1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:17,960
Hey, hey, hey. I'm Kenan Thompson, but I play Fat Albert in the live action film based

2
00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:22,640
on Bill Cosby's hit show. On this episode of NASA Connects, you'll learn about the

3
00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:27,480
science concepts of work and energy. You'll also see how we can use algebra to help explain

4
00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:32,680
both concepts. NASA engineers and scientists will introduce you to exciting and innovative

5
00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:37,360
space propulsion technologies of the future. And in your classroom, you'll apply your math

6
00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:42,680
and science skills by conducting a really cool hands-on activity. So stay tuned as host

7
00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:49,680
Jennifer Pulley takes you on another exciting episode of NASA Connects. Rocket to the stars.

8
00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:23,480
Hi, I'm Jennifer Pulley, and welcome to NASA Connect, the show that connects you to math,

9
00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:32,920
science, technology, and NASA. Imagine it's the year 2040. You and a team of international

10
00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:38,720
scientists are part of the exploration crew that will begin construction of the first

11
00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:45,400
human base on Mars. You are laying the groundwork for the next generation of explorers to explore

12
00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:52,440
Mars and beyond. It's not an easy task, but you are up to the challenge. All your years

13
00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:58,200
of schooling, training, and hard work have finally paid off. Does it sound like a fantasy

14
00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:05,720
to you? Actually, it's not. NASA is ready to make the next step to exploring the solar

15
00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:12,640
system and beyond, and they need your help. NASA is looking for bright, young engineers,

16
00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:19,440
scientists, and researchers who will make the new vision for space exploration a reality.

17
00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:25,880
For you, it starts right now in the classroom. Now, during the course of this program, you

18
00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:30,960
will be asked to answer several inquiry-based questions. After the questions appear on the

19
00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:36,880
screen, your teacher will pause the program to allow you time to answer and discuss the

20
00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:43,360
questions. This is your time to explore and become critical thinkers. Students working

21
00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:49,720
in groups take a few minutes to answer the following questions. One, what comes to mind

22
00:02:49,720 --> 00:03:00,400
when you think of work? Two, how are work and energy related? Three, what are some forms

23
00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:07,080
of energy? Briefly describe them and give examples of each. It is now time to pause

24
00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:14,080
the program and answer the questions. So, guys, how did you do with the questions? Great

25
00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:23,320
job. Okay, let's get started. So, what is work? Well, most people would say they are

26
00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:34,840
working when they do anything that requires a physical or a mental effort. Now, in scientific

27
00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:42,560
terms, work is the use of force to move an object a certain distance. More specifically,

28
00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:48,360
to do work on an object, some part of the force you exert must be in the same direction

29
00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:54,520
as the object's motion. Let's look at the following two examples. On the left side,

30
00:03:54,520 --> 00:04:00,320
Norbert is lifting a stack of textbooks from the floor. And on the right side, he is carrying

31
00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:06,000
the stack of textbooks. Note the direction of the applied force and motion for each

32
00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:13,960
example. In which example is Norbert actually doing work? If you said the left side, you

33
00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:19,840
are correct. Why isn't Norbert doing work in the example on the right? Well, because

34
00:04:19,840 --> 00:04:27,400
no part of the applied force is in the same direction as the object's motion. When the

35
00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:32,560
force is in the same direction as the motion, we can determine the amount of work being

36
00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:40,760
done on an object by multiplying force times distance. What are the units for work? You

37
00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:47,680
know that force is measured in newtons and distance can be measured in meters. The product

38
00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:53,880
of a force measured in newtons and the distance measured in meters is a measurement called

39
00:04:53,880 --> 00:05:02,560
a newton meter or the joule. The joule is the standard unit used to measure work. One

40
00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:09,240
joule of work is done when a force of one newton moves an object one meter. Do you have

41
00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:18,600
any idea how much a joule of work is? I know. Let's take an apple, which weighs about one

42
00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:26,280
newton. Now, if you lift the apple from the floor to your waist, which is about one meter,

43
00:05:26,280 --> 00:05:34,640
you do one joule of work on the apple. But what happens if I want to lift 100 apples?

44
00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:40,840
For me, that would take a lot of force and I don't think I have enough energy to do that.

