Space Exploration

PREREQUISITES:

2. Design a collector's card, with a picture on the front and information on the back, about your favorite space pioneer. Share your card and discuss four other space pioneers with your counselor.

3. Build, launch, and recover a model rocket under the supervision of an experienced or qualified person approved by your counselor. Make a second launch to accomplish a specific objective. Identify and explain the following rocket parts:

Safety Note: All scouting activities involving rocket launches should follow the Scouting rocket safety guidelines

Alternative Requirement: If local laws prohibit launching model rockets, do the following activity: Make a model of a NASA rocket. Explain the functions of the parts. Give the history of the rocket.

(a) Body tube

(b) Engine mount

(c) Fins

(d) Igniter

(e) Launch lug

(f) Nose cone

(g) Payload

(h) Recovery system

(i) Rocket engine

5. Do TWO of the following:

(a) Discuss with your counselor a robotic space exploration mission and a historic crewed mission. Tell about each mission's major discoveries, its importance, and what was learned from it about the planets, moons, or regions of space explored.

(b) Using articles from the internet, photographs and text, create a blog, website, or slide show about a current planetary mission or use magazine photographs, news clippings, and articles from the internet to make a scrapbook about a current planetary mission.

(c) Design a robotic mission to another planet, moon, comet, or asteroid that will return samples of its surface to Earth. Name the planet, moon, comet, or asteroid your spacecraft will visit. Show how your design will cope with the conditions of the environments of the planet, moon, comet, or asteroid.

HOMEWORK:

7. Design an inhabited base located within our solar system, such as Titan, asteroids, or other locations that humans might want to explore in person. Make drawings or a model of your base. In your design, consider and plan for the following:

(a) Source of energy

(b) How it will be constructed

(c) Life-support system

(d) Purpose and function

8. Explore careers related to this merit badge. Research one career to learn about the training and education needed, costs, job prospects, salary, job duties, and career advancement. Your research methods may include—with your parent or guardian's permission—an internet or library search, an interview with a professional in the field, or a visit to a location where people in this career work. Discuss with your counselor both your findings and what about this profession might make it an interesting career.