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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 5 - 7

Alloy the Way to Mars

A photograph shows an engine undergoing a hot-fire test. The engine looks like a half of a 3D ellipse covered in a grid-like casing and attached at its top to a structure designed for testing. Surrounding and above the engine is a cloud-like substance, which is the condensation produced from the propellant.The RS-25 engine of the Space Launch System that will eventually transport astronauts to Mars.

Acting as engineering teams, students take measurements and make calculations to determine the specific strength of various alloys and then report their data to the rest of the class. Using this class data, students write data-based recommendations to NASA regarding the best alloy to use in the construction of the engine and engine turbines for the Space Launch System that will eventually be used to transport astronauts to Mars.

Engineering design challenges often require careful materials selection. For example, what materials are best to make airplane engine turbines? For every application, engineers select the material(s) that exhibits the specific desired properties. In the case of airplane engine turbines, engineers might want to select a metal that is strong, resistant to corrosion, and hard. In this activity, students play the role of materials engineers by testing properties of given alloys and then making recommendations based on their findings.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Test materials in order to determine specific strength.
  • Draw conclusions about a material based on obtained data.

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