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All assignments must be submitted by the submission date there are NO exceptions!
All assignments, except the Personal Introduction, should be sent as PDF only.
Submission Dates:
Submission of Personal Bio & Math Assignment
Submission of Chemistry Assignment
Submission of Physics Assignment & Mission Assessment
Submission of Biology Assignment & Mission Design
Name
School attending
Favorite subjects
Hobbies and interests
Family information
1 or 2 photos
Country flag
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Math Assignment #1: Due by May 16, 2014. (2 marks each question 10 marks total).
Plan 1
Plan 2
Time to Mars
150 days
224 days
Time on Mars
619 days
30 days
1. Based on previous experiments in space, we estimate that astronauts may lose on average, 0.28
grams of bone calcium for each day in zero gravity. At this rate how much calcium would each
astronaut lose before reaching Mars with each plan (to the nearest gram)?
2. We believe astronauts may regain calcium while they are on Mars (in 1/3 gravity), but we don't know
the rate. For each plan, how much calcium would they have to regain each day to have recovered all of
their calcium by the time they leave Mars (to the nearest thousandths of a gram)?
3. We have to bring all the life-support supplies for each astronaut. Each astronaut needs 60 pounds of
supplies per day. How many kilograms of these supplies would we need to lift for each plan?
4. It currently costs about $6.60 (U.S. dollars) for each gram that must be lifted off of Earth. What would
the cost be for carrying the supplies for each plan?
5. By recycling, we could reduce the amount of food, water and oxygen to 18 percent of the amount that
otherwise would be required. With recycling, what would be the cost for lifting supplies for each plan?
Math Assignment #2: Due by May 16, 2014. (2 marks each question 10 marks total).
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2. The smaller the grid separation, the higher the acceleration - The NSTAR engine has a grid separation
of 0.7 mm. From your answer to Problem 1, A) what is the average acceleration of the ions as the leave
the grid? B) What is the force they experience, in Newtons?
3. The thrust depends on particle flow rate - How many particles have to be ejected in the time it takes to
cross the grid, to create a thrust of 0.90 Newtons? (Express the answer in particles per second).
4. Charged particle flows produce electrical currents - If each particle carries exactly one unit of charge,
and 1 Ampere = 6.25 x 1018 particles/sec, what is the current needed in the beam to give the thrust in
Problem 3?
5. Currents require power to maintain them - What is the beam power, in watts, defined by Power =
Voltage x Amperage?
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Chemistry Assignment #1: Due by May 30, 2014. (2 marks each question 10 marks total).
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4. A visit to Mars may be on the forefront of space exploration. One of NASAs major concerns is the
duration of time required for a Mars mission. Currently, astronauts spend an average of 6 months on an
ISS mission. A trip to Mars, however, would require 9 months to arrive, 26 months to study the planet,
and 9 months to return to Earth. It is currently projected that an astronaut would lose 1.50% of his or
her pre-flight bone mineral density per month while on a Mars mission.
a. Assume that there are 1500 grams of calcium in an astronauts bones pre-flight. Predict the
mass of calcium that would remain after 1 year on a Mars mission.
b. Assume the astronaut referred to in part I had a bone loss rate on Earth of 0.450% before going
into space. Predict the mass of calcium that would have remained in the astronauts bones after
the same 1-year period on Earth.
5. Based on the above information, how might astronauts dietary decisions minimize their bone loss in
space? Explain your reasoning.
Chemistry Assignment #2: Due by May 30, 2014. (3 marks each question 9 marks total).
Ice or Water?
There are no known terrestrial organisms that can exist at a temperature lower than the freezing temperature
of water. It is also believed that liquid water is a crucial ingredient to the chemistry that leads to the origin of
life. To change water-ice to liquid water requires energy.
First, you need energy to raise the ice from wherever temperature it is, to 0 Celsius. This is called the Specific
Heat and is 2.04 kiloJoules/kilogram-C.
Then you need enough energy added to the ice near 0 C to actually melt the ice by increasing the kinetic
energy of the water molecules so that their hydrogen bonds weaken, and the water stops acting like a solid.
This is called the Latent Heat of Fusion and is 333 kiloJoules/kilogram.
Let's see how this works!
Example 1: You have a 3 kilogram block of ice at a temperature of -20 C. The energy needed to raise it
by 20 C to a new temperature of 0 C is Eh = 2.04 kiloJoules/kg-C x 3 kilograms x 20 C = 2.04 x 3 x 20 =
122 kiloJoules.
Example 2: You have a 3 kilogram block of ice at 0 C and you want to melt it completely into liquid
water. This requires Em = 333 kiloJoules/kg x 3 kilograms = 999 kiloJoules.
Example 3: The total energy needed to melt a 3 kilogram block of ice from -20 C to 0C is E = Eh + Em =
122 kiloJoules + 999 kiloJoules = 1,121 kiloJoules.
Problems:
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1. On the surface of the satellite Europa (see the NASA Galileo image below), the temperature of ice is 220 C. What total energy in kiloJoules is required to melt a 100 kilogram block of water ice on its
surface? (Note: Calculate Eh and Em separately then combine them to get the total energy.)
