Educational Guide

EG-2001-01-12-MSFC

Educators Grades 3-12

Microgravity: Earth and Space

An Educator’s Guide with Activities

in Technology, Science, and Mathematics Education

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Produced by the International

Technology Education Association

under NASA Grant NAG8-1546.
Microgravity: Earth and Space—An Educator’s Guide

with Activities in Technology, Science, and Mathematics

Education is available in electronic format through

NASA Spacelink—one of the Agency’s electronic

resources specifically developed for use by the

educational community.

The system may be accessed at the following address:

http://spacelink.nasa.gov
Educational Guide

EG-2001-01-12-MSFC

Educators Grades 3-12

Microgravity: Earth and Space

An Educator’s Guide with Activities

in Technology, Science, and Mathematics Education

This publication is in the public domain and is not protected by copyright.

Permission is not required for duplication.

EG-2001-01-12-MSFC

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of Biological and Physical Research

Physical Sciences Research Division

Office of Human Resources and Education

Education Division
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An Educator’s Guide with Activities in Technology, Science, and Mathematics Education

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ii

On the cover (clockwise from top left): 1) Students watch the video replay of a fluid demonstration that was run on the drop

tower demonstrator to the right of the monitor. 2) Bubbles crowd a cola droplet floating in the middeck of the Space Shuttle

during the Spacelab 2 (STS 51-F) mission in 1985. In orbit, the air and water have no apparent weight (although mass remains

unchanged), so the water does not settle to the bottom and the air does not float to the top. This is a fundamental aspect of

many experiments in orbit and can be a help or hindrance depending on the work to be done and our intelligence in meeting the

challenges. 3) A similar effect is seen inside a sphere filled with colored water in the Fluid Acquisition and Resupply Experiment

on the Space Shuttle (STS-53) in December 1992. 4) Two young visitors to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center try out a

training model of a glovebox used aboard the Space Shuttle and space station Mir.

Background image: International Space Station is seen in December 2000 after addition of the first U.S.-built solar array and

battery system. Early 2001 will see the addition of the Destiny lab module (to the docking port at the front of this image) where

NASA and its affiliated researchers will conduct experiments in microgravity research.
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iii

Microgravity: Earth and Space

An Educator’s Guide with Activities

in Technology, Science, and Mathematics Education

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements..................................................................................................................... iv

Connections to Academic Standards ...........................................................................................v

Technology Education and Microgravity: Grades 3-12 Introduction.............................................. 1

Project Team Activity, Grades 3-12 .............................................................................................. 7

Microgravity Teamwork

Way to Grow! Grades 3-5.......................................................................................................... 19

Growing Plants in a Simulated Microgravity Environment

It’s Crystal Clear! Grades 3-5 ..................................................................................................... 27

Crystal Growth Glovebox Activity

Bubble Technology, Grades 6-8 ................................................................................................ 35

Building and Using a Fluid Flow Demonstrator

Sim Satellite! Grades 6-8 ........................................................................................................... 43

Simulating Microgravity

Hold That Satellite! Grades 6-8.................................................................................................. 51

Working in a Simulated Microgravity Environment

A Drop in the Bucket, Grades 9-12 ........................................................................................... 57

Microgravity Drop Tower Activity

A Drop in the Bucket, Grades 9-12 ........................................................................................... 69

Drop Tower Experiments

References ................................................................................................................................ 77

Glossary .................................................................................................................................... 78

NASA Educational Guide Evaluation .......................................................................................... 79
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iv

This publication was developed for the NASA Marshall

Space Flight Center by:

Project Director/Editor:

Brigitte G. Valesey, Ph.D.

International Technology Education Association

Reston, VA

Writers/ Illustrators:

Brad Thode, Technology Teacher

Wood River Middle School

Hailey, ID

Terry Thode, Elementary Technology Teacher

Hemingway School

Ketchum, ID

Document Design and Editing:

Marilyn Lewis, Ed.D.

Twila Schneider, Ed. S.

Dave Dooling

Infinity Technology, Inc.

Huntsville, AL

Special thanks to the following persons for supporting the

development of this guide:

NASA Reviewers:

Richard DeLombard, Microgravity Scientist

NASA Glenn Research Center

Jane A. George

Education Materials Specialist

NASA Headquarters, Washington DC

Dan Woodard, Outreach & Education Manager

Debbie Longeddy, Outreach Education Office

Microgravity Research Program Office

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Pamela Mountjoy

Curriculum Support/Dissemination

NASA Headquarters, Washington DC

Melissa J.B. Rogers, Educational Outreach Program Manager

Carla Rosenberg, Curriculum Specialist

Peter Sunderland, Microgravity Scientist

National Center for Microgravity Research on Fluids and

Combustion, Cleveland, OH

Gregory L. Vogt, Ed.D.

Flint Wild, Technology Specialist

Teaching From Space Program

Oklahoma State University

Acknowledgements

NASA Aerospace Education Services Program and

Educator Resource Center Network Reviewers:

Jane Neuenschwander

Wheeling, WV

Lauren Wilhelm

Laramie, WY

Ralph Winrich

Menomonee Falls, WI

Norman O. Poff, Ph.D.

Dallas, TX

Teacher Reviewers:

Michael Andrusciewiscz, Technology Teacher

Hamilton, NJ

Jeannette E. Becker, Science Teacher

Damascus, MD

Mark Bowman, Elementary Science Supervisor

Frederick, MD

Michele Cocchiaro, Mathematics Teacher

Owings Mill, MD

John Dempewolf, HS/College Physics Teacher

Alexandria, VA

Kim Hansen, Elementary Teacher

Los Gatos, CA

Kurt Kornhaus, Technology Teacher

McPherson, KS

Kathy Lockard, Science Teacher

Afton, IA

Wendel Matthews, Technology Teacher

Bowie, MD

Curt Thompson, Technology Teacher

Pendleton, OR

Wendy Weiner, Elementary Teacher

Milwaukee, WI
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v

Connections to Academic Standards

The activities presented in this guide address national standards in technology, science, and mathematics education.

The standards for each are identified in the charts below.

Scope of Technology

Technological Literacy Standards

International Technology Education Association

2000

Themes of Technology

Relationships Among Technologies & 

Other Fields

Effects on the Environment

Effects on Society

Project Team Activity, 3-12Way to Grow, 3-5Bubble Technology, 6-8Sim Satellite, 6-8Hold That Satellite, 6-8A Drop in the Bucket, 9-12,

 Experiments

Problem Solving, Other Approaches

Apply Design Processes

Assess Impacts of Products and Systems

Use and Maintain Products and Systems

Impact of Society on Technology

History of Technology

Engineering Design

Attributes of Design

Transportation Technologies

Manufacturing Technologies

Construction Technologies

Medical Technologies

Agricultural, Related Biotechnologies

Information and Communication 

Technologies

Energy and Power Technologies

It's Crystal Clear,

 Glovebox, 3-5

It's Crystal Clear,

 Crystal Growth, 3-5

A Drop in the Bucket, 9-12

 Drop Tower Activity
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vi

Project Team Activity, 3-12Way to Grow, 3-5It's Crystal Clear,

 Glovebox, 3-5

It's Crystal Clear,

 Crystal Growth, 3-5

Bubble Technology, 6-8Sim Satellite, 6-8Hold That Satellite, 6-8A Drop in the Bucket, 9-12

 Drop Tower Activity

A Drop in the Bucket, 9-12,

 Experiments

Abilities to do inquiry

Science as inquiry

Physical science

National Science Education Standards

National Research Council, 1996

Properties and changes of matter

Properties in matter

Transfer of energy

Motion and forces

Life science

Structure and function in living systems

Earth and space science

Earth in the solar system

Science and technology

Abilities of technological design

Understanding about science and 

technology

Science in personal and social perspectives

Populations, resources, and environments

Risks and benefits

Natural and human induced hazards

Interactions of matter and energy

Problem solving

Mathematics Content Standards

National Council of Teachers

of Mathematics, 1989*

*Note: Grade levels 4-8 and 9-12 are combined.

Communication

Reasoning

Estimation

Connection

Algebra

Measurement

Geometry
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Introduction

This integrated guide provides teachers and students with a

variety of opportunities to explore what microgravity is, what

NASA scientists and others are discovering about what

happens in the microgravity environment, and how all of it

affects us. The goal of this guide is to offer ways to apply

technology to microgravity and make it more real. Students

will have hands-on opportunities to simulate activities in a

microgravity environment using problem solving strategies,

critical thinking skills, and a team approach. Each activity

reinforces national technology, science, and mathematics

content standards.

How to Use This Guide

This guide contains general information about microgravity,

classroom activities, and student worksheets for you to use.

You might start with the overview of what microgravity is and how it affects us.

Other information about microgravity research is located in the specific activity that addresses

key ideas or concepts. Students can research concepts and explain the research in their own

words as part of the information gathering and problem solving process.

This box means there is background information provided that will help you

explain a process or concept to the students. It may be new information to

you, or a review of familiar ideas. Call-out boxes give brief explanations of a

term, mathematical expression, or science concept.

Some of the technology activities in this guide are ones you may already do as part of your

technology education or science class. The difference is that you and your students will apply

technology concepts to explore how the microgravity environment affects people and

processes.

Each technology activity presents a design brief that describes what problem your students

are going to solve. The goals and objectives are specific but the problem solving and design

process is open-ended to allow for many designs, materials, and solutions. An example or

illustration is included in each activity to give you one idea for a design solution. Your

students will have many other original ideas or modifications.

The activities are meant to be done by project teams, similar to the ones NASA forms for

science and engineering projects. The first activity suggests how to establish project teams in

Technology Education and Microgravity

Grade 3-12 Introduction

μg stands for

microgravity

This space-grown crystal of lysozyme,

an antibacterial protein found in eggs

and our noses, is a thing of beauty

under a microscope, and an instrument

of knowledge when X-rays shine

through to reveal its structure. Growing

proteins in orbit allows greater clarity

that leads to a better understanding of

their structure and role in life.
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your laboratory-classroom and presents a sample proposal and materials budget.

Reproducible proposal sheets are included along with team and individual evaluation forms

for your use in each activity. After the project teams activity, the activities are grouped by

grade levels 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each section and corresponding design brief activity addresses a

different area of microgravity research.

What is Microgravity?

Microgravity literally means very little gravity. Another way to think of micro- is in

measurement systems, such as the metric system, where micro- means one part in a million or

1 x 10-6 g. Scientists do not use the term microgravity to accurately represent millionths of 1 g.

The microgravity environment, expressed by the symbol μg, is defined as an environment

where some of the effects of gravity are reduced compared to what we

experience at Earth’s surface. We refer to gravity at Earth’s surface as a

one-gravity (1 g) environment. Let’s explore gravity first.

What Gravity Does

Your body is accustomed to a one-gravity (1 g) environment and feels

different if that gravitational force is changed. We take gravity for granted on Earth. You have

probably heard the adage “What goes up, must come down” and you have probably

experienced the effects of gravity when you fell off a bike or a snowboard. We expect a football

or snowflake moving through the air to eventually fall to the ground. So what happens when

we change the force of gravity? How the concept of gravity is presented to students makes a

difference in how they conceptualize the effects of this force at Earth’s surface and

in the space environment. Many physics and science books refer to

gravity as a fundamental force or attraction between any two masses.

Gravity is often simply defined as a force, or a “pull.” It pulls us to

the ground, keeps the Shuttle and the Moon in orbit around Earth,

and keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun.

If you ask most students what gravity does, they will say that gravity

pulls you “down.” In truth, gravity pulls you toward the center of Earth. Earth’s

surface stops us from moving freely, just as a chair or the floor stops us. We use Earth’s

gravitational pull on us to define “up” and “down.”

Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) described gravity as a force that governs motion throughout the

universe, not just on Earth. It is the attraction between all masses in the universe. That means there

is a gravitational attraction between you and this page. So why don’t you feel it? The reason is that

the force of gravity depends on the mass of the objects involved and the distance they are from

each other. Because Earth is so massive, its force of attraction is much greater than the other

gravitational forces around us. Newton mathematically described the attractive force between two

objects, as shown in the box. Sir Henry Cavendish (1731-1810) modified Newton’s law to include a

gravitational constant, thus producing the familiar equation still in use today.

Newton’s Law and Cavendish’s modification mean that the greater the masses of the objects,

represented by m1 and m2

, the greater the force of attraction, or F, between them. Also, the
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farther apart the objects are from each other, a distance represented by r, the less the attraction.

Here is a way you can determine how much gravity changes as you move away from Earth’s

surface. When you are standing on Earth’s surface, you are at 1 gravity or 1 g, the acceleration

of an object toward the center of Earth. Your mass and the force of gravity determine your

actual weight where you are at that moment. At Earth’s surface, the acceleration is

approximately 9.8 meters per second squared (m/s2

) or 32 feet per second squared (ft/s2).

Earth’s gravitational pull on you is reduced as you move away from Earth. How much

gravity’s effects change as you move away from Earth is easy to figure out using this simple

relationship: 1/r2. r stands for the distance (radius) from Earth’s center to the surface, 6,378 km

(3,963 mi). Where you are standing now, R=1. If you travel from the center of Earth to a

distance=2R, or 12,756 km from Earth’s center, Earth’s gravitational pull drops to 1/22 or 1/4

what it is on Earth’s surface. At an altitude of 343 km (212 mi), where the Space Shuttle often

orbits, the astronauts and the Shuttle are still under the influence of about

90 percent of what they would experience on Earth’s surface.

So why don’t they fall back toward Earth? You have no doubt

heard that the astronauts can move freely in space because they

are so far from Earth that gravity has little effect, or that there is

no gravity. Now you know that is not true. Astronauts in space

are moving freely. Any time you are able

to move freely in a gravity field with

nothing to stop you from

accelerating or decelerating with

it, you are in free fall. How do

the astronauts reach the

condition of free fall?

They are traveling at

just the right

speed (more

than 27,000

F

F = force

∝

∝= “proportional to”

m1 m2

m1 = mass of the first object

G = 6.67 x 10-11 Nm2/kg2

m2 = mass of the second object

r2

r2 = distance between the objects

F=G

m1 m2

r2

Newton’s original law Henry Cavendish’s modification

Cavendish added G, the universal gravitational 

constant. Note that multiplying the two 

masses cancels the 1/kg2 in G, and the 1/r2

cancels the m2 in G, leaving just Newtons (N) 

as the final result.
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km/h [17,000 mph]) and the right altitude along with the Shuttle so they are constantly falling

around Earth in orbit. The trajectory, or path, is caused by the Shuttle speed along with the

downward acceleration of gravity, producing a curve that follows the curvature of Earth.

