggestions.

VI . Cont inue yourWork to Prepare to F ly

At this stage, you have built a

solid foundation for your work.

If your experiment is not selected

for flight after your first Entry,

you have an excellent head start

for next year. Look for ways to

communicate your progress to

your peers and to others who can

support your work. Science fair

projects and other presentations

are a good way to do this. You

may want to enlist the aid of

other teachers, scientists, engineers

or professors in your area. Inviting

new members to join your team

is an important step that merits

careful attention.

Letter

Intent


[ 10 ]

SEM Exper imentsF ly on the SpaceShutt le

News coverage of Space Shuttle

flights is now so routine that you

may be accustomed to hearing

descriptions of the payload

that include the words “... and

a number of other experiments.”

The Shuttle Small Payloads

Program arranges for experiments

to fly on the Shuttle whenever

cargo capacity is available. A

special container about the size

of a 55-gallon oil drum has

been developed to carry such

experiments and is called a Get

Away Special Canister, or GAS

Can. It offers scientists a relatively

affordable way to send self-

contained experiments on board

the Shuttle.

SEM ExperimentAccommodationsThe SEM program uses a special

version of the GAS Can equipped

with 10 Student Experiment

Modules, a battery to provide

electrical power, and electronic

data recording and control

equipment. The electrical

equipment is energized only

while the Shuttle is in orbit.

Active experiments (which make

use of the electrical power and

control or data collection

electronics) use software available

on the web for control and

measurement. Passive experiments

(which fly materials, but do not

make use of the electronics)

may optionally make use of

Space Capsule containers – clear,

sealable, polycarbonate vials

1 inch in diameter and 3 inches

long. Twenty-two of these fit in

foam pads inside a SEM. Either

kind of experiment may be

mounted to an Experiment

Mounting Plate using screws,

nuts, and washers supplied by

NASA. If your team’s experiment

is selected for flight, NASA will

supply the Space Capsules or

Mounting Plate. The layout of the

Plate is shown on pages 18 and

19. Sturdy construction is necessary

to withstand the acceleration and

vibration of launch.

Safety RequirementsBecause human beings are on

board every Shuttle flight, the

safety requirements for SEM

experiments are detailed and

stringent. Refer to the web site

(www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/sem.html)

for details.

The SEM and SubSEM FlightsAs you plan your experiment, you’ll need to consider the arrangements NASA has made

to fly it into space. The SEM and SubSEM accommodations are quite different. Here is a brief

introduction to the two types of flights.

SPACE EXPERIMENT MODULE

EXPERIMENT ENVELOPE

EXPERIMENT EMBLEM

EXPERIMENT MOUNTING PLATE

EXPERIMENT ASSEMBLY EXPANDED VIEW

STUDENTEXPERIMENTMODULES


[ 11 ]

SubSEM Exper imentsF ly on a DedicatedRocket

SubSEM experiments fly on a

single-stage solid-fuel NASA Orion

sounding rocket. It is 14 inches

in diameter and 225 inches tall.

The rocket is launched (weather

permitting) exclusively to carry

student experiments during Flight

Opportunity Week while the

project teams are at Wallops

Flight Facility. After flight, the

payload section will be recovered

by ship, and the experimental

apparatus and data will be given

to the teams for their analysis.

SubSEM ExperimentAccommodationsElectrical power and electronic

data recording and control equip-

ment are provided as they are for

the SEM flights, but SubSEM

experiments may be energized

before launch and during the

entire flight. Additionally, video

recording equipment can be made

available for some experiments.

The payload portion of the rocket

includes four sections, each of

which houses a single experiment

mounted on a circular Experiment

Mounting Deck. Experiments may

be up to 9 inches tall. Each section

includes a 5 inch by 5 inch access

door, and may include ports

or a window. Construction of

SubSEM experiments must be

very sturdy because of the launch

acceleration and rotation of the

rocket. If an experiment involves

liquids, it must also include a

secondary containment system.

A graph and table of the Orion

flight profile are shown on page 7.

For MoreInformat ion

Some additional technical details

are listed in the Program

Announcement (see pp. 4 and 5).

The SEM and SubSEM web sites

(www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/sem.html

and www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/

sub-sem.html) contain excellent

and very detailed information

about the two types of flights

and their accommodations for

experiments. Any team that is

making final plans to prepare a

specific experiment will need to

refer to the details found on the

web site for the particular flight.

