1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,880 Hi, I'm Garrett Wong. I play the part of Ensign Harry Kim on Star Trek Voyager. On my show, 2 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:21,020 Voyager and its crew travel to distant stars, planets, and galaxies. Of course, when NASA 3 00:00:21,020 --> 00:00:25,040 scientists navigate spacecraft through our solar system, it's a little more complicated 4 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:30,280 than just punching coordinates into a computer. On this episode of NASA Connect, NASA scientists 5 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:36,020 will show you how they use math, like geometry, to launch spacecraft to Mars, and how geometric 6 00:00:36,020 --> 00:00:41,400 shapes contribute to the exploration of the Red Planet. So, fasten your seatbelts, as 7 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:46,400 hosts Jennifer Pulley and Van Hughes navigate you at warp speed through another exciting 8 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,440 episode of NASA Connect. 9 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:24,440 Hi, welcome to NASA Connect, the show that connects you to the world of math, science, technology, and NASA. I'm Jennifer Pulley. 10 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:29,440 And I'm Van Hughes. We're here at the Virginia Air and Space Center, located in Hampton, Virginia. 11 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:35,440 Get a load of all the cool exhibits they have here. There's an Apollo spacecraft that took astronauts to the moon. 12 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:41,440 They have models of many rockets since spaceflight began. And, behind us, this is an exact replica 13 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:47,480 of the Viking spacecraft that landed on Mars in 1976. I was just a kid then. 14 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:55,480 So, how did NASA get from the Earth to the fourth planet from the sun? Now, obviously, there are no roads or signs in space. 15 00:01:55,480 --> 00:02:00,480 Is the path a straight line? Or, is it a curve? 16 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:06,480 On today's NASA Connect, we'll learn how engineers and scientists use a branch of mathematics called geometry 17 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:12,520 to navigate a spacecraft to Mars. We'll also learn about the role that circles, angles, and ellipses 18 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:18,520 play in the exploration of Mars. We'll talk with researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, 19 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:24,520 California, and NASA Langley in Hampton, Virginia, who are all working on that very thing. 20 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:30,520 We'll explore past, present, and future missions to Mars and see how geometry is used to get us there. 21 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:36,560 We'll explore the age-old question, is there life on Mars? 22 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:42,560 Later in the show, we'll be joined by students from Bridge Street Middle School in Wheeling, West Virginia. 23 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:48,560 NASA Connect asked them to conduct a geometry activity using ellipses and circles. 24 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:54,560 They'll share their data with you so you can repeat the activity and obtain your own results. 25 00:02:54,600 --> 00:03:00,600 We'll also learn how intelligent spacecraft are being developed to explore Mars in the 26 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:06,600 Mars Millennium Project. Stay tuned to learn more about this awesome project. 27 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:12,600 And to stimulate your brain, every time Norbert appears with a cue card, that's your cue to think about 28 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:18,600 answers to the questions he gives you. Got it? 29 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:24,640 So, are you ready? Let's go get the story angle on the world of geometry. 30 00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:30,640 Who was Pythagoras, and what did he contribute to geometry? 31 00:03:30,640 --> 00:03:36,640 Explain how geometry is used in your everyday life. 32 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:42,640 The word geometry comes from two Greek words. Geo, which means the Earth, and 33 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:48,680 Metron, which means to measure. 34 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:54,680 Today, geometry is more the study of shapes than it is the study of the Earth. 35 00:03:54,680 --> 00:04:00,680 Basically, geometry is the branch of mathematics that deals with the position, the size, and the shape of figures. 36 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:06,680 One of the greatest mathematicians was an ancient Greek named Pythagoras. 37 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:12,720 One observation he made was that gravity 38 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:18,720 is vertical, or 90 degrees 39 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:24,720 to the horizon. From this observation, Pythagoras 40 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:30,720 discovered that the 90 degree angles from four right-sided triangles make up a square. 41 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:36,760 Watch this. If I have one right angle, 42 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:42,760 and I place three other right angles around it, like this, 43 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:48,760 I eventually wind up with, ta-da, a square! 44 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:54,760 That's pretty neat. Let's do the math. Knowing what Pythagoras discovered about the 45 00:04:54,760 --> 00:05:00,760 90 degree angle, can you calculate how many degrees are in this square? 46 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:06,760 If you multiply 90 degrees 47 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:12,760 times four, you're right! 48 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:18,760 This square has 360 degrees. What other shape has 360 degrees? 49 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:24,760 A circle! You know, Pythagoras proved that there are relationships between different geometric shapes. 