Because the Shuttle is free falling in orbit around Earth and the upper atmospheric friction is

low, a microgravity environment is established.

The condition of microgravity occurs whenever

an object is in free fall.

A round balloon filled with water can be used

to explain some effects of gravity. What shape

does a balloon take when it rests on a table or is

held in your hand? The water-filled balloon is

flattened on the table. The table, or your hand,

is exerting a force to keep the balloon from

falling. If you hold the balloon by the knotted

end, gravity stretches it downward. In free fall

however, it assumes a spherical shape because neither gravitational effects nor the table

disturbs it.

If you drop a baseball on Earth, it accelerates toward Earth’s surface at 9.8 m/s2 (32.2 ft/s2).

This acceleration is what we refer to when we talk about a 1g environment. If an astronaut

drops a baseball inside the Shuttle, it falls, too, but to the astronaut it just doesn’t look like it is

falling. That is because the baseball, astronaut and the Shuttle are all falling together around

Earth. The Shuttle and everything in it are kept in orbit around Earth by gravity. Because

they’re all falling together, objects move freely in a state we call microgravity.

You can better understand this concept by exploring Sir Isaac Newton’s hypothesis on how a

satellite could be made to orbit Earth. If you placed a cannon at the top of a very tall mountain

(see page 43) and then fired a cannonball parallel to the ground

it would arc and fall to Earth because of the presence of gravity.

If you added more energy so the cannonball had greater speed,

it would travel farther before landing. But if the cannonball was

fired with the proper speed, the cannonball would achieve a

state of continuous free fall, or orbit, and would fall entirely

around Earth. Provided no force other than gravity acted on the

cannonball’s motion, it would keep circling Earth in orbit. The

same principle applies to the Shuttle.

Once we achieve free fall we have a microgravity

environment. What can we do in a microgravity environment

that is different from normal gravity conditions? In some

instances, the behavior of granular solids, liquids, and gases

are affected by gravity. If you tried to melt two different

metals then mix them to form a new metal (called an alloy), the process would only work

if both metals had similar densities. On Earth, the less dense metal would always float to

the top once you stopped mixing them, like Italian salad dressing after it is shaken.

Japanese astronaut Chiaki Mukai sails through the entrance

of the Space Shuttle’s Spacelab module.

Soft drinks don’t fizz in space since the

bubbles don’t rise to the surface, as

shown by this cola droplet. Eventually

the bubbles coalesce into larger bubbles

and escape.
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In orbit, because of microgravity, the two metals could more easily form a metal alloy with

particular properties. NASA scientists are doing microgravity research in areas such as

biotechnology, combustion science, fluid physics, fundamental physics, and materials science.

Microgravity can help us learn more about how free fall conditions affect our bodies. It also

gives us unique opportunities to investigate new materials such as alloys, crystals, and

medicines.

How Do We Create Microgravity?

Orbiting spacecraft provide the best laboratories for long periods of microgravity research.

Scientists also use drop towers, aircraft, and rockets to achieve short periods of microgravity.

Experiments lasting for more than two weeks are possible with the Shuttle right now. Once the

International Space Station has a permanent crew aboard and is ready for research,

experimentation time can be extended to months. An important advantage of having longer

periods of time available is that scientists have the ability to do research like it is done on

Earth. Experiments can be performed multiple times with different parameters. Thus scientific

researchers will be able to gather comprehensive data.

Dropping an experiment down a deep hole on Earth also creates free fall conditions for a brief

time. Researchers in NASA and other facilities around the world use drop towers and drop

tubes to create microgravity environments. NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center in

Cleveland, OH, has two drop facilities. The 132-meter (430-ft) drop tower creates a

microgravity environment for about 5.2 seconds while

the 24-meter (79-ft) drop tower provides 2.2 seconds of

microgravity per drop. Experiments in the 2.2-second

Drop Tower are assembled on a drop frame structure and

enclosed in an aerodynamically shaped box, called a drag

shield, that protects the experiment. The drag shield/

experiment assembly is hoisted to the top of the tower

and released. The entire assembly falls freely in the open

environment of the tower. The experiment is isolated

from aerodynamic drag because it is contained within the

drag shield but not attached to it. During the drop, the

entire assembly falls 24 meters, and the experiment freely

falls a distance of 20 cm (0.65 ft) within the drag shield.

The package is slowed and stopped by a 3-meter (10-ft) tall air bag. Battery packs provide

onboard power to the experiment. High speed motion picture cameras, video cameras, and

onboard computers collect data for the investigator. The 5.2-second Zero-Gravity Facility drops

larger packages in a deep vacuum chamber. The longest drop time (10 seconds) is in Japan

where a vertical mineshaft was converted to a 490-meter (1,607.2-ft) drop facility.

In these drop facilities, experiments are dropped, not people! You could experience the same

sensation as an experiment in a drop tower by going on a roller coaster in an amusement park

or jumping off a diving platform into a swimming pool.

You can also create a reduced gravity environment in an airplane as it flies in a roller coaster

trajectory or parabolic path. NASA astronauts train for orbital missions in a modified KC-135

An experiment package plunges into the

decelerator in the Zero-Gravity Facility at NASA’s

John H. Glenn Research Center. This facility

provides about 5.2 seconds of microgravity

conditions for experiments.
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(a military tanker version of the Boeing 707 passenger jet),

also called the Vomit Comet! A typical flight lasting from 2

to 3 hours gives crew members about forty 20-second

periods of microgravity. The plane does a series of pull-up

and push-over segments as it moves along its roller coaster

path in the air to produce temporary free fall. Many people

get airsick, as you might imagine. While the conditions of

microgravity are limited in an airplane because of

turbulence and flight-control limitations, the advantage is

that researchers can ride along with their experiments.

Small sounding rockets are another way to create

microgravity. Sounding rockets experience free fall

conditions for 6 to 7 minutes as they follow suborbital

parabolic paths. Free fall exists during the rocket’s coast

above Earth’s atmosphere, where it is free of drag.

Now Let’s Put Microgravity in the Curriculum

You have been introduced to the concepts of gravity and

microgravity. This Guide offers a variety of learning

activities that will involve students exploring microgravity.

For more in-depth physical science information or

mathematical integration, check the resources at the end of

each activity. The NASA resource, Microgravity—A Teacher’s

Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and Technology,

(NASA, 1997) is a good companion resource as well as the

following on-line microgravity resources:

Spacelink

http://spacelink.nasa.gov

NASA Microgravity Research Program Office

http://microgravity.nasa.gov

John H. Glenn Research Center........................................http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov

George C. Marshall Space Flight Center ................................... http://www.msfc.nasa.gov

National Center for Microgravity Research ..........http://www.ncmr.org/education/k12.html

These resources can provide a framework for teaching the concepts through integrated

activities that give students a variety of opportunities to explore microgravity. The discovery

learning and peer collaboration activities in this guide are designed to develop critical thinking

and problem-solving skills as well as increased scientific and mathematical knowledge. To

make access easier, the URLs in this guide are also on a web site:

Microgravity education links ...................................... http://microgravity.nasa.gov/ed_links

~20 sec.

low-g

(0.01g

or better)

pull-up

(~2g)

The roller-coaster ride of the KC-135 (aka

the Vomit Comet) is another technique for

providing brief periods of low-g to test

experimental hardware and to train

astronauts (below).
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Teacher Information

It is never “too soon” to get students to work in

cooperative teams or to develop career

awareness. The technology design briefs in this

guide suggest that students should be placed

in teams whenever possible and assigned a

career role. At the elementary level, students

may need help understanding their role in a

team. Also, they may need extra time to work

out solutions to problems. At times, you may

decide to be the principal investigator in order

to get the activity started more efficiently. At

the middle and high school levels, students

will benefit from initial guidance concerning

teamwork and increasing responsibility for

carrying out their career roles. The careers used

in the following activity simulate NASA project

teams.

Introduction

Many professional projects require people to

work together effectively in teams. The success

of the design and engineering activities

students will do in each microgravity unit

depends on teamwork. To have a good team,

every member needs to do his or her assigned

tasks well and on time. Students will work as a

project team member in each of the activities in

this guide. Students will set up project teams, assume career roles according to the project team

member descriptions, and write a project proposal.

The laboratory-classroom activities will simulate the process of project approval at NASA.

Each student in the class will be a member of a team. A class can have several teams working

at the same time. Each team will be responsible for preparing a project proposal, and

presenting the proposal to a peer review panel; the entire class or student committee may

serve as the peer review panel.

Project Team Roles

To simulate project team activities, students can be given specific career roles described in the

Project Team Activity

Microgravity Teamwork

Grades 3-12

All space missions are the result of teamwork, starting with

small groups like the one working out procedures for

glovebox experiments (above) to large teams like the mission

managers directing the ASTRO-2 Spacelab mission (below).
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next section. You may assign a student a different role for each activity. In this instructional

approach, students will learn what it is like to fulfill major career roles on a NASA project team.

Principal Investigator

In this leadership role, students will need to understand what a project goal is, write a

proposal for funding the project, and present the idea to the class. A proposal is a

statement of what problem a team is going to work on, how they are going to work on

it, and the materials needed to do the project. Scientists in any field can be the principal

investigator (PI) for a project.

Scientist

Scientists usually specialize in a specific field of study or investigation. For these

activities, you can introduce students to careers. Scientists specialize in specific fields of

study such as:

• Biology

• Microbiology

• Chemistry

• Organic chemistry

• Biochemistry

• Nuclear physics

• Physics and optical physics

Engineer

Engineers use mathematics and

scientific principles to solve

technology-related problems.

Engineers specialize in many

different engineering fields

such as:

• Mechanical

• Electrical

• Chemical

• Civil

• Aerospace

• Systems

• Structural

Technician

Technicians use a variety of machines and materials. They take working drawings and

build experiment hardware and parts that cannot be ordered from catalogs. Technicians

often specialize in specific areas such as:
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• Mechanical

• Electrical

• Fluid, hydraulic/pneumatic

• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning

• Welding

• Automation, robotics

Astronaut/Test Subject

In these activities, everyone will be able to perform scientific tests in the field of

microgravity. Shuttle missions consist of the following people:

• Mission commander

• Pilot

• Mission specialist(s)

• Payload specialist(s)

The mission commander and pilot who fly the Space Shuttle are qualified jet pilots.

Quite often they also are experienced test pilots. Mission specialists are engineers and

scientists working full time as astronauts. They are trained to operate experiments in a

wide range of disciplines. Both pilot astronauts and mission specialists also take part in

designing future human spacecraft. Payload specialists are engineers and scientists, but

are trained to fly on one or two missions to conduct specific activities.

Project Proposals

All projects must have a principal investigator, or PI, the lead scientist who devises a plan to

investigate a problem. This plan becomes the experiment. The PI sets up the activities for the

team members, and supervises the writing, or actually writes, a Project Proposal. In the first

activity, you as the teacher might be the Principal Investigator just to show how it works.

Principal Investigators can put together a project team to help write the proposal. You might

give the teams a materials list to use and a proposal form that requires them to write certain

information or you can let them develop the proposal format themselves. Proposals include:

• Design brief statement,

• Written description of the problem,

• Written description of the planned approach to investigating the

problem, including necessary steps to complete it,

• Materials list/cost spreadsheet,

• Appropriate illustrations or drawings, and

• Steps involved in solving the problem.

In studying the proposed problem, the steps shown here can be

used. First, students express the problem to be addressed in a clear

and concise statement. Next, students gather information and ideas

relevant to the problem. In the activities in this guide, students will

review some background information and resources. In addition,

Selection

Proposal

Project

Team

Test &

Evaluation

Development

Analysis

Flight
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students brainstorm possible solutions to the problem. Next,

students select the most feasible and effective solution to develop.

The solution will be constructed and tested by the students. Finally,

students evaluate the results to determine the extent to which they

addressed the initial problem and the effectiveness of their

solutions, and recommend the next step. In the next section, a

sample proposal is presented as a guide for addressing

microgravity activity problems. A blank project proposal form is

included for use in other activities on page 12.

The student team project proposal must include a visual

representation of the solution, such as a sketch, drawing, or CAD

(computer-aided drafting) illustration. It should show details such

as the materials, measurements, and placement of parts. A sample

of a design sketch is at the end of this section in the sample

proposal (see pages 13-14).

Peer Review Panel

All projects must be reviewed by a peer review panel. The review panel evaluates the merits of

the proposal and the benefits of the project. In the real world, peer review uses scientists not

directly involved in a project. This helps ensure that the best investigations are selected. In our

activities, the entire class will be the peer review panel. The project team should prepare an

oral or multimedia presentation for the panel that will quickly describe the proposal. The class

should offer suggestions or comments about each team’s proposal.

Each team will want to share what they are doing. Here are some ideas to help the students

develop their presentations:

• Use the overhead projector to show your designs on a large screen,

• Share your project design on a computer connected to a television,

• Make large charts, drawings, graphs,

• Build a model of your proposed project, and

• Take video clips that illustrate key concepts.

Public speaking is an important skill. Students need to know that they might have the best

idea ever thought of, but it needs to be effectively communicated to others to make it happen.

Safety Configuration Management

A proposal must be given the “go ahead” from the peer review panel and the teacher, and it

must meet safety standards. NASA considers safety to be a very important part of every

project decision. Every material and piece of equipment must be researched and tested before

it receives flight approval. Configuration management specialists check every material and

trace its manufacturing history down to the types of cleaners used on the material. Even

cleaners can contaminate materials and contribute to problems in space. Safety issues can be

excellent research and class discussion topics. Each project team member must consider the

Problem solving steps

Identify the problem

Develop an approach

Design apparatus

Test apparatus

Modify

Yes

No Does it work?

Run experiment

Draw conclusions
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safety of everyone involved in the use and construction of projects. The teacher will be the

safety manager in charge of approving plans or recommending changes based on safety issues.

All project members should follow the rules assigned for the safe use of materials, tools, and

equipment.

