Lesson 8: The Future of Space

Technology
Read Page 413 to 417

Science 9: Space Exploration

 Content for this Lesson
1. Future technology: ion drives and Solar sails
2. International Space Station
3. Space Junk
4. Satellites
5. History of Space Technology
 How will ion drives and solar sails propel
spacecraft between the planets?
Ion Drives
- Ion drives are engines that use xenon
gas instead of a chemical fuel.
- The xenon is electrically charged,
accelerated and then remitted as
exhaust, pushing the space craft in the
opposite direction of the emission.
Arcticle from NASA
 How will ion drives and solar sails propel
spacecraft between the planets?
Solar Sails
- Similar to a sailboat but uses sunlight
instead of wind.
- When photons hit the sail, the energy is
transmitted, causing the spacecraft to
move.
 Advantages
• Ion Drives: the amount of fuel required
would only be 1/10 of other fuel sources

• Solar Sails: travel could be 5 times

faster than with a current space craft
- Uses a renewable energy source
 Disadvantages
• Ion Drives: 10 000 times weaker thrust
versus a chemical rockets, despite
lasting an extremely long time.

• Solar Sails: not yet in use.

• See:
https://www.space.com/26011-solar-sail
-tech-space-exploration.html
• Click here for video
• ​https://www.space.com/nasa-advanced-
solar-sail-launching-in-2022
What is the International Space Station?

-The International Space Station is an

orbiting spacecraft where people live and
work in space.
- It orbits the earth 15.729 times a day
at an altitude of 350 km.
- It is a joint project between 16 nations
that serves as a permanent laboratory
and command post for building and
launching interplanetary rockets.
 ISS TOUR
• Click here for link
 Collisions with meteoroids or space junk

• Space junk = are pieces of debris that

have fallen off rockets, satellites, space
stations and shuttles, which can float in
space for 1000’s of years
• Space Junk at critical volume video
 Collisions with meteoroids or space junk
• Currently, there are about
110 000
__________pieces of space junk floating
in space.
• In 2001, there were 3000 satellites
1/3
orbiting Earth and only ______were
actually working; the rest are space junk.
• Since 1957, there have been about 4000
mission to space, leaving bits of debris in
micrometeorites which can
space (______________),
cause major damage due to the speeds
they are flying at (20 000 km/h).
 Collisions with meteoroids or space junk

• The space junk remains in orbit until its

velocity decreases and gravitational
force pulls it down into the atmosphere
and all of the debris burns up.
 Collisions with meteoroids or space junk

• Some debris may not burn up and may

hit Earth. For example, in 1978 a Soviet
satellite crashed into the Northwest
Territories and showered radioactive
debris.
 What is a satellite?
• “Artificial satellites”:
Are objects that are built and sent
into the Earth’s orbit by humans
• -they are relatively small
_____ objects
loaded with _________
electronic equipment,
digital imaging apparatus and other
_______
_________________.
instrumentation
• - They _____________
transmit the
ground
information they receive to _______
stations by ______
radio waves.
 What are the 4 types of satellites?
1. Communication Satellites
T.V long
cell fax
listen
straight bend
multiple transmit

clearer
larger users
Communication Satellites

Click here for link to Xplorn

et
 What are the 4 types of satellites?
2. Observation & Research Satellites
pictures
monitor follow
monitor
forest fires
environments
natural
Observation and Research Satellites
 What are the 4 types of satellites?
3. Remote Sensing Satellites
low
remote
surface

photograph, heat sensing or energy

waves
Remote Sensing = digital photographs of
Earth

Click here for link to NASA r

emote sensing website
 What are the 4 types of satellites?
4. GPS satellites

location

time

position
GPS Satellites
 Determining the GPS positioning

Geocaching

How to Geocache
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2BPP
w-OJzo
 How Has Technology Improved Our Understanding of Space?

A timeline scavenger hunt

Instructions: Complete the table located in the

student note pack using the information posted in the
lesson.
Sundials
 Sundials
When was the How has it improved our understanding?
device 1st
developed

5000 BCE Sundials

____________ measured the
time
passage ofshadows
___________, using the

sun
changing _________ created by the

______.
Astrolabes
 Astrolabes
When was the How has it improved our understanding?
device 1st
developed
Astrolabes
400 AD
______________ helped to
angle

stars
measure the ____________

of elevation of __________.
Optical Telescopes
 Optical Telescopes
When was the How has it improved our understanding?
device 1st
developed
Optical
1608 ____________ telescopes allow us
faint
to see _________ and more
distant
_________ objects in detail that

can’t
______________ be seen normally.
Radio Telescopes
 Radio Telescopes
When was the How has it improved our understanding?
device 1st
developed
Radio
1937 ____________ telescopes help us
determine
_____________ the
composition
________________ of stars..
Infrared Telescopes
 Infrared Telescopes
When was the How has it improved our understanding?
device 1st
developed
Infrared
1940
_____________ telescopes
map dust

_______ the _________

stars

between the _____________.