50 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:30,760 What relationships can you see between other geometric shapes? 51 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:36,760 Pythagoras found out even more laws about the right triangle. If we look at the same square, but just a little differently, 52 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:42,760 we can see that half the area 53 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:48,760 of this square equals a right triangle. 54 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:54,760 Now, how can we use math to calculate the remaining angles of a right triangle? 55 00:05:54,760 --> 00:06:00,760 Simple. Squares are 360 degrees. We know this. 56 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:06,760 If we divide it in half, this triangle must equal 57 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:12,760 180 degrees. Now, we know this is a right triangle. This equals 90 degrees. 58 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:18,760 If we subtract that from 180, we get 90 degrees. 59 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:24,760 These two angles must add up to 90 degrees. 60 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:30,760 This is true for every right triangle. It's true for this right triangle. It's true for this right triangle. 61 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:36,760 It's also true for right triangles that look like this. 62 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:48,760 In order to calculate the remaining angles of a right triangle, you have to use math and geometry. 63 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:54,760 Geometry is used in everything we do, from constructing roads and buildings to playing football or pool. 64 00:06:54,760 --> 00:07:00,760 Okay, here's the big play. It's you and me. 65 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:06,760 Okay? I'll toss the big pass to you. You go down and out. Got it? 66 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:12,760 Now, let's see. If I toss the ball directly to Jennifer and don't anticipate 67 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:18,760 where she'll be, I'll miss her completely. 68 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:24,760 If I know she's cutting right and I throw the ball at the correct angle, I should get the ball to her. 69 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:30,760 Hey! My perfect pass just created a right triangle. Geometry is everywhere. 70 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:36,760 Hey, way to go, Van! Without geometry, it would be impossible to organize 71 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:42,760 precise patterns and play a simple game of football. My friend Lynn Chappell is an 72 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:48,760 undergraduate math teacher at Huntington Middle School in Newport News, Virginia. 73 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:54,760 Let's see what information she has about Pythagoras and geometry. 74 00:07:54,760 --> 00:08:00,760 The most important discovery that Pythagoras made was the relationship between the longest side of a right triangle and the two shorter sides. 75 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:06,760 The longest side of the right triangle is called the hypotenuse. 76 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:12,760 A plus B squared equals C squared. 77 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:18,760 Now, who can tell me what that means? Charmaine. 78 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:24,760 The sum of the squares of the two shorter sides, A plus B, equals the square of the longest side, C, which is the hypotenuse. 79 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:30,760 Good answer. Now, we're going to mark the right triangle that we have on this paper. 80 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:36,760 The two shorter sides that we call the legs are A and B. 81 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:42,760 And the longest side is C. And remember, we call that the hypotenuse. 82 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:48,760 Now, what Pythagoras did was draw a square on the side of A. 83 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:54,760 And remember that a square is a number times itself, A times A. 84 00:08:54,760 --> 00:09:00,760 And he drew a square on the side of C, C times C. 85 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:06,760 And what we're going to do is we're going to cut A squared off of the side. 86 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:12,760 And then we're going to cut B squared and make them fit into C squared to prove that Pythagoras was right. 87 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:18,760 First, take your straight edge, and we're going to draw some parts of B so that we can cut it and it will fit. 88 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:26,760 Coming along the side of C, come straight down through B squared until you touch the edge. 89 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:36,760 Now connect the lower corner of B to the bottom edge of A squared. 90 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:40,760 This will form a perpendicular line. 91 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:47,760 Now take your scissors and cut out A squared in one piece and B squared in the pieces that you've cut it into. 92 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:52,760 And then we'll fit it all onto C squared to prove that Pythagoras was right. 93 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:54,760 Well, have all of you fit your pieces together? 94 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:55,760 Yes. 95 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:57,760 Then I guess Pythagoras was right. 96 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:05,760 And you know, Pythagoras also believed or postulated that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. 97 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:11,760 Well, how come if you throw a ball from point A to point B, then it curves or arcs? 98 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,760 Well, Van, that's rather very simple. 99 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,760 Have you ever heard of something called gravity? 