Team Evaluation

Each team and individual team member should be evaluated according to how well team

members worked together to complete the microgravity project (see the forms on the next

page; feel free to modify as needed for your grade level or class). The Project Team Evaluation

can be used to evaluate team effectiveness. Also, individual team members should be

evaluated, using the Project Team Member Evaluation form, for their contributions to the total

project effort.
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Team member: 

Each student will be evaluated on the following:

1. Problem solving strategy (Followed the problem solving steps) 5 4 3 2 1

2. Project construction (Found materials, helped build apparatus) 5 4 3 2 1

3. Testing, experimenting (Tried to modify or improve designs) 5 4 3 2 1

4. Safety/Clean up (Helped keep area clean and safe) 5 4 3 2 1

5. Extensions (Tried new ideas) 5 4 3 2 1

Total Points______ / 25 possible points

Project Team Members: Date:

1. All team members actively participated in the problem-solving strategy 5 4 3 2 1

2. Team members performed assigned career roles responsibly 5 4 3 2 1

3. All team members contributed ideas before selecting the final design 5 4 3 2 1

4. The team was able to work together to resolve issues 5 4 3 2 1

5. The team completed the assigned project goals successfully 5 4 3 2 1

Project Team Points______ / 25 possible points

Scoring key:

5 Absolutely true of this individual

4 Described the individual for the most part

3 Description fitted the individual about half the time

2 Only marginally describes the individual

1 Does not describe the individual at all

Scoring key:

5 Absolutely true of this team

4 Described the team for the most part

3 Description fitted the team about half the time

2 Only marginally describes the team

1 Does not describe the team at all

Project Team Member Evaluation

Project Team Evaluation
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Item Description Quantity Cost ea. Approx. total

Balloon Standard 12-inch 3 1.00 3.00

Helium Small canister, party pack size 1 20.00 20.00

Balsa wood 1/16 x 1/16 x 26 in. 1 0.80 0.80

Tape Any type, 6 in. 1 0.00 0.00

Thread Sewing thread, 18 in. 1 0.00 0.00

Foam Low density bead board, 4 cu. in. 1 0.00 0.00

Glue Wood or hot glue, 2 oz. 1 0.15/oz 0.30

Paper clips Small or large 6 0.00 0.00

Straws Plastic drinking straws 4 0.00 0.00

Tissue paper Tissue wrapping paper, 40 sq. in. 1 0.25 0.25

TOTAL 24.35

PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE: Working in a Simulated Microgravity Environment

DESIGN BRIEF: Design and build the most cost-efficient neutrally buoyant satellite model.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS:

Principal Investigator: T. Smith

• Scientists: Elli Whitney, Albert Stein

• Engineers:

Mechanical Engineer Stan Diego

Aerospace Engineer George Jones

Industrial Engineer Hanna Hanson

Structural Engineer Doug Walrath

• Technicians: Bob Upndown, Craig Waters

• Astronauts/Test Subjects: Gillian Island, Jarid Jones

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Simulating microgravity on Earth is hard. We are going to figure out how to make a helium balloon

satellite become neutrally buoyant. This means the satellite does not sink or rise, but stays level so we

can simulate working in space as astronauts.

MATERIALS LIST

Note: Prices listed through this guide are for the purposes of illustration to indicate the

order of magnitude of expenses. Prices will vary with region, city, and store. Measurements are given in English units because that is how most U.S. stores measure goods.
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing

PROJECT DESIGN SKETCH: A balloon satellite

TEAM MEMBERS:

Principal investigator: T. Smith

Science Group: B. Jones, S. Brown, L. Williams, P. Anderson

NASA

Helium balloon

Tape

Tissue paper

solar array

Foam

grapple

point

Balsa wood

Thread

Thread
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Item Description Quantity Cost ea. Approx. total

TOTAL

PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE:

DESIGN BRIEF:

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS:

Principal Investigator:

• Scientists:

• Engineers:

Mechanical Engineer

Aerospace Engineers

Industrial Engineer

Structural Engineer

• Technicians:

• Astronauts/Test Subjects:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

MATERIALS LIST
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing
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Design Brief

Set up a microgravity project team and prepare a project proposal to address a microgravity

problem or investigation.

Objectives

In this activity, students will:

• Carry out a specific career role on the team.

• Develop a project proposal.

• Present a proposal for peer review.

Procedure

1. Assign students to teams and review the

career roles of each team member.

2. Identify a problem to be solved. You may

use a problem in this guide or one provided

by the teacher.

3. Gather background information.

Brainstorm possible ideas for solutions.

4. Prepare the proposal, to include a

description of the problem, sketch of the

solution, and materials needed.

5. Discuss and record safety considerations for

this project.

6. Prepare a presentation for the peer review

committee.

Project Teams Design Brief

Microgravity Teamwork

Grades 3-12

Two astronauts practice installing new equipment on the

Hubble Space Telescope (top). While all attention is focused

on them, they are just a small part of the team that makes it

possible. In addition to the astronauts, this team includes

utility divers to help the astronauts, safety divers to make

sure no one gets in trouble, and more than a dozen engineers and technicians monitoring the whole operation in a

nearby control room. An important (sometimes overlooked)

part of teamwork is saying “Thanks” to the team members

who made success possible. After the successful Hubble

repair mission, the astronauts visited several NASA centers

(below) to talk with employees and sign autographs, one of

several ways to thank all involved.
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Discussion Questions

• What are advantages of working in project teams?

• Why does NASA use project teams?

• What did you learn from your assigned career role?

• How will you use the recommendations from the peer review panel to improve your

proposal?
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Way to Grow!

Growing Plants in a Simulated Microgravity Environment

Grades 3-5

Did you know that astronauts get to chew 

gum? Chewing gum in orbit is the same as 

chewing gum on Earth. One thing that is 

different is using salt or pepper to spice up 

your meal. If you tried to shake either one 

onto your food while in orbit, it would float 

everywhere. So salt and pepper are added 

to water in small squeeze bottles to put on 

your food.

Teacher Introduction

Have you ever tasted astronaut food? It may not be quite as

good as your meals at home but food served on the Space

Shuttle and aboard the International Space Station has really

improved since astronauts had to eat out of squeeze tubes!

Today they get to choose their own menus from prepared

foods such as spaghetti and meatballs or chicken. Astronauts

can even eat sandwiches. Some food is dehydrated like

camping foods where you add water before you eat it. Other

food is just normal Earth food like you would buy at a

supermarket. Astronauts eat peanut butter, cookies, cans of

pudding, and even fresh fruit the first few days in orbit. It is

important for the astronauts to eat enough of the right foods

while in orbit so they can do their jobs properly. Taking

enough food for a few weeks in space works right now, but

if people are going to stay in orbit for longer periods of time,

we need to find ways to produce some of the food in space.

There is a problem, however, with growing plants in

microgravity. Plants have developed in a 1 g environment

and have adapted to detect the force of gravity. On Earth,

roots grow downward with gravity. This plant response is

called geotropism or gravitropism. Stems and leaves grow

toward the light in a process called phototropism. In a

microgravity environment they seem to get mixed

up. In microgravity, the roots grow in all directions.

Sometimes they get tangled with the stem and the

leaves. Even the stems get tangled. So to grow plants

in microgravity conditions, you have to use a

membrane to separate the stem and leaves from the

roots as well as keep the growth media in place.

In space, some plants will probably be grown

hydroponically. That means they will be grown

without soil. It makes sense because you can grow

more plants in a smaller area. In addition, the plants

grow faster and produce more results. Scientists are experimenting with designing artificial

gravity greenhouse environments. By slowly rotating a greenhouse unit, artificial gravity is

created. The rotation pushes everything outward so the plant stems and leaves grow “up”

towards the center, and the roots grow “down” away from the center through thousands of

tiny holes on the sides of the rotating unit. A special plant medium can be used for some plant

Wheat grown in the Astroculture facility

aboard the Space Shuttle shows a number

of changes from wheat grown normally on

Earth. Although it lacked cues from gravity ,

the wheat did have an overhead light in

the chamber to help direct its growth.
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roots. Other plants can just be sprayed with a plant

food solution and they grow. Of course, plants need

light which they get from grow lights in each

greenhouse unit. In these units, we can grow plants

that do not grow freely in microgravity.

Growing our own food in space will become a

necessity for long-term space missions where

frequent supply missions are impractical. Besides,

the plants (when under light) use the carbon dioxide

humans breathe out, and return oxygen in its place,

just like on Earth.

Payload specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of Ukraine

prepares (top) then conducts experiments to

pollinate and grow Brassica rapa plants aboard the

Space Shuttle in 1997.
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Design Brief

Using a problem solving strategy, design and make a plant wheel

that can be used to simulate growing plants in a microgravity

environment.

Objectives

In this activity, students will:

• Learn the parts of plants and how they grow in a 1 g

environment.

• Investigate how plant growth will differ in a microgravity

environment.

• Grow plants and observe what happens as the direction of

gravity is changed relative to the plant.

• Work in teams to successfully complete goal.

Procedure:

1. Set up a class team using the Project Team Activity in this guide. The teacher will be the

principal investigator for this activity. Explain to students how this is a special project

in which they will be studying how plants might grow in orbit. Discuss parts of plants

and what plants need to grow.

2. The sample proposal shows you one idea

of how to make a plant wheel. In this

example, an old record turntable is placed

in a vertical position and the arm removed.

A cardboard wheel is placed on the

turntable and the plant/seed bags are

taped to the wheel. The turntable needs to

be near an electrical outlet so it can be

turned on to rotate.

3. Prepare the plant/seed bags. If you want to start with seeds, select ones that germinate

quickly in your area. You might start with bean seeds that have been soaked overnight

or radish seeds that normally sprout within two to three days.

4. Seeds can be placed on wet crumpled paper towels inside a plastic bag. Be sure to

punch air holes in the bag. The plant bags should separate the stem from the roots. Try

Way to Grow!

Growing Plants in a Simulated Microgravity Environment

Grades 3-5

Problem solving steps

Identify the problem

Develop an approach

Design apparatus

Test apparatus

Modify

Yes

No Does it work?

Run experiment

Draw conclusions

Safety

• Students should follow established safety 

procedures for using equipment and materials.

• Wear safety goggles/glasses for construction 

activities.

• Wash hands after setting up the activity.
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using a small plastic bag such as a sandwich bag. Place the roots and some

soil in the bag, leaving the stem or sprout visible. Tie off the bag tight

enough so the soil stays in place. Attach the bags to the plant wheel.

5. Set up a second group of plants and seeds to grow as usual in a normal

1 g environment for a comparison study.

6. Student teams should

measure what happens

to the seeds or plants

(stop the wheel once a

week for

measurements.)

7. Compare the plants

on the wheel with plants grown in a normal 1 g environment. One

idea is to have students take photographs, digital pictures or video

segments at scheduled times. Discuss ways to record the data.

Evaluation

At this level, the teacher may use the discussion questions to evaluate student

understanding. Students will benefit from visual evidence of plant changes over time

using digital or 35mm photos and

video segments. Teachers can begin to

address career awareness through

roles assigned to students. Asking

“What does an engineer do?” or

“What does a scientist do?” will

stimulate interest in careers. Have

students draw and label part of a

plant and discuss what plants need to

grow.

Discussion Questions

• How did the device you designed

change the way your plants or

seeds grew?

• Compare the sizes of your control

plants (1 g) with the experimental

plants. Do you think being in microgravity will make it more difficult to grow plants?

• How is it possible to grow plants without soil? What are some advantages to growing

plants in space?

A rose flown in space was found to have a new fragrance after it was

returned to Earth.
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Extensions

• Test plant phototropism and geotropism by designing and constructing a plant maze

(like a maze for a mouse to run in search of cheese).

• Design a hydroponic system for plants for students to study.

Teacher Notes

It takes time to grow plants, and then more

time to observe what happens to them as

they grow. Find a good place to keep the

plant wheels or plant boxes. You might

want to make a large wall chart with teams

and plant observation information. That

way, students can share each team’s

experience. Starting the activity with

seedlings helps. Be sure to use seeds that

grow quickly in your area. Hydroponics kits

are available at most technology education

and science supply companies. You can also check with your local nurseries for

information and supplies.

Further Research

More information on growing plants or seeds in a microgravity environment can be found online or in these resources:

Bosak, Susan V. Science is... Ontario: Scholastic Canada, 1991.

McKay, David E. and Bruce G. Smith. Space Science Projects for Young Scientists. New York:

Franklin Watts, 1992.

Mullane, R. Mike. Do Your Ears Pop in Space?: And 500 Other Surprising Questions About

Space Travel. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.

NASA. Microgravity-A Teacher’s Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and

Technology. EG-1997-08-110-HQ, 1997. Also available on-line at

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Microgravity

Smolders, Peter. Living in Space: A Handbook for Space Travellers. Blue Ridge Summit, PA:

Aero, 1986.

Stellar Hydroponics. http://stellar.arc.nasa.gov/stellar

Fast Plants. http://www.fastplants.org

Welty, Kenneth. “Desk-top farming.” Technology and Children, 3:1, pp. 3-6, 1998.

Tomatoes grown in orbit (center , right) overproduce a valuable

hormone. Now they are being cultured for this ef fect.
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PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE: A Revolving Seed/Plant Wheel

DESIGN BRIEF: Design and build a revolving seed/plant wheel to simulate growing

plants in microgravity.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Principal Investigator: I.A. Smart

• Scientists: Al Einstein

• Engineers:

Hank Ford, Polly Linus, Bo Eing, Sam Steel

Bucky Fuller, Sally Dressing, Brigette Quickly

• Technicians: I.M. Thumbs, A.C. Fast

• Astronauts/Test Subjects: G. Jettson, B. Rogers

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Seeds and plants grow in a certain way on Earth. In orbit, in a

microgravity environment, they grow in unusual ways. The roots often get tangled with the stems.

Our team designed a seed/plant wheel that revolves to simulate a way to help seeds or plants

growing in microgravity. We are using an old turntable to keep the wheel constantly rotating.

MATERIALS LIST:

Item Description Quantity Cost ea. Total cost

Record turntable Revolving base 1 0.00 .00

Cardboard wheel 12” Diameter circle 1 0.00 .00

Plastic bags Small sandwich size 8 0.20 1.60

Seeds Radish or beans 1 pk 1.40 1.40

Soil Potting soil 1 pk 2.50 2.50

TOTAL 5.50

Sample Proposal
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing

Cardboard wheel

Turntable

Velcro strips

Seed/plant bags

Turntable

support
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It’s Crystal Clear!

Crystal Growth Glovebox Activity

Grades 3-5

Teacher Information

Growing crystals on Earth is fun! You can

learn how buoyancy, density, and convection

currents affect crystal growth. In a

microgravity environment, crystals grow

differently because these effects of gravity are

reduced. In this activity, you will use a

glovebox to observe crystal growth.