45
00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:46,360
Let's go back to our example with the apple. Now, I easily have enough energy to lift this

46
00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:52,880
apple from the floor to my waist and I know I'm doing work on the apple as I lift it. So,

47
00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:59,160
there must be a relationship between work and energy, right? When I lifted the apple from the

48
00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:07,200
floor, I caused a change. In this case, the change is in the position of the apple. An object that

49
00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:15,360
has energy has the ability to cause change or the ability to do work. When I worked on the apple,

50
00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:22,400
some of my energy was transferred to the apple. You can think of work then as the transfer of

51
00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:30,320
energy. As I lifted the apple from the floor to my waist, the apple gained energy. You know,

52
00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:35,680
guys, energy has many forms and we'll get to your list in just a few minutes. But first,

53
00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:42,640
let's focus on two forms of energy, potential energy and kinetic energy. Let's take a look

54
00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:51,320
at each. If I hold the apple still in my hand, does the apple have energy? Careful, not all forms

55
00:06:51,320 --> 00:07:01,240
of energy involve movement. Well, this apple has stored energy. We call it potential energy. Holding

56
00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:08,080
the apple like this gives the apple the potential to fall to the ground. Now, if I release the apple,

57
00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:16,040
the apple falls. The potential energy changes into kinetic energy. It is pretty obvious when

58
00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:21,720
an object has kinetic energy. As long as the object is moving, it's said to have kinetic

59
00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:27,840
energy. What's more difficult to determine is how much potential energy an object has. Let's go back

60
00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:33,960
to our example with the apple. The potential energy of this apple really depends on height.

61
00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:42,960
How high or low my hand is from the ground. We call this type of potential energy gravitational

62
00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:50,640
potential energy. Gravitational potential energy depends on mass, gravitational acceleration and

63
00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:59,840
height near the Earth's surface. Gravitational potential energy, or GPE, is equal to the

64
00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:08,040
product of mass, gravitational acceleration and height. Remember that G is the acceleration caused

65
00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:16,480
by Earth's gravity, which at sea level equals 9.8 meters per second squared. Let me show you an

66
00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:23,640
example. Suppose a satellite has a mass of 293 kilograms and we lift it to the top of Mount

67
00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:29,920
Everest. What is the gravitational potential energy of the satellite? Well, what do we know?

68
00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:38,720
We know mass is equal to 293 kilograms. Gravitational acceleration is equal to 9.8

69
00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:45,720
meters per second squared. And we know the height of Mount Everest, which is approximately 8,850

70
00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:59,160
meters. Let's write the equation for gravitational potential energy. GPE equals MGH. Substituting

71
00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:11,560
in our values for mass, acceleration due to gravity, and height, we get GPE equals the product of 293

72
00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:20,800
kilograms, 9.8 meters per second squared, and 8,850 meters. The answer turns out to be approximately

73
00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:28,760
25 million. Don't forget, I need to assign a unit to that number. Units are very important when

74
00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:35,320
explaining scientific concepts. Do you have any idea what the unit for energy is? Let's figure it

75
00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:49,120
out. The original equation for GPE is MGH. Mass times gravity is equal to weight. And weight is

76
00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:59,160
measured in newtons. Remember, weight is a force. Therefore, the unit for gravitational potential

77
00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:05,880
energy is the newton meter. Do you remember from earlier in the program what a newton meter is

78
00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:14,520
equivalent to? Well, if you said one joule, you're on the ball. One newton meter is equivalent to one

79
00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:24,760
joule. Wait a minute. Work is also measured in joules. I think we just showed mathematically how

80
00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:31,560
energy and work are related to each other. Now let's go back to kinetic energy. How much kinetic

81
00:10:31,560 --> 00:10:40,520
energy do you think an object, say like a rocket, depends on? The kinetic energy of an object depends

82
00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:48,840
on both its mass and its velocity. The mathematical relationship between kinetic energy, mass, and

83
00:10:48,840 --> 00:11:03,320
velocity is KE equals 1 half MV squared. Notice that the velocity is squared in the equation. Remember

84
00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:10,600
guys, the number two is called an exponent. The exponent tells you how many times a number or base

85
00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:19,160
is used as a factor. For example, two squared is equal to two times two, which equals four. Three

86
00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:27,480
squared is equal to three times three, which equals nine, and so on. The term V squared equals V times

87
00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:35,560
V. So, are you ready to try a problem involving kinetic energy? Here's one for you. Norbert's

88
00:11:35,560 --> 00:11:42,920
Mars rover, with a mass of 210 kilograms, is traveling on the surface of Mars at a speed of

89
00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:51,240
six meters per second. Zot's rover, with a mass of 170 kilograms, is traveling on the surface of Mars