100 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,760 Yeah, I've heard of gravity! 101 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:28,760 In 1600, Johannes Kepler, a famous astronomer, proved that the planets orbited the sun in an ellipse. 102 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,760 That's another geometric shape. 103 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,760 If you take a circle and squash it a bit, you get an ellipse. 104 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:42,760 Like our football example, if we want to navigate from Earth to Mars, we have to take into account where Mars will be within its elliptical orbit. 105 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:46,760 What information did scientists first discover about Mars? 106 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:49,760 Humans have known of Mars since before recorded history. 107 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:56,760 In 1609, a man by the name of Galileo first viewed Mars through his newly invented telescope. 108 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:05,760 Although his telescope was no better than a modern toy, it revealed enough to prove that Mars was a large sphere, a world shaped like the Earth. 109 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:07,760 Could this other world be inhabited? 110 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:12,760 Besides using the telescope, how else do scientists collect information on Mars? 111 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:19,760 Let me tell you. NASA's Mariner 4 was the first spacecraft to take close-up pictures of the red planet. 112 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:24,760 As it flew past Mars in 1965, it showed a heavily crated surface. 113 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:33,760 Six years later, in 1971, Mariner 9 arrived at Mars and became the first artificial object ever to orbit another planet. 114 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:43,760 Mariner 9 saw the Valles Marineris, a canyon that stretches 4,500 kilometers, or 2,800 miles, across the face of Mars. 115 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:50,760 It is so long that if it were on Earth, it would stretch all the way from Los Angeles, California to New York, New York. 116 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:56,760 All these discoveries by Mariner were seen from above the surface of Mars. 117 00:11:56,760 --> 00:12:00,760 What we really needed was a view from the Martian surface. 118 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:09,760 How do NASA scientists use geometry to navigate spacecraft from Earth to Mars? 119 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:13,760 Explain the goals and accomplishments of NASA's Viking mission. 120 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,760 All right, guys. I want you to meet Dr. Israel Tabak. 121 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:24,760 He was one of the engineers who worked on Project Viking, NASA's mission to Mars, which landed two spacecraft on its surface in 1976. 122 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:30,760 Dr. Tabak, since we've been talking about geometry, can you tell me how geometry was used to get the Viking to Mars? 123 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,760 Oh, yeah. It's really relatively simple. 124 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:37,760 You know, most orbits around the sun are fairly circular. 125 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:45,760 So if we start from Earth, for example, and want to go to Mars, we use what's called a Hohmann transfer, which is an ellipse, 126 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:51,760 which takes us from the Earth's orbit out to the Mars orbit, and we meet Mars when it gets there. 127 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:54,760 So if you shot directly at Mars, it wouldn't get there? 128 00:12:54,760 --> 00:12:56,760 No, it'd go to the sun and heat up too much. 129 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:58,760 And that's the most efficient way to get there? 130 00:12:58,760 --> 00:12:59,760 Yes, it is. 131 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:01,760 Less money, less time. 132 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:02,760 Smaller booster. 133 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:04,760 So, Dr. Tabak, let us get this straight. 134 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:11,760 Circles, ellipses, angles, geometry really helps with the navigation of spacecraft to Mars like the Viking. 135 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:13,760 All very essential. 136 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:23,760 Here's an experiment you can try at home with a responsible adult that will show you how curves and angles affect the path of a projectile. 137 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:28,760 Have you ever tried to aim a dart at a dartboard? 138 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:34,760 Pretend the dart is a rocket and the dartboard is Mars. 139 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:38,760 Now, there are two variables that affect the results of this activity. 140 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:48,760 If you throw the dart in a straight line at an angle of zero degrees, gravity will curve the path downward, away from the dartboard, and you miss. 141 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:54,760 But if you aim a little higher for the dartboard or at an increased angle, you should hit the target. 142 00:13:54,760 --> 00:14:07,760 So, if the angle is one of the variables that affects this experiment, what do you think the second variable is? 143 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:14,760 If you guessed speed or how fast I throw the dart is the other variable, then you're right. 144 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:19,760 The combination of speed and an increased angle determines whether or not I hit Mars. 145 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,760 I mean, the dartboard. 146 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:24,760 What did the Viking mission accomplish? 147 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:31,760 Well, the Viking mission really consisted of four spacecraft, two orbiters and two landers. 