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Space Explorations

Offered in partnership with:

MIT Media Lab Learning Initiative, MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative, Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library

and Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

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So, what are we doing?

The MIT Media Lab’s Space Exploration Initiative is driven by an effort to democratize the future of space exploration.

They are committed to the development of meaningful community engagement endeavors related to achieving an open and hackable "New Space Age."

This program is a collaborative effort to develop programming and educational opportunities for the public.

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Why Space?

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Space is actually really close!

For our research purposes, we will define space as the level to place an object into orbit, which is still only at an altitude of about 81 miles.

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We rely on space and satellites everyday

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Different Types of Satellite Missions in Space

The most common missions fall into four general areas:

Communications
Remote Sensing
Navigation
Science and Exploration

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Communications Satellites

Placed in orbit around the earth in order to relay television, radio, and telephone signals

These provide things like:

Cable television
Global communication to remote locations
Cellular networks

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Real-World Application

https://spacejournal.ohio.edu/issue8/his_tonda1.html

http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/dev/hillger/Palapa.htm

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Remote Sensing Satellites

Acquire information about an object without having to make physical contact using sensors to receive and record data.

Can gather information about the nature and condition of Earth's land, sea, and atmosphere
Shows an overview of landscapes
Can monitor crops, ocean currents, and natural resources

These satellites can either be passive or active. Passive sensors respond to external stimuli, they record natural energy that is reflected or emitted from the Earth's surface. In contrast, active sensors use internal stimuli from the satellite to collect data about Earth.

Sensors can detect an object's temperature and composition, the wind's direction and speed, and other environmental conditions such as erosion, fires, and pollution
Can monitor crops, ocean currents, and natural resources to aid farmers, resource managers, and demographic planners

Real world application

Agricultural regions near the Sahara desert in Africa have used satellite images to predict where locust swarms were breeding, prevent them from swarming, and save large areas of crop land
Satellite images are used to track weather and storm data to warn before natural disasters

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Navigation Satellites

Designed to enable operators of aircrafts, vehicles, or vessels to determine their geographical position

Provide highly accurate position, velocity, and time information
Used in applications for both the military and civilians

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Science & Exploration Satellites

Utilized for research of Earth and Space
Facilitate asking and answering questions about the nature of the Earth, the solar system, and the universe

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Hubble Telescope

Notable information and discoveries include:

Helping narrow down the age of the universe
Discovering four of Pluto's five moons
Observing the weather and atmospheric conditions of other planets

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What’s a Cube Satellite?

http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/cubesat/what-is-a-cubesat.asp

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THANKS FOR COMING!