90
00:11:51,240 --> 00:12:00,360
at eight meters per second. Predict which rover has more kinetic energy, then verify your prediction

91
00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:07,160
mathematically. You may now pause the program. So, did you make the correct prediction? Let's

92
00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:15,000
double check your work. Solving for the kinetic energy of Norbert's rover, we have kinetic energy

93
00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:27,320
is equal to one half times 210 kilograms times six meters per second quantity squared. The kinetic

94
00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:37,400
energy of Norbert's rover is equal to 3780 joules. Solving for the kinetic energy of Zot's rover,

95
00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:47,960
we have kinetic energy is equal to one half times 170 kilograms times eight meters per second

96
00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:58,280
quantity squared. The kinetic energy of Zot's rover is equal to 5440 joules. So, comparing the

97
00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:05,800
two values, we see that the kinetic energy for Zot's rover is greater than the kinetic energy

98
00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:13,240
for Norbert's rover. We now know that an object may possess both kinetic energy and potential

99
00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:20,120
energy at the same time. Let's go back to our example with the apple. Any object that rises and

100
00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:29,960
falls experiences a change in its kinetic and potential energy. Let's look at this energy

101
00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:38,280
transformation as I toss the apple into the air. When the apple moves, it possesses kinetic energy.

102
00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:47,160
As it rises, it slows down. Its kinetic energy decreases. Because the height increases, its

103
00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:54,360
potential energy increases. At the highest point, the apple actually stops moving. At this point,

104
00:13:54,920 --> 00:14:02,200
it no longer has kinetic energy, but it has maximum potential energy. As the apple falls,

105
00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:09,480
the kinetic energy increases and the potential energy decreases. No matter how energy is

106
00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:17,720
transformed or transferred, all of the energy is still present somewhere in one form or another.

107
00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:26,120
This statement is known as the law of conservation of energy. As long as you account for all the

108
00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:33,080
different forms of energy involved in any process, you will find that the total amount of energy

109
00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:41,560
never changes. In other words, energy cannot be created or destroyed. It just changes form.

110
00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:48,680
So, do you think you have a pretty good idea of what work and energy, specifically potential and

111
00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:54,600
kinetic energy, are all about? Well, good, because now it's time to preview this program's hands-on

112
00:14:54,600 --> 00:15:03,240
activity. The NASA Explorer School students from Martinsville Middle School in Martinsville,

113
00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:11,000
Virginia, will preview this program's hands-on activity. Hi, NASA Connect asked us to show you

114
00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:17,400
this program's hands-on activity. In this activity, students will do an inquiry investigation on the

115
00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:22,200
relationship between the height from which a marble on a ramp is released and the distance

116
00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:27,400
a milk carton at the end of the ramp is moved along the floor after the ball collides with the

117
00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:32,200
carton. You can download a copy of the educator's guide from the NASA Connect website for directions

118
00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:38,840
and a list of materials. Before you start the activity, your teacher will ask you to answer

119
00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:46,680
and discuss several critical thinking questions based on the experimental setup. Set up the ramp

120
00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:53,880
by using tape to mark one end 0.7 meters high and place an empty milk carton at the other end of

121
00:15:53,880 --> 00:16:00,040
the ramp so that it will catch the marble after it rolls down the ramp. You will roll a marble

122
00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:06,200
from five different measured heights. Line up a meter stick on the floor along the distance that

123
00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:13,320
the milk carton will travel after being hit by the marble. Starting at the first height marked

124
00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:21,000
on the ramp, release the marble down the ramp. On the data collection chart under trial one, record the

125
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:28,920
linear distance that the milk carton travels after the marble hit it. You will conduct four more

126
00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:37,320
trials. Record the distance the milk carton travels. Calculate and record the average distance the milk

127
00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:43,480
carton traveled. Continue the experiment by increasing the height from which you drop the

128
00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:51,560
marble by 0.1 meter each time. Students will analyze their data by calculating the potential

129
00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:58,200
energy that the marble has at each height and the kinetic energy that the marble has at the end of

130
00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:05,320
each roll. Now is your chance to put your algebra skills to the test. Keep in mind that for this

131
00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:13,400
activity, you will need to ignore energy lost because of friction. Based on the data you collect,

132
00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:20,280
you will graphically show the relationship between the height from which the marble is dropped and

133
00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:27,400
the distance the carton is moved. From the graph, select another designated height and predict how

134
00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:33,160
far the milk carton will move if the marble is released. Go ahead and test your prediction.

135
00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:39,160
Were you correct? Don't forget to check out the web activity for this program.

