Airbags on the Moon
Background:
Getting scientific equipment to the Earth's moon or other planets safely and in workable condition is a challenge for NASA scientists and engineers. Airbags in missions to Mars and in future missions to the moon are used to cushion the landing of equipment on terrain that is rough and rocky. Sensitive scientific gear is essentially crash landed on the surface using inflatable airbag technology.
Problem:
You are part of a team of NASA engineers who have been asked to design and create a prototype of an airbag landing system for future moon voyages.
Procedure:
1. Students will be divided into engineering design teams of two to three students who will work
together to brainstorm ideas, consolidate and organize their ideas, and then choose materials and create a prototype of an lunar airbag system.
2. Teams will test their prototypes by placing a raw egg inside and dropping from the second floor mezzanine of SHS onto the first floor below. A successful design will land the egg intact.
3. Use a digital camera to create a documentary of the process, final product, and results. Results must be reported in terms of impulse and momentum change experienced by the egg.
4. Based on the test results, what changes/modifications could be made to improve the airbag
design?
Materials:
1 package of about 10 to 15 medium party balloons
yarn
yarn needle
2 pairs of socks
1 egg
1 large black garbage bag
spring scale
video recorder
camera
5.5 yards of paper with distances marked for every .5 meters
masking tape
Data Analysis:
Best Possible Solution:
Team members will work together to consolidate and organize their brainstorming ideas by answering the following questions:
•What do we think we know about airbags?
The reduce the impact of an about in a collision
• What do we still need to learn about airbags?
We need to learn how airbags reduce momentum over time with a counteracting force.
So, which is more important, force or time?
• What do we need to know in order to create a prototype of an airbag?
The variable that we want to seclude.
Constructinga Prototype:
Since I conducted this project by myself, instead of constructing many prototypes, I took multiple ideas and made them one. I began with blowing up all of theballoons and stringing them together so that there were as few gaps in between as possible. I then took my egg and placed and replaced it inside of the socks. More yarn was then taken to tie the egg in the socks to the center of my balloon spherical model. I then placed the system into the black trash bag and tied it shut. The system was supposed to be able to sustain rocky terrain, so I added the bag so that my balloons would not pop. (Each of these steps was thought of separately.)
I then went to the grand stair case, which is 5.5 meters hignh and masking taped the measured marked paper to the balcony. I had a friend tape the drop of my system from the balcony to receive the proper times to calculate the impulse and momentum of my system. I also massed the system before hand to calculate the momentum.
Getting scientific equipment to the Earth's moon or other planets safely and in workable condition is a challenge for NASA scientists and engineers. Airbags in missions to Mars and in future missions to the moon are used to cushion the landing of equipment on terrain that is rough and rocky. Sensitive scientific gear is essentially crash landed on the surface using inflatable airbag technology.
Problem:
You are part of a team of NASA engineers who have been asked to design and create a prototype of an airbag landing system for future moon voyages.
Procedure:
1. Students will be divided into engineering design teams of two to three students who will work
together to brainstorm ideas, consolidate and organize their ideas, and then choose materials and create a prototype of an lunar airbag system.
2. Teams will test their prototypes by placing a raw egg inside and dropping from the second floor mezzanine of SHS onto the first floor below. A successful design will land the egg intact.
3. Use a digital camera to create a documentary of the process, final product, and results. Results must be reported in terms of impulse and momentum change experienced by the egg.
4. Based on the test results, what changes/modifications could be made to improve the airbag
design?
Materials:
1 package of about 10 to 15 medium party balloons
yarn
yarn needle
2 pairs of socks
1 egg
1 large black garbage bag
spring scale
video recorder
camera
5.5 yards of paper with distances marked for every .5 meters
masking tape
Data Analysis:
Best Possible Solution:
Team members will work together to consolidate and organize their brainstorming ideas by answering the following questions:
•What do we think we know about airbags?
The reduce the impact of an about in a collision
• What do we still need to learn about airbags?
We need to learn how airbags reduce momentum over time with a counteracting force.
So, which is more important, force or time?
• What do we need to know in order to create a prototype of an airbag?
The variable that we want to seclude.
Constructinga Prototype:
Since I conducted this project by myself, instead of constructing many prototypes, I took multiple ideas and made them one. I began with blowing up all of theballoons and stringing them together so that there were as few gaps in between as possible. I then took my egg and placed and replaced it inside of the socks. More yarn was then taken to tie the egg in the socks to the center of my balloon spherical model. I then placed the system into the black trash bag and tied it shut. The system was supposed to be able to sustain rocky terrain, so I added the bag so that my balloons would not pop. (Each of these steps was thought of separately.)
I then went to the grand stair case, which is 5.5 meters hignh and masking taped the measured marked paper to the balcony. I had a friend tape the drop of my system from the balcony to receive the proper times to calculate the impulse and momentum of my system. I also massed the system before hand to calculate the momentum.
| vid00008.avi |
I was not able to upload the other video showing my successful drop because it was too large and weebly was going to for be to subscribe.
Otherwise, it was a success and the egg did not break. Mrs. Geddes, the video is on my documents if you would like to watch it again.
Otherwise, it was a success and the egg did not break. Mrs. Geddes, the video is on my documents if you would like to watch it again.
Data with impulse and momentum calculations:
| egg_drop_data.xlsx |
Communicate the Solution:
How successful was your airbag in keeping your egg safe?
The drop was a complete success. The egg did not even have a scratch. I believe my system could have withstood an even larger mass.
The ballons working with the socks and the trash bag were a great way to keep the egg safe.
Conclusion:
All in all, my design for the egg drop was a great success. I would not have changed one part of my design. I believe that my design succeeded so well because surface area was spread out father to cushion the mass inside. My airbag definitely decreased the force given directly to the egg, so therefore the egg did not break.
The momentum was decreased majorly by the opposing force of the ground, but my system did a great job at spreading out that opposing force, which is what saved people's lives, like it saved my egg's life. The impulse was also lowered greatly.
How successful was your airbag in keeping your egg safe?
The drop was a complete success. The egg did not even have a scratch. I believe my system could have withstood an even larger mass.
The ballons working with the socks and the trash bag were a great way to keep the egg safe.
Conclusion:
All in all, my design for the egg drop was a great success. I would not have changed one part of my design. I believe that my design succeeded so well because surface area was spread out father to cushion the mass inside. My airbag definitely decreased the force given directly to the egg, so therefore the egg did not break.
The momentum was decreased majorly by the opposing force of the ground, but my system did a great job at spreading out that opposing force, which is what saved people's lives, like it saved my egg's life. The impulse was also lowered greatly.