The web sites also have links to

related pages that can be very

helpful.

If you have further questions,

write to [email protected]. Project

staff will add to the Frequently

Asked Questions section of the

NSIP web site.

SUBSEM ROCKET PAYLOAD EXTERIOR

SUBSEM DECK MOUNTING STRUCTURE


Brainstormingabout L i fe inMicrograv i ty

Think about what life is like

in orbit. It is so crowded with

unfamiliar aspects that the few

familiar human basics astronauts

bring along appear in a new light.

Mealtime in microgravity is both

familiar and different. Gooey

foods squeezed from tubes avoid

the problem of floating food bits,

but it simply isn’t practical to

pour a beverage into a glass.

Perhaps conditions in orbit have

other effects on food that are

surprising.

Begin with curiosityGrowing fresh vegetables in

space would have important

benefits for space travelers, but is

it practical? Some students have

asked whether seeds would grow

normally after orbital flights and

have flown SEM experiments to

investigate this question. It

is quite practical to prepare a

batch of seeds, put them in

Space Capsule bottles in a SEM

container, and have them flown

on a Shuttle mission.

A likely question might be “What

would happen if we sent tomato

seeds on the Shuttle?” Such a

question is a good starting point

for discussion that can refine it

into a “research question” — one

that can be answered by con-

ducting an experiment.

Posing a research questionDeveloping a research question

from an area of curiosity calls

for carefully balancing the moti-

vational aspects of the curiosity

(the reasons students want to do

the experiment) and the eventual

need for scientific rigor in devel-

oping an experimental plan.

Seeds in Space: An Example“Six Steps to Develop an Experiment” (pages 8 and 9) outlines a procedure for developing

plans for flight experiments, but ideas for experiments can arise in other ways. Many objects and

substances inspire curiosity about how they would respond if sent into space. These questions are

excellent starting points for planning experiments.

EXPERIMENT #4

[ 12 ]

PREV IOUS EXPER IMENTS

T h e f o l l o w i n g e x p e r i m e n t s ( s h o w na b o v e ) f l e w o n t h e 1 9 9 8 S u b S E M f l i g h t .

E x p e r i m e n t # 1 Worcester Country School— Ber l in , MD

Development of a s tudent bui l tacce lerometer and invest igat ion into heatconduct iv i ty.

E x p e r i m e n t # 2 North Carol ina School ofScience and Mathemat ics — Durham, NC

Invest igate the ef fects of acce lerat ion onZebra f ish embryos.

E x p e r i m e n t # 3 Southern High School —Bal t imore, MD

Atmospheric measurements using filtered light.

E x p e r i m e n t # 4 Sauk Rapids/Rice HighSchool — Sauk Rapids, MN

Investigate the effects of acceleration and different lubricants on the performance of electric motors.


[ 13 ]

Through discussion you might

refine the initial question to

“How would tomato plants grown

from seeds flown on the Shuttle

differ from plants grown from

seeds that had not flown?” This

more specific question leads to

issues of experimental design,

issues which are central to both

flight experimentation and

science education.

The rigors of experimentationAn experiment that might answer

the question would need to

address the natural variation

among tomato plants, as well as

other factors (besides space flight)

that might affect the experimen-

tal seeds. Of course, an experiment

in which one seed flew while a

single control seed stayed on the

ground would be inadequate.

(Suppose the control seed died?

We could hardly conclude that

space flight is necessary for

healthy tomato plants.) The

actual number of experimental

and control seeds needed to yield

useful data depends on the type

and magnitude of effects we

hope to detect.

Even a single example of a blue

tomato from a seed flown in

space would be compelling

evidence that something highly

unusual had occurred. It would

also immediately raise two

questions: “How did that happen?”

and “Would it happen again?”

Looking for the reasonsThe “How...” question can be

refined in this way: “What were

the seeds exposed to that could

have caused this change?” This

can be a highly productive line of

inquiry because it leads to detailed

study of what happened to the

seeds from the time they were

identified as the experimental

group until the time the resulting

plants were studied.

Here is a partial list of factors and

conditions that might affect seeds

flown in a SEM experiment:

• The seeds are shipped or hand-carried in sealed Space Capsulebottles to Wallops FlightFacility.