136
00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:41,640
You can download it from the NASA Connect website.

137
00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:49,960
Now that you have a basic understanding of energy, let's hear about some innovative propulsion

138
00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:56,440
technologies that NASA is developing for future space exploration. And don't forget, you are the

139
00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:03,800
future explorers. Thanks, Jennifer. Space is big. Distances to Mars and beyond are so large

140
00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:09,800
that when using today's spacecraft technology, we can only send relatively small spacecraft.

141
00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:16,040
In other words, distance affects the mass that we can send. NASA is working on a new way of

142
00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:23,160
powering space vehicles that will enable us to send more complex spacecraft to Mars, Jupiter,

143
00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:29,720
and beyond, and may even shorten the travel time. The new program is called Prometheus. It will

144
00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:36,200
provide a giant leap in our ability to explore our solar system. The program focuses on using

145
00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:42,600
nuclear power in long-distance spacecraft. The nuclear power system will create electricity

146
00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:48,680
that will be used for two things. One job will be to propel the spacecraft. The other will be to

147
00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:55,160
provide power for the instruments on board. This capability will let NASA send spacecraft to places

148
00:18:55,160 --> 00:19:01,000
that we currently want to reach. It would also allow us to do more scientific work when the

149
00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:06,680
spacecraft reaches its destination and could even help speed up travel through the solar system.

150
00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:13,080
Many space missions have used nuclear power. The farthest known man-made object is the nuclear

151
00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:20,840
powered spacecraft called Voyager 1. This probe has been used for over 26 years. It is now over

152
00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:27,480
8 billion miles away. That's more than twice the distance from the sun to Pluto. Remember earlier

153
00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:33,160
in the program, Jennifer asked you to list some forms of energy. On my list, I have mechanical

154
00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:40,120
energy, thermal energy, chemical energy, electromagnetic energy, and nuclear energy.

155
00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:46,040
Project Prometheus will be using nuclear energy to help power the spacecraft. Nuclear energy is

156
00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:52,280
the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom. In a nuclear reaction, a tiny portion of an atom's

157
00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:58,440
mass is turned into energy. Scientists are studying two different ways of using the energy stored

158
00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:05,160
within the nucleus of an atom. The first approach is to take an atom that is naturally very unstable,

159
00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:11,720
which means that the atom wants to change into a different, more stable atom. During this change,

160
00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:17,560
the atom releases tiny particles causing the material to heat up. This process is known as

161
00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:24,120
radioactive decay. The released particles are called radiation. The heat that is released can

162
00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:30,440
be harnessed and converted to electrical energy. This energy can then be used to power the spacecraft

163
00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:37,000
systems. It is called radioisotope decay. The second approach is to break apart the nucleus

164
00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:42,760
of the atom to release even more energy than radioactive decay. This process is called

165
00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:49,400
nuclear fission. It is used in nuclear power plants all around the world to produce electricity.

166
00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:55,240
Nuclear fission systems can generate large amounts of power. Think of this comparison.

167
00:20:55,240 --> 00:21:00,680
A radioisotope power system could create enough power to light a few light bulbs.

168
00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:06,200
A nuclear fission power system could create enough energy to power a laundromat.

169
00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:11,880
This increased amount of energy means that a nuclear fission energy system could do more than

170
00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:17,560
just power a spacecraft's scientific instruments. It could also be used to run the engines that

171
00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:23,480
propel the rocket. NASA hopes to use this technology soon. In fact, it's already working

172
00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:29,560
on the first probe to use this technology. This probe is the Prometheus 1 mission. This mission

173
00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:36,280
will use a nuclear fission system. This system would provide energy for both spacecraft electrical

174
00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:43,240
power and propulsion. Prometheus 1 would orbit three of the larger moons of Jupiter, Callisto,

175
00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:50,200
Ganymede, and Europa. Europa is one of our solar system's most fascinating celestial bodies.

176
00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:56,120
Europa's surface is completely covered in ice, but scientists believe that the solar system's

177
00:21:56,120 --> 00:22:02,520
largest oceans could be hidden under that ice. If oceans are indeed present, there is a possibility

178
00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:08,440
that life could be found there. The Prometheus 1 mission will be finding answers to the mysteries

179
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:14,600
of these moons. One day, the same power and propulsion systems used on Prometheus 1 could

180
00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:21,080
be used to send probes to other far-off places. These systems will even be used to support human

181
00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:25,080
missions to explore the solar system and beyond. Back to you, Jennifer.