148 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:35,760 Viking was the first spacecraft to land on the surface of Mars. 149 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:43,760 And we got some samples from the surface and found that the samples were all oxides, mostly of iron. 150 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,760 And that's why Mars is so red, rust. 151 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:48,760 Now, how long did this mission last? 152 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:52,760 Well, we guaranteed it for 90 days, but it lasted for six years. 153 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:54,760 Well, it looks like Mars is a pretty cool place. 154 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:55,760 It really is. 155 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:57,760 Dr. Tabak, thank you so much. 156 00:14:57,760 --> 00:14:58,760 You're welcome. 157 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:04,760 We really appreciate you helping us understand how you use geometry to navigate to Mars. 158 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaking of navigation, NASA Connect took a trip to Bridge Street Middle School in Wheeling, West Virginia, 159 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:16,760 to see how students there are using geometry to understand the orbits of planets. 160 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:17,760 Ready for blastoff. 161 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:26,760 Hi, we're from Bridge Street Middle School in Wheeling, West Virginia. 162 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:31,760 NASA Connect asked us to show you the student activity for this program. 163 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:37,760 When you think of the Earth or Mars orbiting the planet, you might think that the orbit is in the shape of a circle. 164 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:41,760 It's really in the shape of a squashed circle or an ellipse. 165 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:47,760 The German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Kepler discovered this fact a long time ago. 166 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:53,760 In this activity, you'll use measurement and observation to understand the meaning of the eccentricity of an ellipse. 167 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:58,760 You'll calculate the distance between Earth and Mars, determine the length of their orbits, 168 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,760 and learn about their orbital rates as compared to their distances from the sun. 169 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:06,760 But before we get started, here are the materials you'll need. 170 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:13,760 A computer with a spreadsheet program or calculators, centimeter graph paper, two push pins for each group, 171 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:20,760 a string 25 centimeters long for each group, cardboard, and one metric ruler for each group. 172 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:26,760 Kepler stated that the orbit of Mars or of any planet is an ellipse with the sun at one focus. 173 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:30,760 The other focus is an imaginary point. There is nothing there. 174 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:36,760 During part of its orbit around the sun, Mars is closer to the sun than it is at other times. 175 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:44,760 This relationship can be seen in solar system data charts that show the maximum and minimum distances from the sun to each planet. 176 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:51,760 Astronomers often use the average or mean distance from the sun instead of the minimum or maximum. 177 00:16:51,760 --> 00:17:00,760 Enter the data from the chart into a spreadsheet program or use a calculator, and for each planet, find the mean distance from the sun. 178 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:04,760 Now make a sketch of the orbits of the Earth and Mars around the sun. 179 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:10,760 Another column of data on the planet chart lists the eccentricity of each planet's orbit. 180 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:15,760 Eccentricity gives an indication of roundness or squashness of each ellipse. 181 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:21,760 To understand what this number means, here is an experiment to do with your team. 182 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:29,760 On a piece of centimeter graph paper, draw two lines, one near the middle vertically and one near the middle horizontally. 183 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,760 The lines intersect at the center point. 184 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:36,760 Measure and cut a piece of string about 25 centimeters long. 185 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:40,760 Tie a knot near the ends of the string to form a loop. 186 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:50,760 Place the graph paper on a piece of cardboard, then place two push pins along the horizontal line, each one centimeter from the center point. 187 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,760 These pins represent the foci. 188 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:57,760 At this point, the foci are two centimeters apart. 189 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:03,760 Loop the string around the push pins, then use a pencil to keep the string tight and draw an ellipse. 190 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:09,760 Measure, in centimeters, the length of the ellipse along its major axis. 191 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:15,760 Record the distance between the two foci and the length of the major axis on a chart. 192 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:22,760 Then divide the distance between the foci by the length of the major axis and record the quotient on the chart. 193 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:27,760 Now repeat these steps using the following distances between foci. 194 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:33,760 Three centimeters, four centimeters, five centimeters, choose your own distance. 