• The Space Capsules are placedin a Space Experiment Module(SEM), and that Module, withnine others, is sealed into aGet Away Special Canister (GASCan) which is stored for severalmonths awaiting a Shuttleflight.

• The GAS Can is loaded into theShuttle and launched. Duringlaunch the seeds experiencesustained acceleration andconsiderable vibration. Duringflight the seeds are exposed totemperatures that may rangefrom -20°C to +60°C, to themicrogravity environment, andto increased cosmic radiation.

• After the Shuttle lands there is a further period of storage,and then the seeds are shippedto the team of experimenters.

Presumably the experimental seeds

and control seeds will be planted

and grown under similar condi-

tions. The experimenters would

then evaluate the resulting plants.

What factors to which the seeds

were exposed could have affected

the plants that grew from them?

Note that several of the conditions

can be duplicated and studied

on the ground. For example,

temperature cycling has important

effects on some seeds and this

can be studied on Earth. Even

the storage of seeds in sealed

containers for several months may

affect them, and the effects are

compounded when temperature

variation is included. There might

be circumstances, such as heating

and cooling, that could cause

water droplets to form in the

Space Capsules, dampening the

seeds and prematurely beginning

germination. Students could test

whether shaking and shipping

seeds sealed in bottles affects

their viability.

EXPERIMENT #3


Comparison experimentsThe goal of such experiments is

to evaluate which factors that the

seeds endured in orbital flight

affected the growth of the

resulting plants. The method is

to compare different groups of

seeds that have or have not been

exposed to specific factors.

Careful comparison can lead to

convincing arguments that orbital

conditions caused the observed

differences in the resulting plants.

For example, suppose you

observed that the experimental

plants produced more but smaller

tomatoes. If you claimed that this

difference was probably due

either to the period of micrograv-

ity or to increased exposure to

cosmic radiation, a skeptic might

argue, “I think the difference is

due to the shaking the seeds got

on launch. If they had been more

carefully packaged, the plants

would have grown the same.” It is

very satisfying to respond to such

criticism with data about the

tomato seeds that spent an hour

in the hardware store paint-

shaking machine, especially if you

can show that the shaken seeds

did not differ significantly from

the unshaken seeds.

Similar experiments can be done

to study most of the specific

factors that might be responsible

for observed differences in the

resulting plants, and it is worth

noting that most of these are

ground-based experiments. Not

only experimentation, but also

research can help to clarify the

plausible effects of orbital flight.

If you are interested in investi-

gating the effect of cosmic

radiation on seeds, start by

investigating the sensitivity of

different kinds of seeds to radia-

tion in general. It would also be

helpful to determine whether a

significant amount of shielding

against cosmic radiation could be

incorporated within the SEM con-

tainer, allowing you to fly shielded

and unshielded seeds under

otherwise identical conditions.

Thinking aheadThese examples illustrate some

ways of addressing the question

“How did that happen?” or, more

specifically, “What were the seeds

exposed to, which could have

caused this change?” They also

illustrate the need to consider the

“How...” question at the early

stages of experimentation, so that

your team is studying something

that might be affected by space

flight. Furthermore, you can devise

an experimental plan with the

possibility of demonstrating

conclusively that the observed

effect was caused by space flight.

Such planning would count very

strongly for the selection for flight

of your proposed experiment.

Your team’s experiment is much

more likely to be selected if you

can demonstrate that your team

is experienced in collecting,

analyzing, and interpreting

experimental data. Here we come

back to the question concerning

EXPERIMENT #1

[ 14 ]