182
00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:35,400
Thanks, Anita. Sounds pretty cool. You know, NASA is working on another propulsion technology.

183
00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:41,320
It's called VASIMR. Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz can tell us more about that technology.

184
00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:49,800
Thank you. My name is Franklin Chang-Diaz, and I'm an astronaut and director of the Advanced Space

185
00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:55,560
Propulsion Laboratory. I would like to share with you another possible advanced space propulsion

186
00:22:55,560 --> 00:23:01,800
technology that we've been working on for many years. It is called the Variable Specific Impulse

187
00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:08,680
Magnetoplasma Rocket, or VASIMR for short. This new engine would allow for much faster space travel

188
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:15,880
than what we can do today. VASIMR is a plasma-based propulsion system. Do you remember the

189
00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:26,600
four states of matter? They are solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. You can go from one state to the other

190
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:34,280
by adding or subtracting heat from the material. Take water, for example. Its solid state is ice.

191
00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:41,960
Add heat, and you get liquid. Add more heat, and you get gas or vapor. If you add even more heat

192
00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:49,240
to the gas, the atoms in it get torn or broken. Remember, each atom is sort of like an egg.

193
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:56,040
It has a central nucleus, the yolk, with positive particles in it called protons,

194
00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:02,680
and a blanket, the white, of negative charged particles called electrons in it.

195
00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:08,520
When the atom gets torn, these charges are free to roam around every which way.

196
00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:16,120
Scrambled eggs. Such a mixture of charged particles is called plasma.

197
00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:23,800
Plasmas are very hot, with temperatures of hundreds of thousands to millions of degrees.

198
00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:31,240
The sun and the stars are made of plasma. Plasmas are very good conductors of electricity

199
00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:40,280
and they respond very well to electric and magnetic fields. We use these properties to heat them

200
00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:48,680
and also to confine them and use their extreme heat to produce awesome rocket propulsion.

201
00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:55,880
Electric fields heat the plasma and speed it up. Magnetic fields direct the plasma in the right

202
00:24:55,880 --> 00:25:01,960
direction as it is pushed out of the engine. This creates thrust for the spacecraft.

203
00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:11,080
Possible fuels for the VASIMR engine could include hydrogen, deuterium, helium, nitrogen,

204
00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:18,920
and others. The use of hydrogen as a fuel for the project would also have other benefits.

205
00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:26,920
Hydrogen can be found all throughout space. This means we are likely to find plentiful supplies

206
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:33,720
of fuel everywhere we go and we could refuel the spacecraft for the return trip to Earth.

207
00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:41,160
Also, strong magnetic fields and liquid hydrogen make for great radiation shields.

208
00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:48,920
This means the hydrogen fuel for the VASIMR engine, as well as the magnet technology we

209
00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:54,680
are developing for it, could both also be used to protect the astronaut crew

210
00:25:55,240 --> 00:26:02,600
from dangerous radiation exposure during the flight. This is how technology developed for one

211
00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:09,160
thing can also be used for another equally important purpose. To heat and accelerate the

212
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:19,400
plasma in deep space flights, VASIMR will use electricity from nuclear power. VASIMR is still

213
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:27,240
years away from transporting humans and cargo to Mars and beyond. Remember the scenario that

214
00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:34,440
Jennifer gave you at the beginning of the program. Our team can only take this advanced technology

215
00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:41,480
so far, and then it will be up to you. Your generation will make this space propulsion

216
00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:49,320
system a reality. Some of you may one day fly on it and become the astronauts that will build the

217
00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:57,160
first base on Mars. I've been in space seven times, but you will be the astronauts who will get a

218
00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:05,960
chance to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond. You are the next generation of explorers, so good luck.

219
00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:07,720
Back to you, Jennifer.

220
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:16,040
My thanks to Dr. Chang Diaz. You know, I can't wait for the day when we receive the first

221
00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:23,560
transmission from people on Mars, and maybe you'll be one of them. Well, that wraps up another episode

222
00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:29,560
of NASA Connect. We'd like to thank everyone who helped make this program possible. Got a comment,

223
00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:37,880
question, or suggestion? Well, email them to connect at larc.nasa.gov. And don't forget to

224
00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:43,720
check out this program's student challenge. You can find it on the NASA Connect website.

225
00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:52,600
So until next time, stay connected to math, science, technology, and NASA, and maybe we'll see you on Mars.

226
00:27:53,560 --> 00:28:03,640
♪♪♪

227
00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:33,560
♪♪♪