The glovebox is a device used by NASA to do

some experiments in orbit. In a microgravity

setting, objects tend to float around and could

be a problem to the astronauts or to

equipment on the Space Shuttle. Sometimes

there are materials that people shouldn’t touch and so the glovebox is a good place to work

with these objects. The glovebox is a self-contained box with attached gloves. Astronauts and

scientists can work with items in the box by putting their hands in the gloves. This way they

do not touch the objects with their bare hands.

The glovebox can also be used when scientists want to control or limit what affects their

experiment, such as strong air currents or extra movement. In this activity, student teams will

first design and construct simple gloveboxes. Then they will grow crystals and observe what

happens to them as a result of gravity.

Microgravity and How It Affects Crystal Growth

The microgravity environment gives scientists a good place to study materials and how they

are produced. We need to know more about what happens when a material changes from one

phase — gas, liquid, or solid — to another. This is what happens when water changes to ice or

a metal is melted to a liquid from a solid phase. In orbit, it is easier to understand some of the

processes because gravity does not get in the way. For example, some new metal alloys can be

made in orbit where the effects of gravity are reduced. On Earth, materials that are more dense

than others tend to settle or are pulled by “down” gravity’s effects. This is called

sedimentation. In microgravity, it is possible to mix molten metals of different density so they

will stay together.

Microgravity researchers observe how buoyancydriven convection and sedimentation affect the

ways materials are made. Buoyancy-driven

convection occurs when a fluid such as a gas or

liquid starts moving because of a density difference.

Alloys are metals made by melting two or 

more metals together. An example is brass, 

made by mixing molten copper and zinc.

An engineer demonstrates the workspace inside the large

Microgravity Science Glovebox that will be available on the

International Space Station.
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For example, when you heat water, the heated water

expands slightly in volume. The cooler, more dense

water sinks and the warmer, less dense water rises.

Less dense means the water weighs less than cold

water with the same volume. Thus, it rises because it

is more buoyant. It sets up a movement pattern

where the heated water and the cooler water

eventually mix together. Sedimentation occurs when

solid materials settle out of a solution to the bottom

of the liquid. In this activity you will observe how both buoyancy-driven convection and

sedimentation affect the way your crystal grows on Earth.

Both biotechnology researchers and materials scientists use a microgravity environment to see

how crystals form. In biotechnology, scientists focus on protein crystal growth. You have over

100,000 different proteins in your body that do

important jobs, such as fight disease, or carry

oxygen and other chemicals in the blood. Many

proteins can be made to form crystals, an important

step in studying their structure. Scientists want to

find out more about these proteins and their

structure. A microgravity environment gives us the

chance to grow more uniform, orderly crystals.

Researchers want to design new drugs that work by changing a protein’s activity in some way.

For example, scientists grow insulin crystals in orbit to see more details in the threedimensional crystal structure. Crystal growth

experiments may lead to new and improved

forms of products.

Materials scientists want to be able to improve

materials and make new ones. Silicon crystals

such as the ones we use in computers and

other electronic equipment need to be very

pure and uniform or they will not work

correctly.

In a microgravity environment scientists can

gain a new understanding of how gravity

affects the solidification and crystal growth of materials by eliminating buoyancy-driven

convection and sedimentation. Even in orbit, there are still tiny accelerations that affect

experiments the same way gravity does depending on how far away from the Shuttle’s center

of mass an object is. Sometimes the scientists ask that the Shuttle be pointed in a certain

direction during an experiment to reduce these acceleration effects as much as possible!

You can get more information from the on-line NASA microgravity resources located at

NASA’s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL (http://microgravity.nasa.gov)

and John H. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH (http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov).

You have seen sedimentation at work in a 

bottle of salad dressing. When you shake 

up a bottle of oil and vinegar dressing and 

then let it sit for a few minutes, it forms 

layers with the oil on top, the vinegar in the 

middle, and solids (like peppers) at the 

bottom.

Buoyancy is a net force that lifts against 

the force of gravity. Any object—whether it 

is a grain of sand or a gas bubble immersed 

in a fluid—has a buoyant force acting on it. 

A boat floats on the water because of the 

buoyant force.

Insulin crystals grown in space (left) are larger and structured

better than those grown on Earth (right).
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Introduction

This activity may be done in two parts. The first

part is a technology team design brief. Student

teams will design and build a glovebox to do a

crystal growing experiment. The glovebox can be

used for many other experiments in your

classroom where you want to contain an activity

or give students a chance to work as scientists do

on Earth or as astronauts do in orbit. Growing

and observing crystals is the second part of the

design brief activity.

Design Brief

Design and construct a glovebox that will be used to observe crystal growth.

Objectives

In this activity, students will:

• Work in project teams to solve a problem.

• Design and build a glovebox for experiments.

• Prepare a crystal solution in the glovebox.

• Observe, measure, and record data (either on paper or on a

computer) on crystal growth.

Project Teams

People often work in teams to solve problems. In this activity,

students will work in a cooperative team setting just as NASA

engineers and scientists do to design and then build a glovebox for

their experiment. You may assign student teams to do each part of this project or do the

activity as a whole team approach. For example, two or three teams can design and build the

gloveboxes and then other groups can be responsible for preparing the crystal solution in the

gloveboxes. The observation, measurement, and recording should be done by every member of

the team. See the Project Team Activity to set up your teams.

It’s Crystal Clear!

Crystal Growth Glovebox Activity

Grades 3-5

Problem solving steps

Identify the problem

Develop an approach

Design apparatus

Test apparatus

Modify

Yes

No Does it work?

Run experiment

Draw conclusions

Students try out the Middeck Glovebox used aboard the

Space Shuttle.
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Procedure Pt. 1: Design and build the glovebox

1. Assign students to teams and review team roles.

2. Discuss the design brief. Brainstorm possible ideas

and materials for a glovebox or provide a list

of materials students can use. A glovebox

needs to have a clear, see-through top,

so you can see what you are doing.

The gloves need to be securely

attached to the box and

positioned so your hands can

work together. The gloves need

to go inside the box.

3. Student teams, or the whole class

acting as a team, should design a

glovebox on paper or computer.

Students should label materials,

parts, etc. Illustrated is an

example of a glovebox made

from a cardboard box.

4. The teacher must approve the

design before assembly starts.

5. The top can be hinged or

removable so you can place the

experiment materials inside. You can also make a hinged opening in the back.

6. Use duct tape to tape the gloves facing into the box.

7. Place an aluminum or foam tray inside to contain spills and help with clean up. Line with

contact paper or plastic to protect the glovebox.

Safety

• Review safe use of materials and equipment such as 

scissors, pencils, utility knives, etc. involved in this 

project.

• Wear safety glasses when mixing crystal solutions.

• Do not allow students to taste crystals.

• In some instances, crystal materials should not be 

touched. Check instructions if you are using materials 

from special crystal growing kits.

• Students should wash hands before and after using 

the glovebox.

Tape

the

edges Gloves extend

inside box

Cut out top,

side, and

front panels

Cut out a door and 

cover with clear 

material

Astronaut Ron Sega conducts an experiment inside the

Middeck Glovebox in the SPACEHAB module aboard

Space Shuttle mission STS-76.
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Procedure Pt. 2: Crystal growth

You can grow crystals from many different materials. In this activity, we will grow crystals

using sugar or salt. If you want to try different crystals, you can purchase crystal kits at retail

stores that will work well in this activity.

If you have a never-fail crystal solution

for this activity, you can use it. The crystal

solution provided here will make fairly large sugar

or salt crystals if the glovebox is not disturbed for a

couple of days. Follow all safety instructions. Some

materials are not safe to touch without proper

protective clothing or equipment.

Crystal Solution Materials:

❏ Eye protection and gloves

❏ Boiling or hot water

❏ Measuring cup

❏ Thermometer

❏ Clear, colorless drinking glass, jar, or plastic

container

❏ Spoon or stirring tool

❏ Sugar or salt

❏ Clean string

❏ Paper clip

❏ Pencil, piece of dowel rod, bamboo skewer, or a straw

❏ Paper towels

❏ Magnifying glasses

❏ Observation log, one per student or team

Making Crystals in the Glovebox

As a safety precaution, the teacher should pour the boiling water into the container and place

it in the glovebox for each team. Because transporting any liquid in a container involves a spill

hazard, it is best if the hot water can be carried in a covered, insulated container if it cannot be

made in the classroom. Working in the gloves can be difficult until students get the feel for it.

The other materials should be placed in the glovebox prior to starting the crystals. You will

need a “permanent” place for the gloveboxes during this experiment. Students should be able

to use the box, then observe the crystals growing for several days without moving the

glovebox. Each student as part of a team should have a chance to assist in making the crystal

solution in the glovebox.

Procedure for Making Crystals

1. Place hands into the gloves. Fill the glass about 1/3 full of boiling water. Stir in sugar until

no more will dissolve. You will need about 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. If you are using
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salt, the ratio is 1 part salt to 1 part water. Your

solution should end up as a thick syrup with a

few grains of either sugar or salt floating in it.

2. Tie one end of a piece of string to the middle of a

pencil or straw and the other end to a clean

paper clip.

3. Wet the string and paper clip. Drag both through

dry sugar or salt so grains stick to the string and paper clip.

4. Let the solution cool to 38  ̊C (100  ̊F). Otherwise the seed crystal will melt away.

5. Place pencil or straw across the rim of the container so the paper clip is suspended halfway

into the solution.

6. Place a piece of plastic wrap loosely over the container opening.

7. Remove hands from gloves. Leave glovebox and container undisturbed for several days

until crystals appear.

8. Keep an observation log in which you record temperature, solution clarity, crystal size, and

anything of interest.

After several days the crystals will form along the string and on the paper clip. The glovebox

environment will reduce evaporation and keep the solution from being disturbed. The teacher

might give the teams specific observation questions that can be answered orally or in written

form along with drawings of the crystals as they grow.

Evaluation

Students will need to observe their crystal growth over a number of days. You can evaluate

them as teams in the glovebox design as well as the crystal solution preparation and

observation phase. A sample evaluation form is in the proposal writing activity section.

Discussion Questions

• Compare the shape of your crystals to the shape of some sugar or salt grains. Use a

magnifying glass to observe shapes.

• How does gravity affect the way crystals grow on Earth? Predict how your crystals would

grow differently in microgravity.

• Predict what your crystals would look like if grown in a microgravity environment.

Extensions

• Design other experiments that you can do best in the glovebox, where you can control

certain variables such as temperature, air currents, or movement.

Math idea: This is a great place to have 

students work with ratios. You can have 

them figure out how much water you would 

need if you were going to use 4 cups of 

sugar or how much sugar you would use if 

you have 3 cups of boiling water in a 

container.
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• Try growing other kinds of crystals in the glovebox, such as monoammonium phosphate or

Epsom salts (available at drug stores) or from crystal kits in the science section of a toy

store. Observe the difference in crystals grown from different solutions. Make a chart or

computer slide show to share student information and crystal formations.

• Grow a seed crystal (a small “starter” crystal) and then suspend it in its crystal solution to

watch it grow. What will happen if the temperature of the solution changes?

Further Research

More information on crystal growth and glovebox experiments can be found on these NASA

Internet web sites and other reference resources:

NASA Microgravity Research Program, http://microgravity.nasa.gov

John H. Glenn Research Center Microgravity Science Division, http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov

Bosak, Susan V. Science is... Ontario: Scholastic Canada, 1991.

Doherty, P. and D. Rathjen. Exploratorium Science Snackbook. San Francisco: Exploratorium

Teacher Institute, 1991

McKay, David E. and Bruce G. Smith. Space Science Projects for Young Scientists. New York:

Franklin Watts, 1992.

Mullane, R. Mike. Do Your Ears Pop in Space?: And 500 Other Surprising Questions About

Space Travel. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.

NASA. Microgravity-A Teacher’s Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and

Technology. EG-1997-08-110-HQ, 1997. Also available on-line at

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Microgravity

NASA. Student’s Glovebox: An Inquiry-Based Technology Educator’s Guide. EG-2000-09-004-

GRC, 2000. Also available on-line at

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/NASA.Student.Glovebox

Teacher Notes

Growing good crystals takes time and patience. You might grow seed crystals ahead of time

and then have students watch the continued growth in the glovebox. Older students can

observe convection currents by suspending a seed crystal in its solution. Use a clear, colorless

plastic container. Let the solution rest until any stirring motion dies out. Place it inside the

glovebox and shine a light directly on the crystal. Place white paper behind the crystal

container to act as a screen. The light passing through the container solution will produce

shadows on the white paper showing the convection currents affecting the crystal’s growth.

These may rise or fall, depending on the type of solution used. This activity is described in

NASA’s publication, Microgravity—A Teacher’s Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and

Technology.
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Day 1

Temperature

Other observations

Solution clarity Crystal sizes (select 10 to 20, measure, then calculate average size)

Day 2

Temperature

Other observations

Solution clarity Crystal sizes (select 10 to 20, measure, then calculate average size)

Day 3

Temperature

Other observations

Solution clarity Crystal sizes (select 10 to 20, measure, then calculate average size)

Day 4

Temperature

Other observations

Solution clarity Crystal sizes (select 10 to 20, measure, then calculate average size)

Day 5

Temperature

Other observations

Solution clarity Crystal sizes (select 10 to 20, measure, then calculate average size)

Crystal Growth Observation Log
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Bubble Technology

Building and Using a Fluid Flow Demonstrator

Grades 6-8

Teacher Introduction

Soap bubbles are great for experimentation and for

fun. In this activity, you will learn what bubbles

can teach us about surface tension and gravity’s

effect on fluids, such as water.

Each of us is accustomed to living in an

environment where we rely on gravity to make

many things work correctly. For instance, water

systems on Earth work against gravity (to pump

water uphill) or with it (letting it flow downhill).

However, water stored in a tank behaves much

differently in microgravity. In orbit, fluids like

water tend to “float” in a blob. Scientists study the

reaction of fluids—even molten metals—in

microgravity to be able to predict their behavior

and to be able to design safe and dependable fluid

systems for space and to improve how we make

materials on Earth.

It is difficult to analyze fluids as they move

through a pipe or in a tank. You can investigate

fluid flow by making a very thin film.

A soap film is really just a thin slab of water

sandwiched between two layers of soap molecules.

A soap film is 98% water and 2% soap. These films

can show fluid patterns and turbulence in the flow.

Studies of the turbulent patterns in soap films can

even give us a chance to simulate turbulence in the

atmospheres of giant planets (like the Great Red

Spot of Jupiter).

