ASTR 4800: Space Science - Practice & Policy Today s Topic: Science Goes to the Moon & Planets. Next class: Visit by Richard Truly, former NASA Administrator & Shuttle Pilot Read: readings noted on class website
Space in the News: NASA Sets Sights on Mars After Unmanned Moon Shot Katie Fletcher The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) will be much larger than NASA's two Mars Exploration Rovers. Fire and smoke light up a blue sky as a United Launch Alliance Delta 2 Heavy rocket propels NASA s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission into space.
Seth Vuletich
Why Do We Explore Space? Space is a place to be utilized by Earth, by the humans of Earth, not by any one nation Wesley T. Huntress, Jr. Human nature A thirst for knowledge Curiosity Survival Economic opportunities Jobs for the space industry A location for international cooperation Discussion: Are humans ready for space if it to be an international venture? Knowing how human involvement in space started, is it possible for space to be a location for international cooperation?
Why bother with the moon? If God wanted man to be become a space faring species, He would have given [us] a Moon. Krafft Ehricke, Saturn V rocket engineer It inspires curiosity Demonstrate a country s scientific prowess Learn about the Earth and solar system Point of departure for longer space missions Observation platform Resources Discussion: Should we return to the moon for pure research, or should our focus be on building a base? Should travel to the moon be a priority?
A place that is not a place They occur in two body systems (Earth/Sun; Earth/moon) The combined gravitational forces of the two bodies provide a centripetal force such that the object remains stationary relative to the two objects
L2 is an ideal location for telescopes Large mirrors do not get distorted by gravity Planned location for James Webb Space Telescope Stays cool Earth has radio access to the area at all times Continuous solar power Good locations for traveling to the solar system beyond the Earthmoon system L2and L3 are on the edge of Earth s gravitational influence Low energy cost relative to lunar travel, but this comes at the cost of high travel time
Why study space rocks? Impact threat Understanding the physical properties of these rocks will lead to knowledge about severity of impacts and potential mitigation strategies Mineral resources Low gravity makes obtaining their mineral resources feasible Stepping stone to Mars Their locations can serve as a stop which will reduce the risks of missions to Mars
What is it with Mars? Life? Was/is there life on Mars If there is life, it will shed some light on origins of life on our planet. Mars as an analog to Earth 4 billion years ago Earth and Mars were likely very similar Mars might give an indication of how terrestrial planets are established
What is it with Mars? "It's going to be a bummer if Mars turns out to be like us." Newt Gingrich, American politician Water Mars surface was once covered with water Water is still abundant underground If there was life on mars is there still life beneath in the aquifers? Discussion: Will we make it to mars in the next 50 years? If we do make it to mars will it be premature like the Apollo missions?
The asteroid belt Just beyond Mars located between the inner planets and outer planets Hayabusa Japanese spacecraft which sampled an asteroid and has returned to Earth Dawn U.S. spacecraft using plasma drive technology to orbit multiple bodies, not just flybys Currently orbiting the one of the two largest belt asteroids Vesta Scheduled to reach Ceres in 2015 First ever comprehensive study of such bodies
The Outer Planets Jupiter and the Galilean moons The most interesting moons of Jupiter are Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa, these all have ice covered surfaces discovered by the Galileo mission Europa has indications on the surface of a subsurface fluid ocean Saturn and Titan Titan is larger than Mercury Only moon with Atmosphere So cold that methane plays a role on its surface like water does on Earth Pluto and beyond our solar system New Horizons spacecraft will near Pluto in 2015 and provide insight into the Kuiper Belt, and the comets which have come from it Arrays of telescopes like the James Webb space telescope may one day give us clues to where we might find Earth like planets
Discussion: Is forward progress toward interplanetary travel possible without international cooperation? Is it possible without competition? Should we change the surfaces of planets to better serve our needs? Do you think that there will come a time when space travel will be a priority? Is it right to spend as much as we do on space when there are so many problems on our own planet?