To understand the challenges of satellite construction, student teams design and create model spacecraft to protect vital components from the harsh conditions found on Mercury and Venus. They use slices of butter in plastic eggs to represent the internal data collection components of the spacecraft. To discover the strengths and weaknesses of their designs, they test their unique thermal protection systems in a planet simulation test box that provides higher temperature and pressure conditions.

Concepts

conduction, engineering, heat transfer, stem

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Additional Tags

gravitational pressure, greenhouse effect, spacecraft, thermal protection, integrated teaching and learning program and laboratory, teachengineering, space design

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Classroom Considerations

• Knovation Readability Score: 5 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)