Space Junk Essay

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Project 3.1.3 Space Junk Mitigation | Introduction A paint flake traveling over 7 Km/s struck the thick windshield of the space shuttle, inflicting significant damage. If this piece of junk was larger – perhaps a bolt or a wrench – the damage could have been severe enough to penetrate the windshield, killing all those on board and possibly destroying the shuttle. A proposed solution to remove space junk includes installing a balloon in a satellite to be deployed at the end of a mission to lower the orbit to an altitude where the satellite will burn up. This would completely destroy the craft and not pose a future impact hazard. In this activity you will research the volume of space junk and propose a solution to cleaning up the debris. Equipment * PC with Internet access * Engineering notebook * Pencil * Materials to build student concept Procedure Form teams under the direction of your teacher. Research incidents of damage associated with space junk and the nature of debris in space. Prepare images or video of three examples of incidents. Design a system that will mitigate space junk impact or reduce the volume of space junk. You will follow the design process up to and including step 8. * Design Process Steps 1. Define a Problem 2. Brainstorm 3. Research and Generate Ideas 4. Identify Criteria and Specify Constraints 5. Explore Possibilities 6. Select an Approach 7. Develop a Design Proposal 8. Make a Model or Prototype 9. Test and Evaluate the Design using Specifications 10. Refine the Design 11. Create or Make Solution 12. Communicate Processes and Results | Present your design and model or prtotype to the class. * Conclusion 1. Explain a major deterrent for amassing space junk. * * * 2. Describe a viable system to protect a space craft from

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