195 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:40,760 After you have recorded the distances between the foci and the length of the major axis on the data chart, 196 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:45,760 use a calculator to divide the distance by the major axis length. 197 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:49,760 The quotient will give you the eccentricity for the ellipses. 198 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:55,760 Remember, the value of the eccentricity should be a decimal with a value of less than one. 199 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,760 On the chart, make sketches of the ellipses you've created. 200 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:05,760 Analyze your data, guys. This would be a great time to stop the video and consider the following questions. 201 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,760 How does the distance between the foci affect the shape of the ellipse? 202 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:17,760 What is the relationship between the value of the eccentricity and the roundness or squashedness of the ellipse? 203 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,760 Although the orbits of both Earth and Mars are ellipses, 204 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:26,760 these orbits are close enough to being circles that we can estimate the distance from the Earth to Mars. 205 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,760 Let's assume both planets are on the same side of the Sun. 206 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:35,760 Consider the mean distance from the Sun to each planet as the radius of a circle. 207 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:39,760 Use the mean distance you calculated from the Sun to Earth and the Sun to Mars 208 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:44,760 to determine the estimated direct distance between the Earth and Mars. 209 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:49,760 What if Earth and Mars were on opposite sides of the Sun, like this? 210 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,760 These activities and more are located in the Educator's Lesson Guide, 211 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:56,760 which can be downloaded from our NASA Connect website. 212 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:04,760 Why are we exploring Mars? 213 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:09,760 What tools and techniques does NASA use to explore Mars? 214 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:12,760 Why are we exploring Mars? Hey, that's a great question. 215 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:16,760 Let's visit NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, 216 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:21,760 to learn more about America's commitment to Mars exploration. 217 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:24,760 NASA is committed to exploring Mars. 218 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:29,760 In fact, they will be sending a robot to Mars once every two years for the next decade. 219 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:33,760 Mars is very interesting because not only is it right next door, 220 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:37,760 but it's the planet with the most hospitable climate in the solar system. 221 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:44,760 So hospitable, in fact, that it may once have been the home to primitive bacteria-like life. 222 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,760 These pictures show dried up river and lake beds, 223 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:51,760 so we know that liquid water flowed on the surface billions of years ago. 224 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:55,760 So where has all the water gone? Has it just floated off into space? 225 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:59,760 Scientists think that a lot of the water may be chemically bound to the soil 226 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,760 or underneath the surface in either liquid or ice form. 227 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:07,760 Understanding where the water currently is can help us understand the history of water on Mars, 228 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:13,760 which is important in determining if there is or ever was life on that planet. 229 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:22,760 Why do scientists suspect that there was once water on Mars? 230 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:26,760 What is the Mars microprobe and how will it navigate below the surface of Mars? 231 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:31,760 What is the relationship between geometry and the Mars microprobe? 232 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,760 Okay, guys, I'm here with Dr. Robert Mitcheltree, 233 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:38,760 who is working on current explorations into the Martian landscape. 234 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:42,760 Right now, we're on top of NASA Langley's Impact Dynamics Facility. 235 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,760 Back in the 1960s, this is where they tested the lunar landers. 236 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,760 Dr. Mitcheltree, what on Earth are we doing up here? 237 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:55,760 Well, I like it up here. You can look down on the surface of the Earth from up here. 238 00:21:55,760 --> 00:22:00,760 Like, you can look out at the water and how it meanders across the land there. 239 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:02,760 And we know that even if you remove that water, 240 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:06,760 there would still be a distinctive shape to the pattern it makes. 241 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,760 And it's those kind of patterns we see on the surface of Mars, 242 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:13,760 but none of them have any water in them. 243 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:15,760 And we wonder, where did the water go? 244 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:17,760 So, where do scientists think the water went? 245 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:21,760 Well, some of them think it seeped beneath the surface. 