Soap films are very thin, so thin that they can be considered just two-dimensional (having

height and width, but no depth). Studying two-dimensional films can give us a way to predict

how fluids flow through pipes and small nozzles called orifices. Understanding fluid flow can

help to improve the efficiency of products such as car engines and home heating and cooling

systems. Studies may lead to a method of modeling fluid flow in a computer for design and

engineering simulations.

Bubbles are held together through surface tension. Molecules in a droplet of water are slightly

attracted to each other. At the surface, with no water molecules outside, this pull is stronger.

Vortexes can be seen across our solar system, from

the atmosphere of Jupiter swirling around the Great

Red Spot (above) to air rolling off the wingtips of an

airplane (as in the crop duster used in NASA tests,

below). You can also see it as cream is poured into a

cup of coffee that has just been stirred.
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It’s as if they try to stick together. This is why water

forms droplets, or sheets of water have rounded edges.

If the molecules want to stick together too much,

bubbles will not form very easily. That’s why we add

soap. Soap decreases the surface tension to about 1/3

of what it usually is and that makes it easy to form

bubbles (and so the water can get into and under dirt

to clean dishes, clothes, and us).

To make bubbles last longer, you need to add

something to a bubble solution to keep the water from

evaporating too fast. Glycerin is a substance that is

commonly used for this purpose. Substances such as

glycerin that have water-holding properties are called

hygroscopic liquids. Glycerin can be found in the

laxative aisle of a drug store.

In this activity, you can explore making different

bubble solutions as well as different metal forms to

make bubbles. As an introductory lesson on changing

the surface tension of water, you can have students

shake pepper over the surface of water in a shallow

container, such as a pie pan. Dip the tip of a toothpick

in liquid soap, then touch the toothpick to the center

and watch what happens to the pepper. Have the

students predict what will happen if you touch the

toothpick to the water at the edge of the container.

More suggestions for exploring surface tension are

included in the extension at the end of the activity.

Note: You can only do this once because the soap

breaks the surface tension. You will have to clean the

container thoroughly, or have additional containers, to

repeat this experiment.

If this is the first time your students have explored

bubbles, have them make enclosed shapes from wire

clothes hangers or other pipe cleaners. You can make

bubble frames from straws and short segments of pipe

cleaners. Check the reference list at the end of this

activity for more ideas.
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Bubble Technology

Building and Using a Fluid Flow Demonstrator

Grades 6-8

Problem solving steps

Identify the problem

Develop an approach

Design apparatus

Test apparatus

Modify

Yes

No Does it work?

Run experiment

Draw conclusions

Introduction

In this activity, you will design a device to make bubble films and

learn about surface tension.

Design Brief

Using the steps in a problem solving strategy, design and build a

bubble film apparatus to study fluid flow.

Objectives

In this activity, students will:

• Work in teams to design, build, and test a fluid flow

demonstrator.

• Experiment with different light sources to carefully study the

flow of fluid around objects.

A fluid is often thought of as a liquid, but fluids can be either liquids or gases. A fluid is matter

whose shape (under gravity’s effects) is determined by the shape of the container. Granular

materials can act like fluids even though the individual grains are solid. The fluid flow

demonstrator makes it possible to form a continuous soap film that flows from a reservoir onto

two strings and into a drip pan. When the strings are pulled apart, a large, thin sheet bubble,

called a film, is formed. The sheet of soap film can be made very large so that many students

can see the demonstration. Soap films are very thin. On Earth, gravity makes the film thicker at

the bottom than the top. The films range from a few microns (millionths of a meter) to several

tens of microns in thickness.

Although they are so thin, soap films can have lengths and

widths that are several meters in size. The soap molecules

form a surface layer on both sides of the film. The soap is

called a surfactant (surface active agent) because it creates

a surface over the water without dissolving. When objects

are coated with the soap solution and placed into the film,

patterns can be seen downstream of the object. The

brightest parts of a soap film are the thickest areas. A

swirling pattern in the film is called a vortex. The vortex

flow seen in the soap film liquid is similar to the tornadolike vortex of air created at the tips of airplane wings. A vortex will also create a bright area on

the soap film. Colors on the film can be indicators also. Red indicates counterclockwise

swirling; blue, clockwise.

A human hair is about 75

microns (75 μm) thick.

Soap films can be only a

few microns thick.
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Procedure

1. Follow the Project Team Activity to organize into groups and prepare a proposal for peer

review. See the Sample Proposal.

2. Thoroughly rinse a 2-liter drink bottle with water. Leftover drink can contaminate the

solution.

3. Carefully cut off the bottom of the bottle with sharp scissors.

4. Assemble the apparatus illustrated in the sample proposal or design a better method using

available materials and equipment. The goal is to have a steady drip from your solution

container.

5. Design and build a way to hang the soap container from the ceiling or other high point.

This could be a ladder with an extension off the side. You might use the basketball stands in

the gymnasium.

6. Place old carpet squares under and around the drip pan to catch any splashed solution and

reduce slip hazards.

7. Mix a bubble film solution using 1/2 cup of dishwashing detergent (Dawn® or Joy® work

best), 1/4 cup of glycerine and 1 gallon of water. You can also try other solution mixtures.

Letting the solution sit overnight makes bigger bubbles.

8. Experiment with different light sources (a low-power laser pointer, a slide projector,

polarizing sunglasses) and different angles of incidence to get the best view of the flow

pattern.

9. Wet various shaped waterproof objects in the bubble film solution and place them one at a

time in the film flow. Observe the downstream patterns created by the objects.

10. Important: Clean up any spilled bubble film solution immediately to prevent slipping on

the floor or surrounding area.

Discussion Questions

• How would your experiment work in microgravity?

• What would happen to liquid oxygen or liquid hydrogen inside a tank in a microgravity

environment?

• Observe and describe differences in colors that appear at the top and bottom of the film.

• Describe three things that you have learned about bubble and fluid flows.

• What is surface tension? What are characteristics of fluid flows?

• Compare a soap film vortex to some other kind of vortex that occurs in nature.
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• What happens when dry objects are placed in the fluid flow? Explain.

Extensions

• Describe what would happen to a water balloon if it popped in microgravity. View the

MPEG videos on-line at http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/balloon/blob.htm.

• From what you know about how fluids act in microgravity, explain what might happen to

the stomach contents of astronauts.

• Can you predict where the film will pop based on the color patterns?

• Experiment with a different soap solution formula to find a mix that makes the biggest

bubbles. Try various soap concentrations, distilled water, water temperature, or other

variables.

• Design a tank that would force water out under pressure in microgravity.

• Design a soap film apparatus to make the largest possible film area. Get teacher permission

before attempting the experiment.

• Research the effects of microgravity on the circulatory system of astronauts. Why do the

faces of astronauts look puffy in microgravity?

• Place a paper or cloth backdrop behind the bubble flow and videotape the experiment for

future evaluation.

• Observe the effect of a helium-neon laser on the soap film. (Follow the safety rules that

come with the laser. Never look directly into the beam or reflected beam of even a lowpower or “eye-safe” laser.)

• Experiment with different string materials.

Further Research

American Institute of Physics, soap film physics, http://www.aip.org/physnews/graphics/html/

soapfilm.htm

Ohio State University, soap film physics, http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~maarten/work/

soapflow/soapintro/basicsoap.html

Bosak, Susan V. Science is... Ontario: Scholastic Canada, 1991.

Doherty, P. and D. Rathjen. Exploratorium Science Snackbook. San Francisco: Exploratorium

Teacher Institute, 1991.

Lawrence Hall of Science. Great Explorations in Math and Science. Bubbleology and Bubble

Festival, 1986. http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/GEMS/gemsguides.html
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Isenberg, Cyril. The Science of Soap Films and Soap Bubbles. New York: Dover Press, 1992.

McKay, David E. and Bruce G. Smith. Space Science Projects for Young Scientists. New York:

Franklin Watts, 1992.

Teacher Notes

The fluid flow experiment is easy to set up as a demonstration and simple enough to have

small groups build their own. The materials are inexpensive and easily acquired. Special

attention should be paid to the following:

• A possible slipping hazard exists after prolonged use or accidental spills. A mop and a

bucket should be available to clear up slippery areas immediately. A tarp or inexpensive

backyard plastic swimming pool might be used to contain spills. A piece of old rug can

help prevent slips.

• Students will want to try to place their fingers or hands into the bubble film. This is

possible if they wet their hands in the bubble solution before putting them into the flow. A

supply of paper towels should be available to help clean off after the experiment. Locating

the experiment near a sink will aid in clean up and provide an easy place to rinse off the

solution. Use a spray bottle of vinegar to cut the soap and speed clean up.

• Students should be encouraged to experiment by trying a different formula for the bubble

solution. Changing the concentration of soap, the addition of glycerin to the solution, or the

use of distilled water instead of tap water can often improve results.

• Although the chemicals involved in the activity are very safe, students should be required

to wear safety goggles while experimenting. These can be purchased at hardware or lawn

and garden stores.

• Make sure the weight and fishing line are submerged in the fluid at the bottom before

pulling the nylon lines apart. Otherwise, a a fluid sheet will not form.

• A class competition to create an apparatus that will make the largest bubble film surface

will stimulate creative ideas. Each idea must be reviewed by the teacher with regard to

safety.

• Important: If a laser is used, observe all safety rules that come with it. Never look directly

into the beam or reflected beam of even a low-power or “eye-safe” laser.
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Item Description Quantity Cost ea. Total cost

Plastic Bottle 2 liter 1 0.00 0.00

Medicine Dropper (Possible donation) 1 .25 .25

Rubber Tubing 1/4” inside diameter, 3” long 1 .15 .15

Dish washing soap (Possible donation from home) 1 1.98 1.98

Fishing line (Possible donation) 1 2.49 2.49

Adjustable Clamp Adjusts fluid flow 1 2.99 2.99

Goggles Lawn or shop safety goggles 3 2.00 6.00

Washers (1/4 or 1/2 in) Hardware store 2 .25 .50

Glycerin Drug store 1 2.50 2.50

Rubber Stopper Drug store 1 .30 .30

Total 17.16

PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE: Fluid Flow Demonstrator

DESIGN BRIEF: Design and build a bubble film apparatus to study fluid flow.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS:

Principal Investigator: Ashley Firestone

• Scientists: Elli Whitney, Albert Stein

• Engineers:

Mechanical Engineer Stan Diego

Chemical Engineer Pam Cookingspray

Aerospace Engineer George Jones

Industrial Engineer Hanna Hanson

Structural Engineer Doug Walrath

• Technicians: Bob Upndown, Craig Waters

• Astronauts/Test Subjects: Gillian Island, Jarid Jones

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This project will let bubble solution drip out of a 2-liter plastic bottle onto strings. A rubber stopper

and adjustable clamp will regulate flow. The strings will be tied to a weight at the bottom and pulled

apart to make a bubble film. Extra bubble solution will be caught in a drip pan or bucket. A bubble

solution made of Dawn® or Joy® (1/2 cup), glycerine (1/4 cup) and water (1 gallon) will form a film

between the strings. Objects will be put into the film and the flow below it will be observed.

MATERIALS LIST

Sample Proposal
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Remove bottom carefully

2-liter plastic bottle

Bubble solution

Rubber tubing

Rubber stopper,

one hole

Adjustable

clamp

Tie fishing line

on medicine dropper

before putting

tubing on

Two strands

of fishing line

Medicine

dropper

without top

Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing

Bubble

solution

Soap

film

Pull

strings

(fishing

line)

Washer

Weight

(use washers)

Drip pan
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Sim Satellite!

Simulating Microgravity

Grades 6-8

Introduction

Working in space is a real challenge for the

astronauts. Before the astronauts go into orbit, they

have to spend many hours practicing how to use

special tools and equipment. Remember, they will

be in a microgravity environment once they are in

orbit. That means some effects of gravity will be

reduced compared to effects on Earth. In space, the

astronauts and other objects are in free fall as they

orbit Earth. Without the effects of gravity to pull

them and other objects down against the floor or a

table, there is no resistance and the slightest push

can send an object — or you — floating away.

Many people think that astronauts and other

objects in space move freely because there is no

gravity. That is not the case. It takes gravity to keep

the Shuttle and other objects orbiting Earth. Sir

Isaac Newton figured this out over 300 years ago.

He imagined placing a cannon on top of a very high

mountain. If he fired the cannon, the cannonball

would eventually fall to the ground. If he increased

the energy by using more firepower, the cannonball

would go out farther before it fell, but it would still

fall to the ground.

With just the right amount of energy applied to the

cannonball, its speed and direction (or velocity)

plus the pull of gravity would cause the ball to curve along Earth’s surface. The ball would

never hit the ground but would stay in orbit. Like the cannonball, the Shuttle and its

astronauts are constantly falling toward Earth; they move forward to match gravity’s pull in an

arc around Earth. The Shuttle and astronauts are in free fall and so experience microgravity. If

gravity did not exist, the Shuttle would keep moving away from Earth in a straight line with

constant speed.

A thrown stone, propelled by its own weight [inertia], is deflected from a straight-line 

course, follows a curve in the air, and ultimately falls to Earth. If it is thrown with a greater 

velocity, it will go farther. It is conceivable that if the velocity were increased enough, the 

stone would ultimately shoot beyond the borders of Earth and not fall back again.

Sir Isaac Newton

A balloon shaped like an astronaut stands in for the

real thing at the end of a mockup of the Shuttle robot

arm (top). This helped the crew train for flight

operations when they repaired the Hubble Space

Telescope (bottom).
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Astronauts perform some very specialized jobs while on space walks. They service and repair

satellites in low Earth orbit or build structures like connecting parts on the International Space

Station. Anytime you are working in orbit, you have to think about how microgravity will

affect your job. In the microgravity environment, you have to be careful how you move. Any

sudden movement can send you off in a direction you might not want to go. An astronaut

might spend 10 minutes on a job in a microgravity environment that she could easily do in 2

minutes on Earth. That means astronauts have to plan more time for simple tasks on space

walks. In addition, astronauts must wear bulky space suits that make using small tools and

equipment even more difficult. They have to be careful not to let go of objects or the gentlest

push might make the tool—or themselves—just float away!

You can see that practicing for a space walk and knowing how your tools and equipment work

before you go in orbit are very important. Astronauts train for some special tasks underwater.

