I will talk about two topics in this discussion. The first being about important concepts that I discovered in the electrical power systems talk. This will include a discussion on the current battery of choice for the ISS and on protection systems for the SAWs (Solar Array Wings) against MMOD (Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris). The second discussion topic will include how this information can possibly aid to the thought of designing a rover. The four key traits in this discussion are reliability, sustainability, life duration, and redundancy. You will find that the layout of this discussion is in order, as found below.
Topic I
I have to say that most of the topics covered I had previously discovered in the past, however I found it very interesting that the ISS uses Nickel-Hydrogen batteries. I never thought about the type of batteries the ISS used until now. The choice of this battery makes since, especially for when it was designed and constructed. Compared to other rechargeable batteries the NiH2 battery has a decently long life cycle of about 15 years or greater, and has a good specific energy. Furthermore the NiH2 has a great tolerance of overcharging and accidental reverse polarity. This are very key topics that must be considered when choosing a sustainable reusable battery. The only thing that concerns me with this choice is the harder more complex structure of the battery and a decrease (possibility) in safety. These batteries contain pressurized hydrogen gas up to 87 BAR. This means the housing must be rated for pressure, thus they are a bit more costly and more resource rich. Now as far of safety think of the Hindenburg accident, that was also hydrogen. Hydrogen gas can be very dangerous and it especially does not he...
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...reaction, thus giving off heat. To control the heat I would just use a potentiometer, allowing me to control the overall temperature of the electrical bay.
The ISS is an amazing station with an even more amazing electrical system onboard. Understanding its vast electrical layout really aids in the design of other electrical systems designed for space. In the future electrical systems will be redefined and vastly superior thus creating a greater potential for space exploration. In designing the electrical system for a Mars bound robot, there are many more considerations that must be made to increase the overall probability of success. However those were the four key traits that stuck out to me the most. I want to thank NASA for that webinar, it was very good and well thought out. I hope you enjoy my discussion and I look forward to hearing from everybody’s comments.
On Earth, the most widespread advanced robot computers run by remote. With no purpose for a self-sustaining robot to patrol the planet, only a small amount of money for engineers and inventors to improve these robots circulates the economy. When dealing with other planets, self-sustaining rovers come in really handy. The latest Mars Rover, Curiosity, currently carries out its mission to sample Martian soil. The rover’s mast stands at just over seven feet tall, with the body at about half the height. The equipment on Curiosity equals the same as an entire geological laboratory, compacted into the size of a car. Thanks to NASA’s efforts to minimize geological instruments to fit the dimensions, geologists now benefit f...
more lines of reaction than if there was less heat. This is due to the
good emitter of heat radiation so a lot of heat will be lost to the
Lithium-Ion Batteries are extremely popular in the technology industry for several reasons. First off, they are much lighter then other batteries because they are made with lightweight lithium (a light and reactive metal) and carbon. Second of all, they give the most power per pound. A Lithium-Ion Battery stores 150 watt-hours per kilogram. Compare that with a Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery which only has 100 watt-hours per kilogram or a Lead-Acid Battery which only has 25 watt-hours per kilogram. There is simply no comparison, the Lithium-Ion Battery has the most watt-hours per kilogram (Howstuffworks, 2009).
The beaker of water was placed on a hot plate and the water’s temperature was brought to a gentle boil.
Wiebusch, B. (2001). New solar cell panels Space Station. [News]. Design News; Manhassett, 56(4), 24.
Land Rover paved the way for today’s luxury utility vehicles and it is the Range Rover line that supplies the benchmark by which all other players are judged. The full-size Range Rover is the flagship model, available in standard (short) and extended (long) wheelbase trims. If you want the ultimate blend of British design, craftsmanship, and off-road capabilities, look no further than the 2017 Range Rover.
Thesis: I'd like to start by giving attention to unmanned spaceflight, looking into a few notable discoveries made by these technologies. I will then bring together how these findings have fueled the desire for a continual presence of mankind in space, which can seen through the inception of the International Space Station.
Lithium-ion batteries are the most accepted battery for portable equipment such as laptops and cellphones. The density of these batteries is normally twice that of nickel-cadmium making them more desirable for portable devices. The chemistry of these batteries is better for the environment because it causes nearly no harm when disposed of.
The recent events regarding the NASA Mars probes have renewed the debate of reinstalling manned space missions with the objectives of exploring and landing on foreign worlds such as the moon and the red planet Mars, rather than the use of solely robotic craft and machines. It is my belief that we should return to the days of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, those of manned lunar landings and manned space exploration. Robots simply cannot and should not be allowed to be the sole means of visiting these worlds, nor should humans only be able to witness new findings second hand through the use of computers and machines. It is human nature to be normally curious of one’s surroundings, and it is important that we send one of our own to new worlds. The effects that past missions have had on the world’s people, as well as our political and cultural climates are another valid reason for flesh instead of metal to lay claim to space. Also, the limitless applications and new education that manned flights can bring to us from on site human interactions could lead to another technological and industrial revolution like the original lunar programs had done for us during the Gemini and Apollo programs.
Since we first sent rockets into Earths orbit, we have been pushing the technological boundaries in order to reach new heights. Space exploration has caused advances in almost every field imaginable. We have seen new technology in the fields of telecommunications, innovative new light-weight materials, rockets and aircraft material. Space exploration by nature causes innovation because the need for “increased performance in space… usually means getting more out of less” (Crusan & Neumann, 2011). These size and weight constraints on materials and equipment have lead to the creation of devices that we use everyday like water filters, scratch resistant lenses, and memory foam. The newest advancement in NASA’s long list of innovations is the International Space station (ISS). The ISS a long-term micro-gravity research station that helps us get closer to eventually making a journey to other planets. NASA has been doing the impossible for 55 years and is now in the process of handing over the reigns to the private sector. Companies like Virgin Galactic and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) have taken over wh...
NASA’s planned missions to Mars, should it come to fruition, will be the furthest distance any human being has ever traversed. While this is an impressive feat in and of itself, it becomes even more so when one takes into acco...
Preview: Today I am going to discuss with you how the International Space Station was built and what are some components required for its day-to-day functioning.
Throughout the century researchers and scientists have looked for alternative fuel sources. Ranging from fossil fuel alternatives such as electric batteries, to wind energy, and even energy from the sun which is called solar energy. Solar energy dates back to the year 1767. It was created by a Swiss scientist named Horace-Benedict de Saussure. It was an insulated box covered with three layers of glass to collect heat energy. Saussure’s box was known as the first solar oven. Since that day solar energy has come very far. In 1958 solar energy flew to space. in 1981 the first solar aircraft was built followed by the first solar powered car in 1982. Finally in 1999 solar power was at its record peak, using the most efficient cells ever developed. But then in 2008 due to the financial crisis, Evergreen Solar and Solyndra Solar failed. With that said it still did not stop solar technologies from advancing.