246 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:23,760 And that's the purpose of Mars' microprobe, 247 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,760 to go to Mars and look for water beneath the surface. 248 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,760 Is that the microprobe? 249 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:30,760 Well, this is just a model of the microprobe. 250 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:34,760 The actual microprobe is much larger, about the size of a basketball. 251 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:36,760 But it has this same shape. 252 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,760 And it's this shape, it's actually like a right triangle, 253 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:43,760 that is used to fly through the atmosphere of Mars. 254 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:45,760 As it approaches the planet, it'll be tumbling. 255 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:48,760 And then when it hits the atmosphere, no matter how it hits the atmosphere, 256 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,760 it'll reorient itself and fly nose forward. 257 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,760 And it'll continue to fly like that, all the way down, 258 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:58,760 decelerating from 17,000 miles an hour to 400 miles per hour, 259 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:00,760 when it strikes the surface. 260 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:02,760 This outer shell breaks away, 261 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,760 and the inside penetrometer, that fist-shaped instrument, 262 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:08,760 pierces down through the soil 263 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:12,760 and begins looking for water underneath the surface. 264 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,760 So once the microprobe penetrates the surface, 265 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:18,760 how does it find water or look for water? 266 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:23,760 Well, this really small fist-shaped instrument has a small drill in it. 267 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:25,760 And when it's down in the dirt, 268 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:28,760 it digs with the drill, pulling some dirt inside of it. 269 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:31,760 And it has even a laser in there also. 270 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,760 And it uses the laser to shine some energy on the dirt, 271 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:37,760 and it measures the outgassing of the dirt. 272 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:39,760 And that's how it looks for water. 273 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,760 Okay, big deal. So what if it finds water on Mars? 274 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,760 Water's the key to understanding several interesting aspects about Mars. 275 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,760 We don't go there just to understand if there's water there. 276 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:52,760 It's what effect water has on other things. 277 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,760 The more interesting question is the question of life. 278 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:00,760 All life we know on Earth is tied some way to liquid water. 279 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:02,760 And if we can find water on Mars, 280 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:08,760 we're one step closer to understanding if life ever existed there or still does. 281 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:09,760 Wow, that's definitely something to think about. 282 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:10,760 Thanks, Dr. Mitchell-Tree. 283 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:11,760 My pleasure. 284 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:12,760 Appreciate it. 285 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:16,760 Hey, you, if you're interested in topics like life on Mars and other Mars explorations, 286 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:19,760 just check out the website address on your screen. 287 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaking of the web, let's go on location to Virginia Beach, Virginia, 288 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:27,760 with NASA's Educational Technology Program Manager, Dr. Shelley Canright. 289 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:30,760 I'm here at Bayside High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, 290 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,760 where students from Bayside Middle School along with their partner school, 291 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:35,760 Brandon Middle School, 292 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,760 have been involved in a quest as participants in the Mars Millennium Project, 293 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,760 a national arts, sciences, and technology education initiative. 294 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:46,760 Let's check in with the students to learn about their quest. 295 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:50,760 The Mars Millennium Project challenges teams across the nation 296 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:55,760 to design a community for 100 people arriving on Mars in the year 2030. 297 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,760 We have used this challenge to create an online activity 298 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:02,760 to work on one aspect of building a Mars community, 299 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:05,760 the development of a public relations campaign 300 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:08,760 to gather public support for the Mars mission. 301 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:12,760 Our quest can be broken down into five simple steps. 302 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:14,760 Step 1, reflection. 303 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:16,760 Our teachers explained to us our mission. 