Being underwater does not place you in free fall. But

if you can be made neutrally buoyant underwater—if

your density is the same as the density of the water,

so you neither sink nor rise—then what happens

moving and using certain tools is a lot like what

happens in microgravity. (To achieve neutral

buoyancy, engineers attach weights to the

astronaut’s space suit, or plastic floats to heavy

tools.) Just suppose you tried to fix a satellite during

a space walk without using the special foot restraints located around the payload bay. Every

time you tried to exert a force your body would move in the opposite direction. As you used a

wrench to tighten a bolt (a clockwise movement), your body would move in the opposite

(counterclockwise) direction. In the underwater facility, your body would move almost as it

would in orbit. The underwater facility lets the astronauts get the feel of microgravity and

what working in a bulky suit feels like. In addition, the underwater facility lets engineers see if

the tools they have designed work correctly and if the foot restraints and handholds are in the

right places.

Some training for using the Shuttle robot arm is done with

balloons in a large building, not under water. One of the Space

Shuttle mockups has the flight deck where the crew works, the

payload bay, and a working model of the robot arm. To practice

grappling payloads like the Hubble Space Telescope, or moving

astronauts around the Hubble or International Space Station for

maintenance work, the astronauts handle balloons shaped like

satellites or an astronaut. The balloons are filled with enough

helium to balance the balloon’s weight and make them neutrally

buoyant. This way the fragile model of the robot arm isn’t lifting

any real weight. But the crew goes through all the right motions

so they’ll know what to do in orbit.

In the Manipulator Development

Facility, a balloon model about the

same size as a module for the

International Space Station is held

over the Shuttle mockup for deployment. A balloon model of the Hubble

Space Telescope lies on the ground

to the right.

Buoyancy is a net force that lifts against 

the force of gravity. Any object—whether it 

is a grain of sand or a gas bubble immersed 

in a fluid—has a buoyant force acting on it. 

A boat floats on the water because of the 

buoyant force.
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Sim Satellite!

Simulating Microgravity

6-8

Problem solving steps

Identify the problem

Develop an approach

Design apparatus

Test apparatus

Modify

Yes

No Does it work?

Run experiment

Draw conclusions

Introduction

This design brief has two microgravity simulation activities. The

first activity addresses making things “float” on Earth using the

principle of neutral buoyancy. The second activity simulates

working in a microgravity environment. In both activities, you

will be using neutral buoyancy but without the swimming pool!

(Think about it: this is how the Goodyear blimp floats, without

rising or sinking, during football games.)

Design Brief

Using a team problem solving strategy, design and construct a

neutrally buoyant helium satellite model.

Objectives

In this activity, students will:

• Work in teams to design, construct, and test a helium satellite model for neutral buoyancy.

Procedure

1. Research the parts and design of various satellites and how they work.

2. Divide the class into project

teams. See the Project

Teams Activity for

ways to develop a

team.

3. Each team needs to

write a proposal for

the design of their

satellite. Students will

research satellite

designs and possible materials

to use for construction. See

construction design specifications and

sample proposal.

4. Satellites should be designed to be as

cost efficient as possible. Decide as a

NASA

Helium balloon

Tape

Tissue paper

solar array

Foam

grapple

point

Balsa wood

Thread

Thread
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class what materials should cost or set up a materials list as shown in the sample. Students

can use spreadsheet software on a computer to keep track of their total costs.

5. Students submit a proposal to the teacher for approval. Have teams build and test their

designs. Modify as needed. The helium balloon will not have the same buoyancy from day

to day (helium leaks through the rubber of a balloon) so they will need to have all the

components ready at the same time.

6. When the satellite model is able to float for 10 seconds without going up or down, it has

reached neutral buoyancy. Teams should test their designs in a room free of air currents, if

possible.

Design Specifications

There are many possible designs that will work to make a neutrally buoyant satellite.

Encourage teams to find different designs. The final design must meet the following minimum

specifications:

• Float without moving up or down for at least 10 seconds. A test will be conducted in a

room free of air currents.

• Be constructed of approved materials and quantities. See sample materials list on page 49.

• Have a designated grapple point (a reinforced area where you grab hold of the balloon).

• Have a minimum of 6 square inches of solar array area.

Each team should design the least expensive satellite simulator that will still work. Small

helium canisters (usually used for blowing up party balloons) can be purchased at discount

and retail stores. Also, you can obtain inflated balloons that meet your specifications.

Safety

• Follow all general safety rules established for your classroom when working with

materials, tools, and machines.

• Do not allow students or adults to inhale helium. It is a suffocation hazard if inhaled in

significant quantities.

Testing

When construction is complete, test each satellite to see if it has achieved neutral buoyancy.

That means it must float without moving up or down for at least 10 seconds in a place where

air currents are low or absent. Compare costs of the different satellites (including cost of

materials) and then allow time for minor changes. Test again. Student teams should share

successful ideas with other teams as well as possible modifications for more efficiency. Select

the most cost-efficient designs that achieve neutral buoyancy to use in the next activity.
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Evaluation

Use the team evaluation sheets in the Project Team chapter to evaluate the teams and each

individual member. You can videotape the activity and respond to what happened in the

simulated work experience.

Discussion Questions

• What design problems did you have in your neutrally buoyant satellite simulation?

• What team job did you have and how did you help the team?

• What would your team do differently if you could do this activity again?

• How could you make your design more cost efficient (less expensive)?

• Why does a helium balloon float?

• Where do astronauts use neutral buoyancy when training?

Extensions

• Design and construct neutrally buoyant satellites from other sizes and shapes of balloons.

• Construct a “staging area” to control your helium balloon while you adjust it to make it

neutrally buoyant.

Further Research

Bosak, Susan V. Science is... Ontario: Scholastic Canada, 1991.

NASA. Microgravity-A Teacher’s Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and

Technology. EG-1997-08-110-HQ, 1997.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Microgravity

NASA. Mathematics of Microgravity. EB-1997-02-119-HQ, 1997.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/

Mathematics.of.Microgravity

Smolders, Peter. Living in Space: A Handbook for Space Travellers. Blue Ridge Summit, PA:

Aero, 1986.

"Do-it-yourself" instructions for making a model of the Hubble Space Telescope. http://

sol.stsci.edu/~mutchler/HSTmodel.html.

NASA's Great Observatories Kit. http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/

Curriculum.Support/Technology/Models/NASA's.Great.Observatories.Kit/.index.html

Iceberg paper model links. http://www.peterjvisser.demon.nl/links.html
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PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE: Sim Satellite

DESIGN BRIEF: Design and build a satellite mockup that floats to simulate satellite handling

and retrieval in space.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Principal Investigator: Itsa Goodyear

• Scientists: I. Sikorsky

• Engineers: G. Zeppelin

• Technicians: Heloise Helios

• Astronauts/Test Subjects: D. Bowman, F. Poole

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Neutral buoyancy simulates how objects float in the microgravity

environment. A helium-filled balloon will float away. With enough weight added it will neither

float nor sink. If the weights are shaped like parts of a satellite, we can simulate handling a satellite

with the Space Shuttle’s robot arm.

MATERIALS LIST:

Sample Proposal

Item Description Quantity Cost ea. Total cost

Balloon Standard 12-inch 3 1.00 3.00

Helium Small canister, party pack size 1 20.00 20.00

Balsa wood 1/16 x 1/16 x 26 in. 1 .80 0.80

Tape Any type, 6 in. 1 0.00 0.00

Thread Sewing thread, 18 in. 1 0.00 0.00

Foam Low density bead board, 4 cu. in. 1 0.00 0.00

Glue Wood or hot glue, 2 oz. 1 0.15/oz 0.30

Paper clips Small or large 6 0.00 0.00

Straws Plastic drinking straws 4 0.00 0.00

Tissue paper Tissue wrapping paper, 40 sq. in. 1 0.25 0.25

TOTAL 24.35
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing

NASA

Helium balloon

Tape

Tissue paper

solar array

Foam

grapple

point

Balsa wood

Thread

Thread
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Hold That Satellite!

Working in a Simulated Microgravity Environment

Grades 6-8

Introduction

Now that the students have

had an opportunity to make

a neutrally buoyant

satellite, they are ready to

go to work in a simulated

microgravity

environment. The teams

must grapple and dock

an orbiting satellite for

repair. They have to grab

it by its grapple point with

the robotic arm. The grapple

point on a satellite is designed to

be strong enough to grab without

causing damage to other parts.

Astronauts practice raising and

lowering helium-filled balloon mockups

of satellites or payloads with a robotic

arm in the NASA Manipulator

Development Laboratory. This prepares them to use the robotic arm effectively on the Space

Shuttle. For the robotic arm, one team member can act as the robot or use an existing

mechanical robotic arm. (Balloon mockups are used because even lightweight mockups would

be too heavy for the robot arm mockup to lift. In the NASA lab, the balloons are not released to

float and then be recaptured. They are picked up from the ground or inside the Shuttle

mockup.)

Design Brief

Grab a satellite with a robotic arm in a simulated microgravity environment.

Objectives

In this activity, students will:

• Successfully grab a neutrally buoyant model satellite with a robotic arm.

• Work in a team environment to solve a problem.

NASA

Helium balloon

Tape

Tissue paper

solar array

Foam

grapple

point

Balsa wood

Thread

Thread
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End

effector

Wrist

joint

Rotating base

Shoulder

joint

Elbow

joint

Procedure

1. Divide the class into teams of five. The teams may be the same ones that

were set up in Sim Satellite to make the neutrally buoyant

satellites, or they may be changed. Team members should be

assigned a specific job. See the Project Teams chapter (page 7) or

you can do the activity as a whole class “team” approach. If

they are not doing this activity during the same period as the

previous one, they may need to make another neutrally

buoyant satellite.

2. Each team needs to develop a plan and generate robot

commands to be used in this exercise.

3. Define an area that will be used for the satellite maneuver

and the work envelope of the robot. The work envelope is

the maximum distance that each part of a robot arm can

move. They’ll want to be sure the neutrally buoyant satellite

stays in that area.

4. Identify the moving parts of a robotic arm:

• Shoulder: moves in and out and rotates (or, robot base rotates),

• Elbow: moves up and down,

• Wrist: pitches up and down, and rotates,

• End effector: opens and closes to grip objects.

5. Match the moving parts of a mechanical robotic arm with the human arm. Teams can make

up a command list to move a human “robotic” arm properly. For example, try commands

Project Team

People often work in teams to solve problems. Each student in the class will be a member of the team. In this 

activity, students will be asked to choose a career role from the following list:

Principal Investigator is the team leader and must understand all aspects of the problem and present it to 

the group. As team leader, the P.I. carries the greatest responsibility for the project.

Scientists usually specialize in a specific field of study or investigation. This activity needs scientists familiar 

with microgravity and neutral buoyancy.

Engineers use mathematics and scientific principles to solve technology-related problems. In this activity the 

engineer will work closely with the technicians to design robot commands that will move the robotic arm.

Technicians must work with a variety of machines and materials. He or she should be able to read and follow 

written directions and understand working drawings.

Astronauts perform the actual operation. In practice, several test subjects develop the procedure for the 

astronauts to refine and then rehearse on Earth before flight. In this activity, students will take turns trying 

to grapple the neutrally buoyant balloon satellite.
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such as “End effector close” or “Elbow up” on a team mate. If you are using a mechanical

robot arm, use the control commands that work for that robot model.

6. If you are using a person to be the robotic arm, blindfold the person. Team members take

turns giving commands to the robot arm as they try to grab the grapple point of the

neutrally buoyant balloon satellite. Be sure you remember to make a “stop” command so

the human “robotic” arm can stop movement at the proper time. If you are using a

mechanical model, team members should take turns at the controls. A challenge or

extension might be to set up a video camera to view the robot arm and satellite from a

remote location (or with a lightweight camera atop the robot arm). Try to grab the grapple

point by watching it on a TV monitor.

7. Have teams time how long it takes to grab a free-floating satellite with their “robotic” arm.

Evaluation

Use the team evaluation sheets in the Project Team activity to evaluate the teams and each

individual member. You or the students might video tape the activity and respond to what

happened in the simulated work experience.

Discussion Questions

• How would you change the satellite design to make it easier to grab the grapple point?

• How do you know helium is less dense than air?

• How are satellites powered?

• What was the most difficult part about controlling your robotic arm?

• What team job did you have and how did you help the team?

Extensions

• Use walkie-talkie radios to communicate between someone watching the satellite/robot

and another student controlling the robot but unable to see it.

Can you imagine trying to lift an object that is as fragile as a glass 

ornament, big as two buses, and costs tens of millions of dollars? To learn 

how to do this, astronauts practice in a special place called the Manipulator 

Development Facility, or MDF, where there is a simulated robotic arm. On 

the real Shuttle, the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) is the mechanical 

arm used to move payloads in and out of the payload bay in space. It has 

three joints — shoulder, elbow, and wrist— that work much like the joints 

on a human arm. At the end of the wrist is a special end effector that grabs 

the grapple on free-flying payloads.
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• Design a robotic arm to use for this activity.

• Dock the satellite in a payload bay mockup without damaging the solar arrays.

Further Research

More information on neutral buoyancy, density, robotics, and working in a microgravity

environment can be found in the following resources.

“Canadarm: The Background.” Article in Science Dimension magazine. http://www.ieee.ca/

millennium/canadarm/canadarm_background.html

NASA. Cool Robot of the Week at the NASA Telerobotics web site. http://ranier.hq.nasa.gov/

telerobotics_page/coolrobots.html

NASA. Space Shuttle News Reference, Payload Deployment and Retrieval System. http://

science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts-caws.html#sts-deploy

NASA. Microgravity-A Teacher’s Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and

Technology. EG-1997-08-110-HQ, 1997.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Microgravity

NASA. Mathematics of Microgravity. EB-1997-02-119-HQ, 1997.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/

Mathematics.of.Microgravity

NASA. Liftoff to Learning Series Videotape: Let’s Talk Robotics. EV-1998-04-015-HQ, 1998.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Let’s.Talk.Robotics

Microgravity News and Research, on-line at http://microgravity.nasa.gov.

Mullane, R. Mike. Do Your Ears Pop in Space?: And 500 Other Surprising Questions About

Space Travel. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.

Smolders, Peter. Living in Space: A Handbook for Space Travellers. Blue Ridge Summit,

PA: Aero, 1986.
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PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE: Hold That Satellite!

DESIGN BRIEF: Develop the procedures for recovering a balloon satellite mockup to simulate

satellite handling and retrieval in space.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Principal Investigator: Itsa Goodyear

• Scientist: I. Sikorsky

• Engineer: Itsa Goodyear, Griff Zeppelin,

• Technician: Heloise Helios

• Astronauts/Test Subjects: D. Bowman, F. Poole

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Satellites must be handled with care because they are fragile and

cost a lot of money. In microgravity, small motions can make a satellite move away from the Space

Shuttle. We will develop procedures for safely capturing and storing a satellite mockup.