2. To a depth of 1 meter, the total mass of ice on the surface of Europa is 2.8 x 1016 kilograms. How
many Joules would be required to melt the entire surface of Europa to this depth? (Note: Calculate Eh
and Em separately then combine them to get the total energy. Then convert kiloJoules to Joules)
3. The sun produces 4.0 x 1026 Joules every second of heat energy. How long would it take to melt
Europa to a depth of 1 meter if all of the Sun's energy could be used? (Note: The numbers are BIG, but
don't panic!)
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Physics Assignment #1: Due by June 13, 2014. (2 marks each question 6 marks total).
Color
Brown
Orange
Yellow
Light blue
Dark blue
Rem/yr
20
18
16
13
10
Astronauts landing on Mars will want to minimize their total radiation exposure during the 540 days they will
stay on the surface. Assume that the Mars astronauts used improved post-Apollo spacesuit technology
providing a shielding reduction of 1/8 and that the Mars Habitat provided a 1/20 radiation reduction.
Problems:
1. The typical, unshielded radiation dose on the surface of Earth for cosmic rays is about 0.040 Rems/yr.
By what factor is the unshielded, minimum radiation exposure for Mars astronauts in excess of the
normal terrestrial rates?
2. The Mars explorers would like to spend 2 hours in spacesuits and the remaining 24-hours inside the
Mars Habitat during each of the 540-days of exploration on Mars. What would be the approximate total
dose for the astronauts in the 'dark blue' polar regions at the end of A) a single day? B) 1 Earth-year?
C) the entire Mars visit?
3. The total background+lifestyle dose on Earth at ground-level is about 360 milliRem/yr. How many extra
years of radiation exposure will an astronaut accumulate exploring the surface of Mars rather than
'staying home'?
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Physics Assignment #2: Due by June 13, 2014. (2 marks each question 4 marks total).
500
400
200
100
50
40
30
29
25
20
15
10
5.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
1.0
0.8
0.3
0.01
Medical Impact
Predicted radiation from a Carrington
2
Superstorm in a spacesuit (1 gm/cm
shielding) in deep space
100% lethal dose for humans in 30 days.
Predicted radiation from the August 1972
flare in a spacesuit.
Predicted radiation from a Carrington
2
Superstorm with 10 gm/cm shielding in
deep space
About 5 out of every 100 people will
experience a fatal cancer at this level if
delivered over a short time (minutes to
hours)
Radiation absorbed by spacesuited
astronauts from January 15, 2005 solar
flare
Predicted one-year cosmic ray dosage in
interplanetary space during sunspot
minimum with shielding
Estimated dosage from February 1956
solar proton event with 20
2
gm/cm shielding
Predicted radiation from a Carrington
2
Superstorm with 20 gm/cm shielding at
ISS altitudes (400km)
A typical lifetime accumulated radiation
dosage for person living on the surface of
Earth.
Maximum measured, unshielded radiation
dosage per year on the surface of Mars
Estimated dosage from August 1972 solar
2
proton event with 20 gm/cm shielding
Predicted one-year cosmic ray dosage in
interplanetary space during sunspot
maximum with shielding
Lowest annual dosage for which no
increases average human cancer rates
have been detected.
Radiation exposure for a 90-day stay in
the International Space Station during
average space weather conditions
Radiation dosage for Apollo astronauts
visiting the moon and returning to Earth
Radiation absorbed by ISS astronauts
from January 15, 2005 solar flare
Maximum allowed for uranium miners
inhaling rock dust each year
14-day stay inside Space Shuttle during
solar maximum and highest orbit elevation
Average cosmic ray and natural
background exposure each year
One flight across the North Pole from New
York to Tokyo
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1.
Name two methods for measuring cellular respiration. Which method is the figure depicting?
2. Using the figure, describe the metabolic events represented in each region. Explain your answer in
terms of cellular respiratory function, physiological respiratory function and activity, and environmental
gas balance and pressures.
a. Region 1
b. Region 2
c. Region 3
d. Region 4
3. Suppose convection currents (air flow due to temperature and pressure changes) were not forced using
fans as described in the provided background. List the symptoms (with causes) that the crew members
might exhibit as a result.
4. Suppose in an emergency situation there is an unexpected drop in oxygen (O2) partial pressure
detected by the flight controllers. Crewmembers begin to exhibit symptoms similar to those of high
altitude mountain climbers that could be from one or a combination of gas factors. Identify how the gas
levels cause the physiological symptoms in two of the four systems: circulatory, respiratory, nervous,
and muscular.
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Partial pressures of CO2 in the space shuttle cabin during a four day period.
Note that this is a replicated graph using data from previous space shuttle missions.
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Technology Demonstration (Air, Water, Surface Monitoring; Radiation Measurement; Communication &
Navigation; Satellite Technologies; Spacecraft Materials; Robotics & Imaging; Orbital Environment;
Avionics & Software)
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