304 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,760 We divided ourselves into four groups, 305 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,760 mission commanders, environmental specialists, 306 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:25,760 natural resource engineers, and astronomy specialists. 307 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:29,760 Each group had specific questions to research and think about. 308 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:31,760 Step 2, imagine. 309 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,760 We took the knowledge gained from our research to write a survey 310 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:40,760 and then brainstormed how to use technology to conduct an electronic poll 311 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:42,760 and to tabulate the results. 312 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:46,760 In the process, we gained experience in the use of software 313 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,760 for word processing and spreadsheets. 314 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:51,760 Step 3, discover. 315 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,760 The results of our electronic survey were analyzed. 316 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:59,760 This information helped us see what were key issues to the public 317 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:03,760 so we might address them in our advertising campaign. 318 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:05,760 Step 4, create. 319 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:08,760 We have now entered the design phase of our quest 320 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:13,760 where we are creating ads and sharing our presentations with our partner school 321 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,760 using video conferencing technology. 322 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:18,760 Step 5, share. 323 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,760 Our final step will be to share with NASA and others 324 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:26,760 our Mars advertising campaign in the form of a multimedia presentation 325 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:30,760 that we will post on the NASA Connect website. 326 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:35,760 Also, we will post our electronic survey for others to try 327 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:38,760 and to make their own comparisons. 328 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,760 Well, Jennifer, if any of our viewers would like to learn more 329 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:43,760 about the Mars Millennium Project, 330 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:47,760 they should visit the NASA Connect website for a link to the Millennium website. 331 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,760 And now, as a final incentive, 332 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:55,760 registered submissions to the Mars Millennium Project received by June 1, 2000 333 00:26:55,760 --> 00:27:00,760 will be placed on a microchip for transfer to Mars on a future NASA mission. 334 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:04,760 How's that for connecting thousands of young people through technology 335 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:09,760 and then using technology to take their plans for the future to another planet? 336 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:13,760 Thanks, Shelley, for all that cool cyberspace information. 337 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:14,760 We'll definitely use it. 338 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:16,760 Well, that's about it for today. 339 00:27:16,760 --> 00:27:18,760 Now, before we go, we've got lots of people to thank, 340 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:21,760 especially the middle school students and teachers, 341 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:23,760 the NASA researchers, 342 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:24,760 NASA Langley Research Center, 343 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:26,760 NASA Ames Research Center, 344 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:28,760 NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 345 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:29,760 Dr. Israel Tabak, 346 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,760 and Dr. Shelley Kenright. 347 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:34,760 If you would like a videotaped copy of this NASA Connect show 348 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:36,760 and the Educator's Guide lesson plans, 349 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:41,760 contact CORE, the NASA Central Operation of Resources for Educators. 350 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:45,760 All this information and more is located on the NASA Connect website. 351 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:48,760 For the NASA Connect series, I'm Jennifer Pulley. 352 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:50,760 And I'm Van Hughes. 353 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:51,760 And we'll see you next time... 354 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:52,760 On NASA Connect. 355 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:53,760 Bye. 356 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:54,760 Bye. 357 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:55,760 Bye. 358 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:57,760 Oh. 359 00:27:57,760 --> 00:27:58,760 Sorry. 360 00:27:58,760 --> 00:27:59,760 Good thing I have on a hard hat. 361 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:04,760 Ellipses and angles really aid in the navigation of spacecraft to Mars, like the Viking. 362 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,760 How can we get more information on the Mars Microchip? 363 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,760 Well, I recommend the kids go to the Mars Microchip website. 364 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:15,760 A circle. 365 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:18,760 A circle. 366 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:20,760 You know, Pythagoras proved that there are... 367 00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:24,760 It's old meat now, Bill.