Using Thrust, Weight & Control: Rocket Me into Space
One exciting challenge for engineers is the idea of exploration. Through the continuing storyline of the Rockets unit, this lesson looks more closely at Spaceman Rohan, Spacewoman Tess, their daughter Maya, and their challenges with getting to space, setting up satellites, and exploring uncharted waters via a canoe. This lesson reinforces rockets as a vehicle that helps us explore outside the Earth's atmosphere (that is, to move without air) by employing the principles described in Newton's third law of motion. Students are also introduced to the ideas of thrust, control and weight—all principles that engineers deal with when building rockets.
Figure 1. A Boeing Delta II rocket.Copyright NASA http://www.nasa.gov/
Designing and building rockets requires many different types of engineers working together to create equipment that works as intended. Engineers must understand Newton's three laws of motion as well as how exhaust behaves in order to calculate the thrust for a rocket to reach its destination. Engineers must also watch the weight of the rocket very carefully because heavier rockets take more energy to get into space. Another important consideration is how to control the rocket. Lastly, understanding how a rocket behaves in the Earth's atmosphere—as well as in space—is critical in rocket design. To enhance stability, engineers include solutions such as fins or small thrusters into their rocket designs.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Compare and contrast airplanes and rockets and explain why airplanes cannot travel into space.
- Define what thrust is and how rockets use thrust to get into space.
- Explain several considerations engineers have in designing rockets.
- Give an example of an explorer and describe reasons why explorers and exploration teams include engineers.