MATERIALS LIST:

Sample Proposal

Item Description Quantity Cost ea. Total cost

Sim Satellite Developed in earlier exercise 1 0.00 .00

Robot arm Possible donation or loan 1 0.00 .00

TOTAL 0.00
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing

NASA

Helium balloon

Tape

Tissue paper

solar array

Foam

grapple

point

Balsa wood

Thread

Thread

End

effector

Wrist

joint

Rotating base

Shoulder

joint

Elbow

joint
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A Drop in the Bucket

Microgravity Drop Tower Activity

Grades 9-12

Introduction

Astronauts experience microgravity because they are actually

falling toward Earth while their horizontal velocity keeps them at

the same altitude. Free fall on Earth is like being in orbit with one

exception: on Earth whatever you drop will eventually reach the

ground.

Scientists use special facilities called drop towers to perform

experiments in areas such as combustion (burning) and fluid flow.

Many people are surprised to hear that scientists, engineers, and

technicians spend months designing and building experiments

just to drop them from a high point. The experiments are not

destroyed, however, they land in a special bag or in a deep basin

of foam beads.

Many scientific experiments last for hours, days, weeks, or even

years. Drop tower experiments only last a few seconds.

The information is recorded by video camera and

other sensors to be analyzed later. NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland,

OH, has two drop towers. The 24.1-meter (79-foot) high tower is designed to lift

and drop experiments for 2.2 seconds. A larger, 131-meter (430-foot) drop

chamber provides a 5.2-second microgravity environment in a

vacuum.

In this activity, you will design and build a drop tower to videotape a

series of experiments and investigate microgravity conditions on

Earth.

Drop tower experiments are performed to investigate the effects of a microgravity

environment on experiments. NASA’s microgravity drop towers use a thin optical fiber cable, or

sometimes a small transmitter, to send video and data to computers. Gathering information in

an experiment is called data acquisition. A video signal can carry a great deal of information

very quickly. The time of the drop experiment is only a few seconds, so the data are recorded

and analyzed carefully later. This communication link between the experiment and the

computer is similar to the phone lines that you might use. The

information is carried on a very thin glass thread. The glass fiber is so

thin that it is very flexible. Laser light carries the data through the very

pure glass fiber. The laser light can go long distances without becoming

weak.

Sensors gather information during the experiment. Sensors or transducers

An experiment package is readied

for a 24-meter drop in the 2.2-

second Drop Tower Facility at

NASA’s John H. Glenn Research

Center.
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TV monitor 12-volt

power

supply

Plastic tarp

Video and 12-volt cables

Video camera

Pulley

Cord

Pulley

stand

Hair dryer or

small blower

(set to blow;

no heat)

Experiment

platform

Plastic garbage can

Air escape door

VCR

can take a very small sample of information such as temperature, light strength or voltage and

give scientists and technicians the ability to measure very accurately. The data gathered during

the experiments are often a long series of numbers representing sensor measurements taken

during the experiment. Computer software is used to graph

the numbers in a meaningful way so the results of the

experiment can be interpreted.

Building a microgravity drop tower in a laboratoryclassroom is not as hard as you might think. The data

will be gathered during the drop experiment through

a video signal. After the experiment the students will

carefully analyze the video to see the effects of

microgravity. The plans shown here are for a free

standing drop tower. You may decide to attach

the pulley to the ceiling of the classroom or the

basketball backboard in the gym instead.
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Problem solving steps

Identify the problem

Develop an approach

Design apparatus

Test apparatus

Modify

Yes

No Does it work?

Run experiment

Draw conclusions

A Drop in the Bucket

Microgravity Drop Tower Activity

9-12

Design Brief

Using the problem solving steps, design and build a drop tower to perform microgravity

experiments.

Objectives

In this activity, students will:

• Design and construct a microgravity drop tower system.

• Design and build a pulley stand to raise a test chamber to the highest point in your

classroom or design another pulley attachment to go on a ceiling.

• Connect a video camera from a drop chamber to a VCR and monitor.

• Design and build a catch device for the drop chamber.

• Build an experiment apparatus to use in the drop tower.

• Conduct drop experiments to assess effects of microgravity.

Procedure

1. Divide the class into project teams (see Project Team Activity).

There will be a separate team for the following tasks:

• Pulley stand or ceiling mount

• Test chamber

• Catch device

2. Prepare project proposals for each part of the drop tower.

3. Have students use the sample proposals in this guide or design

their own methods and experiments.

4. Teams must get the approval of the peer review committee and

the safety inspector (teacher) before proceeding.

5. Have teams gather the materials needed for the project.

6. Teams should build the drop tower apparatus following the approved plans. If changes are

needed, they should be approved by the safety inspector (teacher).

7. Pretest the design. Inspect parts for rough edges. Make sure all the parts work together.
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8. Conduct experiments and record observations.

9. Teams should report the results of their experiments to the class.

Note: The Microgravity Drop Tower is a large project that relies on all students working as a

team. Many real-world projects are much more complicated than this classroom activity.

Project managers often create a timeline to schedule all of the subprojects so they are

completed on time. Project management is an important skill for students to master as they get

involved with more complex activities.

Extensions

• Design a part of the experiment so that special equipment available in the laboratoryclassroom can be used.

• Use CAD software, if available, to make the drawings.

• Use a frame-accurate VCR to determine the drop time. (Standard speed is 30 frames per

second.)

• With teacher supervision, design and build a drop tower system that could be placed at the

highest point of the school’s gym. Remember that a longer drop means greater speed at

impact, so a larger, more robust catch system may be needed.

• Create a timeline for the completion of all of the subprojects related to the construction of

the microgravity drop tower.

• Create a spreadsheet to chart findings for the entire microgravity drop tower project.

• Design a taller drop tower that could be moved outside of the school. What type of

experiments could take place outside without being affected by the wind? Again, an even

larger catch device may be needed.

• Design and sketch a different type of catch device that uses packing material to cushion the

fall of the test chamber.

Evaluation

Use the team evaluation form in this guide to evaluate the team and individuals in solving the

design problem.

Discussion Questions

• Sketch a drop tower that could be safely mounted to the ceiling in the highest part of the

school gym.

• How could the design of the test chamber be improved?
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• Research the properties of selected materials for impact strength. Which materials are best

suited for the drop tower apparatus?

• How would the microgravity drop tower work differently on the Moon?

• Why do scientists use drop towers for research?

Further Research

More information can be found in the following web sites and resources:

2.2-second Drop Tower. http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/facility/_DTOWER.HTM

NASA Microgravity Research Program Office. http://microgravity.nasa.gov/

Discussions of gravity at NASA’s Ames Research Center

http://spaceprojects.arc.nasa.gov/Space_Projects/SSBRP/gravity.html

http://spaceprojects.arc.nasa.gov/Space_Projects/SSBRP/microgravity.html

National Center for Microgravity Research. http://www.ncmr.org/education/k12/overheads.html

NASA. The Microgravity Demonstrator. EG-1998-12-49-MSFC, 1998; and videotape.

NASA. Microgravity—A Teacher’s Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and

Technology. EG-1997-08-110-HQ. 1997.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Microgravity

NASA. Mathematics of Microgravity. EB-1997-02-119-HQ. 1997

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Mathematics.of.Microgravity

Teacher’s Notes

The microgravity drop tower is a high-tech activity that is easy to build and use. Teachers with

limited resources can modify the materials and construction suggestions given in the sample

proposals to suit available equipment and materials. As with every laboratory-classroom

activity, it is important that every student knows and follows the general lab and the specific

safety rules related to each piece of equipment. A safety zone should surround the drop tower

catch device. Students should follow the procedure outlined in the A Drop in the Bucket activity

when using the tower.

The tower can be made in many different ways. Schools with mezzanine areas may have a

natural location for the tower. A temporary tower could be quickly set up using a stepladder

with a pulley attached to its top.

The part of the experiment that can be somewhat confusing is the attachment of the wires to

the small video camera. Teachers should be careful to observe the polarity of the 12 volt DC

connections. Cameras come with a wiring diagram that should be followed. An AC/DC

transformer power supply should be ordered as an option if available. The wires from the
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power supply can easily be spliced to longer leads for the drop chamber. Care should be taken

to leave enough slack in the 12-volt DC wires and the video cable to prevent tangling with the

cord used to raise the chamber. To keep the cables from dragging on the experiment package

(for example, through a pulley at the top of the stand), coil the cable atop the package so the

two fall together. Make sure the cables are a little longer than the distance the package will

drop. This way the package will fall away from the cables rather than pulling them.

Small, inexpensive video cameras are widely available and can be found at mail-order and ecommerce sites on the web. Some are priced as low as $100.

Due to the delicate nature of the electronics, it is recommended that the camera be ordered

with a protective case. The camera can be attached to the drop chamber using a combination of

adhesive hook and loop tape and plastic cable ties. The wires should be attached to the

chamber at a different point than the camera connections to provide some stress relief. The

cord used to raise the chamber should be 1/8 inch nylon or other strong abrasion resistant

material. Hardware items such as bolts, nuts, pulleys, cord, plastic tarp, and plastic trash can,

can be purchased locally.
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PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE: Microgravity Drop Tower Stand

DESIGN BRIEF: Design and build a stand to lift a microgravity test chamber to the highest possible

point in the classroom.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS:

• Principal Investigator: Pat Yourhead

• Scientists: Rob Abank, Don Alduck

• Engineers:

Mechanical: Rhonda Bend

Aerospace: Cam Shaft

Structural: Frank Leespeaking

• Technician: Linda Hand

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project will provide a mounting point for a pulley that will lift a

microgravity drop tower test chamber. The stand will be made of 1" x 2" rectangular steel tubing.

Oxyacetylene welding (to be done in a school machine shop) will be used to fasten the parts. The

height will be determined by the ceiling height of the classroom. The plywood floor platform should be

large enough to hold the trash can catch device. After the test chamber is completed, it will be attached

to a cord that runs over the pulley. An optional ceiling mount can be built for attaching to high

ceilings.

MATERIALS LIST:

Item Description Quantity Cost ea. Total cost

Steel tubing 1” x 2” rectangular 15 1.45 21.75

Pulley 2” diam 1 5.95 5.95

Flat steel x 18” 1” x 1/8” 4 0.95 3.80

Plywood 3/4” x 48”x48” 1 16.00 16.00

Stove bolt/nut 1/4” x 1-1/2” 7 0.12 0.84

TOTAL 43.84

Sample Proposal
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing

1"x2" rectangular

steel tubing

2" pulley

Height varies

with room

1"x1/8" flat steel

1/4"x11/2"

stove bolts

3/4"x48"x48" plywood
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PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE: Microgravity Drop Tower Test Chamber

DESIGN BRIEF: Design and build a microgravity test chamber.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS:

• Principal Investigator: Anna Mation

• Scientists: Hank O’Hare, Golda Themhills

• Engineers:

Mechanical: Woody Knott

Structural: Bob Sled

Aerospace: Molly Thedog

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Microgravity Drop Tower Test Chamber is a four-sided box that

holds experiments and a video camera. A standard size experiment platform is used so other students

can be building experiments while the test chamber is built. The box will be 10"x10"x7-1/2". If

possible, the box will be made of polycarbonate to resist cracking and is formed on a strip heater. A

1/4" plywood box with reinforced corners would work as well if a strip heater is not available. The

material used will be subjected to repeated drops. Every precaution should be taken to avoid rough

edges or sharp points that could puncture the inflated plastic tarp on the catch device. The

experiment platform should slide easily out of the test chamber so different experiments can be tested

quickly yet held securely.

MATERIALS LIST:

Item Description Quantity Cost ea. Total cost

Polycarbonate sheet 1/4” x 42” x 7-1/2” 1 2.45 2.45

Polycarbonate sheet 1/8” x 7” x 7” 10 0.35 3.50

Cord 1/8” nylon x 12’ 1 0.95 0.95

Video camera 9-12 volt DC chip camera 1 179.00* 179.00

VCR & TV monitor Borrow from school library 1 0.00 0.00

Wire 22 Ga. std. 50” 2.99 2.99

Wire, coax RG-6 video coax 50” 10.12 10.12

Wood strips 3/4” x 3/4” x15” 1 0.20 0.20

Bolts, stove 1/2”-20 x 1-1/2” 4 0.10 0.40

Bolts, stove 1/4”-20 x 1” 2 0.10 0.20

Screw eye 1/4”-20 x 1” 2 0.10 0.20

TOTAL 200.01

Sample Proposal

* Units are available for as little as $100.
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing

Cord to pulley

on drop stand

-12 volts DC

+12 volts DC

Video cable

Video camera

Cable ties

Experiment

platform

Wood slide

7"x7"x1/8"

plastic or hardboard
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PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE: Microgravity Drop Tower Catch Device

DESIGN BRIEF: Design and build a catch device to withstand the drop forces and impact of the test

chamber without damaging the mounted camera or experiments.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS:

• Principal Investigator: Jan Uary

• Engineers:

Mechanical: Herb Gardner

Structural: Tina Little

Industrial: Sam Playitagain

• Technicians: Brad Nail, Barb Morgan

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Microgravity Drop Tower Catch Device is designed to stop the fall

of the Test Chamber without breaking the experiments or the video camera. The device works like an

air bag. Low pressure air is blown into a plastic garbage can by a hair dryer or low power blower. The

can is covered loosely by a plastic tarp duct taped to the inside of the can. An air escape door is cut into

the side of the plastic can to allow the air to rapidly escape on impact. In use, the “air bag” is inflated

by the blower/hair dryer. As the Test Chamber hits, the air escape door blows open to release pressure.

MATERIALS LIST:

Item Description Quantity Cost ea. Total cost

Garbage can Plastic 1 12.95 12.95

Duct tape Wide 1 7.98 7.98

Blower/hair dryer Possible donation 1 14.98 14.98

Plastic tarp Reinforced 1 3.95 3.95

TOTAL 39.86

Sample Proposal
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing

Hairdryer or

small blower

set to blow;

no heat

Cut door to let

air escape when

test chamber hits

Plastic tarp

Duct tape tarp

to inside of can
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A Drop in the Bucket

Drop Tower Experiments

Grades 9-12

Introduction

Astronauts experience microgravity because they are actually falling

toward Earth while their horizontal velocity keeps them at the same

altitude. Free fall on Earth is like being in orbit with one exception:

on Earth whatever you drop will eventually reach the ground.