A SUBTLE D I S T INCT ION

C o n s i d e r a p r o p o s a l t o s t u d y a

p a r t i c u l a r a s p e c t o f a c o n t r o l

a n d a n e x p e r i m e n t a l g r o u p ,

b a s e d o n a h y p o t h e s i s t h a t t h e

e x p e r i m e n t a l g r o u p w i l l b e

a f f e c t e d i n a p a r t i c u l a r w a y f o r a

p a r t i c u l a r r e a s o n . T h e n c o n s i d e r

a p r o p o s a l t o s t u d y t h e t w o

g r o u p s , t r y t o f i n d d i f f e r e n c e s

b e t w e e n t h e m , a n d t h e n t o m a k e

c o n j e c t u r e s a b o u t w h a t m i g h t

h a v e c a u s e d t h e d i f f e r e n c e s . T h e

f i r s t p r o p o s a l i s f a r m o r e w o r t h y

o f s u p p o r t t h a n t h e s e c o n d . T h e

s e c o n d m e t h o d o n l y g o e s s o f a r

a s s u g g e s t i n g a n e w e x p e r i m e n t

o f t h e f i r s t t y p e . I t i s a l s o l i k e l y

t h a t d i f f e r e n c e s f o u n d j u s t b y

l o o k i n g f o r d i f f e r e n c e s a r e d u e

s o l e l y t o c h a n c e .

the hypothetical blue tomato,

“Would it happen again?” A

related but more specific question

asks, “Was the observed effect

due to natural variation among

individual plants, or was it due to

something about the space flight?”

Doing the numbersThis notoriously difficult question

lies at the heart of experimental

science and is crucial to public

understanding of scientific

method. In the world at large

there are many times when it

cannot be answered definitively,

and we base our actions on

statistical arguments that may be

more or less satisfying. Wrestling

with the complexities of the

“would it happen again” question

is one of the best reasons for

carrying out ground-based

experiments in preparation for

conducting flight experiments.

When materials flown in space

are to be compared with materials

that have stayed on the ground,

and especially where biological

materials are involved, appropriate

plans for data analysis are essential.

An excellent way to demonstrate

skill in dealing with these issues

is to describe prior related experi-

ments and how those data were

analyzed. Theory of experimental

data analysis and interpretation is

vitally important in science and in

public policy, but when consid-

ered theoretically it is apt to seem

abstract, incomprehensible, and

perhaps stunningly boring. The

issues become real when students

confront actual experimental data

in the context of a question that

is of interest to them. If they

have grown an experimental and

a control group of plants under

differing conditions that they

chose, comparison of data from

the two groups is likely to be

more engaging. Awareness of and

sophistication in dealing with

statistical issues will grow fastest

through direct experience.

Why it mattersFurther issues in experimental

design and the analysis and

interpretation of data are beyond

the scope of this Educator’s

Resource Guide. The main reasons

for attention to these issues here

is that experience with them can

improve your team’s research

proposal, and that doing ground-

based experiments in the context

of a flight experiment can make

the data analysis issues come

alive, engaging students in

making sense of the data.

SPACE CAPSULES READY FOR INSTALLATION

EXPERIMENT #2

Detailed information about a prior

tomato seed experiment is available at

www.NSIP.net

[ 15 ]


Emphasize Teamwork

Many skills are needed for flight

experimentation, and the work is

more fun when shared by people

who enjoy the different aspects.

Pay specific attention to putting

together a diverse team and

sharing the work and rewards

fairly. Analyze the tasks ahead

and ask which team members

would enjoy doing each one. Take

time to plan realistic schedules.

As your project continues, some

members of your team may be

satisfied with the work they have

already accomplished and be ready

to move on to other pursuits. Be

prepared to thank them appreci-

atively and continue your project.

Communicate YourGoals and Successes

Clear communication is essential

to a winning Competition Entry

and is also important throughout

your project. Building a team and

finding outside support for its

work depends on being able to

explain briefly and clearly to

people with many points of view

what your team is doing and why

it is important. Reporting on the

successes of your project is an

important way to earn for your

team the credit it deserves. Use

several media to get your message

across. Encourage students and

advisors who enjoy communicating

clearly to be part of your team.

Arrange for Outs ideReview of Your Work

Set up a small informal advisory

board of two to four people to

review your work a few times a

year. It might be helpful for one

or two of them to have some

knowledge of science, but

experience with successful

teamwork on an extended project

is probably more relevant. Meet

with them to describe the Flight

Opportunities Program and your

plans for experimentation. When

you prepare a Letter of Intent or

Competition Entry, give it to your

advisory board for review far

enough in advance so you have

time to act on their suggestions.

POSTER PRESENTATION

Improve your Chances of SelectionExperienced researchers take extra care to produce polished proposals, and their

techniques can be valuable to your team. Here are several suggestions.