Artificial Satellites
 Artificial Satellites
When was How has it improved our understanding?
the device
1st
developed
Satellites
1957 ______________ orbit larger bodies
Transmit (send)

and ____________________

groundthey receive to
information
radio
_____________ stations by
Space Probe
 Space Probe
When was
the device How has it improved our understanding?
1st
developed
Space
1959 instrumentation
___________ probes contain

robotic
________________ for carrying out

study
____________ exploration of space. They
manned
allow us to ___________ planets that are too

difficult or dangerous for _________

Microwave Telescope
 Microwave Telescope
When was
the device How has it improved our understanding?
1st
developed
Microwave
1960 ______________
viewing telescopes are used

for _____________ Earth from space

Milky Way
and for studying the structure of the

___________ _______ galaxy and

Gamma Ray Telescope
 Gamma Ray Telescope
When was
the device How has it improved out understanding?
1st
developed

1961 Gamma telescopes

___________ ray ____________
star
study _______ explosions.
X- Ray Telescope
 X- Ray Telescope
When was
the device How has it improved out understanding?
1st
developed
X-ray
1963
_________ telescopes allow us to
distant

seegalaxies
__________ stars and

13
___________ that are more than
Ultraviolet (UV)
Telescope
 Ultraviolet (UV)
Telescope
When was
the device How has it improved our understanding?
1st
developed
UV
1966
____ telescopes allow
features starsus to see

__________
galaxies of _________ and

_________.
Space Stations
 Space Stations
When was
the device How has it improved our understanding?
1st
developed
Space stations features
1971 ___________ ____________
living are orbiting

spacecraft that have __________ quarters,

live work
work areas and support systems to allow

people to _________ and _________ in

Space Shuttles
 Space Shuttles
When was
the device How has it improved out understanding?
1st
developed
Space shuttles
1977
__________ ____________ are
transport

used to ________ people and

spacecrafts
equipment to orbiting
Hubble Space Telescope
 Hubble Space Telescope
When was
the device How has it improved our understanding?
1st
developed
Hubble

1990 orbits
The __________ Space Telescope is a

reflecting telescope that ____________ 600

discover
km above Earth. The telescope allows us to
no
____________ galaxies that could not be

seen from Earth (because there is ____

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
(SOHO)
 The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
(SOHO)
When was
the device How has it improved our understanding?
1st
developed
SOHO
1995
The
sun_________ orbits the

________ and contains details

12

instruments to provide _________

Space Interferometry Mission (SIM)
 Space Interferometry Mission (SIM)
When was
the device How has it improved our understanding?
1st
developed
SIM
2011
reflecting
__________ will be launched in space and will

accurate
use 2 ________________ telescopes to

determine extremely ___________________

SIM
distances and positions of stars throughout the

galaxy. _________ will also be used to find

James D. Webb Telescope
 James D. Webb Telescope
When was
the device How has it improved our understanding?
1st
developed

2021

James D. Webb Telescope was launched in space

Large infrared Telescope
and is a_______________________________
 Take Home Message
• Space exploration has produced
many tools for use on Earth

Homework:
• Complete Space Review Questions located at
end of Lesson 8 Activity
A __________________consists of
constellation/nebula/galaxy

stars, planets, and dust, which

are formed from a

____________.
constellation/nebula/galaxy
 In the year 2011, there will most likely be

a(n)___________ in CMEs associated

increase/decrease

with a solar _____________.

maximum/minimum
 When compared with a giant star, a white
dwarf star is...

A. brighter and hotter C. dimmer and hotter

B. brighter and colder D. dimmer and colder
Which of the following diagrams shows the
orientation of the Big Dipper when viewed
on an autumn evening at position X?
The Hubble Space Telescope produces
clearer images than similar telescopes
that are used on Earth because

A. the Hubble Space Telescope is travelling in a

geosynchronous orbit
B. the Hubble Space Telescope is closer to the stars
that it is viewing
C. there is no interference from Earth’s atmosphere
in space
D. there is no air pressure in space