Scientists use special facilities called drop towers to perform

research experiments in disciplines such as combustion (burning)

and fluid flow. Many people are surprised to hear that people spend

months designing and building experiments just to drop them from

a high point. Drop tower experiments only last a few seconds and

end in an air bag or cushion of foam beads. Even though the

duration is brief, scientists can collect a lot of short-term data in

preparation for space flight.

In this activity, students will develop and test selected experiments. Because the period of

microgravity is very brief, students will videotape the effects that occur during testing for slow

playback and study. Students will use the drop tower facility from the previous design brief to

test their experiments in this activity. See the Microgravity Drop Tower Construction Activity

for details.

Design Brief

Using the steps in a problem solving strategy, design and build microgravity drop tower

experiments that can be tested in a drop tower. Videotape the drop experiments and analyze

the results.

Objectives

In this activity, students will:

• Use problem solving steps to design, build, and test experiments that illustrate the effects

of a microgravity environment.

• Build an experiment that demonstrates their ability to plan, design, build, and test your

ideas.

• Test their experiment by videotaping it during a free fall drop.

• Analyze the results of their tests using the videotape.

• Select and design an experiment that tests a property that gravity affects and that could

change when dropped.

Problem solving steps

Identify the problem

Develop an approach

Design apparatus

Test apparatus

Modify

Yes

No Does it work?

Run experiment

Draw conclusions
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Drop towers are used to create a microgravity environment without going

into orbit. When you think about the fact that human space flight is very

expensive, you can see why experiments are often tried in a ground-based

laboratory setting before flight. Drop tower experiments are a less expensive

way to test concepts and ideas. By designing experiments that fall for even a

short time on Earth, scientists, engineers, and technicians can learn a great

deal about how things work in microgravity.

Drop tower experiments are unique in many ways, but one of the biggest

differences from most experiments is the fact that they only last a few

seconds. The time in free fall is very short. Calculate the length of

microgravity time in the

drop tower by using the

formula in the box.

Check the time

calculation if the VCR

counts the frames of

video in addition to the

seconds, minutes, and

hours. (The U.S.

National Television

Standards Committee

(NTSC) standard is 30

frames of video per

second. European

countries use a different

standard. If the VCR

provides a frame

counter, compare your

videotape drop time to your calculation above.) Because the distance

increases by the square of the time, getting longer periods of low-g means

building even taller drop towers! To get a full second of microgravity means

a fall of 4.9 meters (16 feet). To get 2 seconds means 19.5 meters (64 feet); 4

seconds means 78 meters (256 feet). A full minute (neglecting air resistance)

would require a drop of almost 17.7 kilometers (11 miles)!

Procedure

1. Divide the class into project teams. See the Project Team Activity.

2. Each team will write a proposal for an experiment and get teacher

approval. The teams will present their proposals to the peer review

panel. Teams can use the proposals in this activity or devise new

experiments.

3. Teams design and produce their experiments.

t = time of microgravity (in seconds)

h = height of drop tower (drop distance in m or ft)

g = acceleration due to gravity

t =

2h

g

Note:

If h is in feet, g = 32 ft/s2.

If h is in meters, g = 9.8 m/s2.

An alternative form is:

h = gt2

2

Remember that speed

increases, too:

v = gt

t =0

v = 0

d=0

t = 1 s

v = 9.8 m/s

32.2 ft/s

d = 4.9 m

16.1 ft

t = 2 s

v = 19.6 m/s

64.4 ft/s

d = 19.6 m

64.4 ft

t = 3 s

v = 29.5 m/s

96.6 ft/s

d = 44.2 m

144.9 ft

t = 4 s

v = 39.4 m/s

128.8 ft/s

d = 78.5 m

257.6 ft
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3. Teams conduct one or more drop tower experiments and record their observations by

videotape.

4. Get final approval from the teacher. Check for the following:

• Loose parts that could fly off on impact

• Camera operation — viewing area, focus, background

• VCR recording — tape ready, rewind/fast forward to recording point

• Catch device inflated

• Area clear of people

• 3... 2... 1... Drop warning

5. Each team presents their results in a formal team presentation to the class.

Evaluation

• Each student writes a short paragraph describing what they think will happen to their

experiment when it is dropped.

Discussion

1. How did the results of the drop test compare to the hypothesis?

2. Explain what happened in the experiment using scientific principles.

3. How long would the drop time be if the tower was twice as high?

4. How high would the tower have to be to double the drop time? Explain.

5. How would a drop of water look in microgravity? Explain.

Note: This information could be incorporated in a team or individual portfolio. Use the team

evaluation form to evaluate team efforts to solve the design problem.

Extensions

• Design a safe way to drop a candle in the microgravity drop tower. Get teacher approval for

the design and try it. What was the shape of the flame during free fall?

• Research the “Vomit Comet,” or NASA microgravity research airplane. What types of

experiments have taken place aboard the KC-135?

• Research the filming of the movie Apollo 13. How did the set designers make the floating

astronaut scenes look so real?
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• Design and build an experiment that could illustrate how fluids act in microgravity.

Teacher Notes

Students can express their creativity and use their imagination in designing an experiment in

this activity. Brainstorming will reveal a long list of possible ideas, but some parameters

should be placed on the actual experiments. Using live animals should be excluded from study.

Experiments using liquids or involving open flames should be designed to be safe and

teacher-tested before class.

An alternative form of these experiments is to attach a home camcorder to a board with the

experiment package mounted in front of the lens (use the macro setting and check the focus).

Have a student tape the experiment package while riding a swing. Observe the differences at

the top of the swing’s arc as compared to the bottom.

Further Research

More information can be found at the following web sites and in other resources:

KC-135 (Vomit Comet): http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/kjenks/kc-135.htm

2.2-second Drop Tower: http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/facility/_DTOWER.HTM

NASA Microgravity Research ProgramOffice: http://microgravity.nasa.gov

Discussions of gravity at NASA’s Ames Research Center

http://spaceprojects.arc.nasa.gov/Space_Projects/SSBRP/gravity.html

http://spaceprojects.arc.nasa.gov/Space_Projects/SSBRP/microgravity.html

NASA. The Microgravity Demonstrator. EG-1998-12-49-MSFC, 1998.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Microgravity.Demonstrator

NASA. Microgravity—A Teacher’s Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and

Technology. EG-1997-08-110-HQ, 1997.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Microgravity
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PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE: Microgravity Drop Tower Experiment

DESIGN BRIEF: Design and build an experiment for the microgravity drop tower. Build the

experiment to withstand the drop forces and impact of hitting a catch device without damage.

Design the experiment to be within the view of the test chamber camera.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

• Principal Investigator: June July

• Engineers:

Mechanical: August Summer

StructuralMay Spring

Industrial: April Flowers

• Technicians: Bob Around, Candy Sweetooth

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The drop tower experiments show how things work in a

microgravity environment. A seven inch square piece of 1/8" plastic or hardboard will be used

as a platform. Safety will be the first consideration in each experiment. (See sample

experiments.)

MATERIALS LIST:

Item Description Quantity Cost ea. Total cost

Plastic platform Acrylic plastic, 7” square 1 .35 .35

Scale Postage or kitchen 1 7.98 7.98

Tape Two-sided 1 1.49 1.49

Weight 1 ounce 1 3.95 3.95

TOTAL 13.77

Sample Proposal
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing SAMPLE EXPERIMENTS

Scale: Attach a small postal scale to the

experiment platform. Tape a weight to the pan

of the scale. Place a small piece of foam under

the pan to dampen movement.

Density Spheres: Use a small toy containing

liquids of different density. Observe the shape of

the spheres in a microgravity environment.

Magnet Repulsion: Design a movable lever with a

magnet glued to its end. Have another magnet

mounted beneath with like poles facing each

other to repel.

Balloon Pop... or not? Tape a partially inflated balloon

to a support structure (most easily made of

wood). Use rubber bands to suspend a pin

attached to a weight under the balloon. The

rubber bands must be weighted so they are

stretched to hold the pin away from the balloon.

This allows the band to return to its neutral

position when the package is dropped. Try to

predict what will happen when the experiment

is dropped. Remember to think about the

viewing area of the video camera. Repeat the

experiment using string instead of rubber bands.

Compare the results when using strings and

rubber bands.

Sample Proposal

Scale

Density

spheres

Magnet

repulsion

Balloon pop

...or not?
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing

Accelerometer: Build an accelerometer as described in NASA’s

Microgravity — Teacher’s Guide with Activities in Science,

Mathematics, and Technology.

Mass Swing: Use a fishing sinker on a string, rubber band, or a

spring to see the effects of a microgravity environment.

Think of your own ideas for other ways to hang the

weight.

Mass Spring Variations: What happens to a mass pulling on a

spring when put into a microgravity environment? Try

different masses and springs.

Egg Timer: Fasten a 3-minute egg timer to the experiment

platform. Observe the movement of the sand during free

fall. You might need to build a stand to place the timer in

the field of view of the video camera.

Your Design Solution: Make a three-dimensional view sketch

or a CAD (Computer Aided Design) drawing of a

microgravity drop tower experiment. Simulate the

experiment using physics simulation software to design

and animate experiments on a computer. Run the

experiment a frame at a time to analyze the results. Write

a proposal to go along with your experiment.

Sample Proposal

Accelerometer

Mass swing

Mass spring

variations

Egg timer
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Approval

Peer Review Panel

Safety Inspection (Teacher)

Project details

Sketch/drawing Design Hints:

• Keep all experiment platforms the same size.

• Place a piece of paper on the side of the test

chamber to mark the camera viewing area.

Use grid paper for easy measurement.

Account for parallax.

• Have all experiments approved by your

teacher for safety.

Sample Proposal
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Appendix

References

Print

Bosak, Susan V. Science is... Ontario: Scholastic Canada, 1991.

Doherty, P. and D. Rathjen. Exploratorium Science Snackbook. San Francisco: Exploratorium

Teacher Institute, 1991

Isenberg, Cyril. The Science of Soap Films and Soap Bubbles. New York: Dover Press, 1992.

McKay, David E. and Bruce G. Smith. Space Science Projects for Young Scientists. New York:

Franklin Watts, 1992.

Mullane, R. Mike. Do Your Ears Pop in Space?: And 500 Other Surprising Questions About

Space Travel. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.

NASA. The Microgravity Demonstrator. EG-1998-12-49-MSFC, 1998

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Microgravity.Demonstrator

NASA. Microgravity-A Teacher’s Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and

Technology. EG-1997-08-110-HQ, 1997.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Microgravity

NASA. Mathematics of Microgravity. EB-1997-02-119-HQ, 1997.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Mathematics.of.Microgravity

Smolders, Peter. Living in Space: A Handbook for Space Travellers. Blue Ridge Summit, PA:

Aero, 1986.

Welty, Kenneth. “Desktop farming.” Technology and Children, 3:1, pp. 3-6, 1998.

Videos

NASA. Liftoff to Learning Series Videotape: Microgravity. EV-1997-07-008-HQ, 1997.

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/NASA.Educational.Products/Microgravity.Video.Resource.Guide

Electronic Resources

General Microgravity Information

Microgravity Research Program, http://microgravity.nasa.gov

Spacelink, http://spacelink.nasa.gov

Glenn Research Center, Educational Programs, http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/OEP/

Ames Research Center

gravity, http://spaceprojects.arc.nasa.gov/Space_Projects/SSBRP/gravity.html

microgravity, http://spaceprojects.arc.nasa.gov/Space_Projects/SSBRP/microgravity.html

Microgravity Newsletter, http://mgnews.msfc.nasa.gov/site/

National Center for Microgravity Research, http://www.ncmr.org

Bubble Technology

American Institute of Physics, http://www.aip.org/physnews/graphics/html/soapfilm.htm

Ohio State University, http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~maarten/work/soapflow/soapintro/

basicsoap.html

Crystal Growth and Glovebox Experiments

Glovebox program and experiments, http://microgravity.nasa.gov/Glov.html
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Biotechnology program, http://microgravity.nasa.gov/Biot.html

Materials science research program, http://microgravity.nasa.gov/MS.html

Drop Towers and Drop Tower Experiments

2.2-second Drop Tower: http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/facility/_DTOWER.HTM

Microgravity Man, http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/ugman/

KC-135 (Vomit Comet), http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/kjenks/kc-135.htm

Glossary

alloys: metals made from the combining of other metals.

buoyancy-driven convection: when a fluid starts moving because of a density difference.

buoyancy: an upward force exerted on a body by a surrounding fluid. If the body weighs more

than the displaced fluid (i.e., has greater density), it is negatively buoyant and sinks. If it

weighs less (lower density), it is positively buoyant and rises. If the two are equal (equal

densities), then the body is neutrally buoyant and neither sinks nor rises.

design brief: a short, concise description of what a project is to achieve and how it will be

done.

drop tower: a special facility in which experiments are dropped in order to place the

experiment in free fall.

fluid: matter whose shape is determined by the shape of its container in 1 g; a liquid or gas.

free fall: condition in which a body drops without being slowed by an outside force such as

atmospheric drag.

geotropism: plant response to gravity in which roots grow downward and stems grow up.

glovebox: an enclosed module or box used to conduct experiments through ports usually

fitted with gloves to protect the operator or experiment.

gravitropism: plant response to gravity in which roots grow downward and stems grow up.

gravity: a fundamental force or attraction between any two or more masses.

hydroponics: growing plants in water or other solution and without soil.

hygroscopic liquid: a liquid with water-holding properties.

microgravity: conditions in which the apparent gravitational pull is significantly less than that

at sea level on Earth.

micron: millionth (10-6) of a meter.

orbit: state of continuous free motion around a planet or star.

phototropism: plant response to light, in which plants grow toward light.

principal investigator: a scientist who is in charge of an investigation (which may include

several experiments).

sedimentation: settling of materials of different densities due to gravity.

surfactant: a substance that creates a surface over water without dissolving (surface active

agent).

surface tension: attraction of molecules in a liquid to one another.

vortex: swirling pattern in soap film or other fluid.

work envelope: the maximum distance each part of a robot arm can move.
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Microgravity: Earth and Space

K-12 Guide for Educators and Students

in Technology, Science, and Mathematics Education

Teacher Reply Car

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To help America achieve its goals in Educational Excellence, it is NASA’s mission to develop supplementary instructional materials and curricula in science,

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