[ 16 ]


Enl i s t the Supportof a Mentor orConsultant

Experimental science is usually

learned through personal experience

with other researchers rather than

from books. As your team develops

some experience in a field of

research, you may be able to find

someone outside your school,

perhaps at a college or in industry,

with experience in that field. Even

just a few minutes of such a

person’s time can be invaluable to

your team. As you seek such help,

it will be essential to be prepared

to explain clearly and briefly your

team’s goals and successes, as

well as the type of help you hope

to receive.

Keep Up to Datewith the NSIP Web S i te

The Flight Opportunities program

is unique within NSIP because

web access to the detailed

technical material at the SEM

and SubSEM sites is practically

required in order to develop a

winning entry. Technical details

regarding the flights may change,

but www.NSIP.net can keep you

up to date. The web also makes it

practical for NSIP staff to continue

to add helpful resources, and you

are invited to send suggestions to

[email protected].

Make Your SummaryCount

The fifty words (maximum) of

your summary can show why your

entry merits careful attention by

the judges. It is also your best

chance to engage the interest of

anyone who browses a list of the

entries. Attract the readers most

interested in your work by writing

a clear description.

[ 17 ]

Pay Scrupulous Attent ion to the Deta i l s

This paragraph is set in 12 point type double-spaced, according to the requirements

described for Competition Entries. That is one of many NSIP rules. Type set this way

lacks visual appeal, but judges who must review many entries appreciate its clarity and

simplicity. Also note the generous margins. Many of the requirements may, at first glance,

seem needlessly arbitrary. Success in space flight depends on understanding the

requirements and meeting them completely. If your experiment flies on the Space

Shuttle, it will fly with people on board who depend on the careful attention to detail of

many thousands of other people. Show that you can meet the flight requirements

completely by submitting your Letter of Intent or Competition Entry exactly according

to the guidelines in the Program Announcement.


NASA Module Electronics Unit

SEM Experiment Mounting PlateTHIS DRAWING SHOWS, AT 100% SIZE, THE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR EXPERIMENT.

[ 18 ]


Your Experiment MUST Stay Within the Thick Black Line

Experiment Wiring Harness Goes Here

[ 19 ]

THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT AVAILABLE IS 3.5"


90°

0°

The Mounting Deck is attached to the rocket structure by 12 #8-32 socket head screws with .31 inch diameter washers

The Mounting Deck is 11.3 inches in diameter.

(The area inside the Mounting Washers measures

10.5 inches in diameter.)

Experiments must stay clear of the electrical connector and the Mounting Screws.

Approximate ConnectoMounting Area (Conneare subject to revision

SubSEM Experiment Mounting DeckTHIS DRAWING SHOWS, AT 100% SIZE, THE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR EXPERIMENT.

[ 20 ]


[ 21 ]

270°hes

s

ews.

Approximate Connector Mounting Area (Connector details are subject to revision.)

Be sure to refer to the current year’sProgram Announcement for dates anddetails of the Competition as well asthe Entry Form which is required inorder to submit an entry.

www.NSIP.net is the best place tolook for additional resources becausethat list can be kept up to date. Hereare several sources of relatedinformation:

The SEM and SubSEM web sites listdetailed technical information for thetwo flight opportunities:

www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/sem.html

www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/sub-sem.html

http://spacelink.nasa.gov offers awealth of materials, including searches.The Microgravity Teacher’s Guide is alsoavailable in the Instructional Materialssection.

The NASA History web site(www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/history.html) is an excellent source ofinformation concerning the full rangeof rocket-borne experimentation, anda good basis for student reports onprevious experiments.

The National Association of Rocketry(www.NAR.org) runs programs relatedto rocket flight and to rocket-borneexperimentation. Their web site linksto the related Student ExperimentalPayload Program (www.SEP.org)which offers educational materials andflies student payloads on soundingrockets.

Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickham Jr.(the basis for the movie October Sky) issubstantially biographical, but alsoaddresses the kind of teamwork andcommunity support that can lead toamazing success.

NASA Educator Resource Centers (seethe Program Announcement forcontact details) offer many materials,such as the "Toys in Space" videosfilmed on board the Space Shuttle.

Please submit your suggestions foradditional resources [email protected].

Resources


Flight OpportunitiesSpace Experiment Module

Suborbital Student Experiment Module


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