Teacher Summer Research Program

1. Teacher Summer Research Program Talina Grimes & Fatah Kadigun Houston Independent School District

2. How have we spent our time?

3. Consulting • Meeting with Dr. David Boyle and STC Staff to develop strategies for: • Increasing student interest in aerospace engineering • Increasing productivity of students involved in the Space Engineering Institute (SEI) • Marketing the SEI to underrepresented minorities at the high school level

4. Research • Working with researchers on Wireless Interference Testing and Electromagnetic Docking Station for the Mini AERCam • Proofreading a draft of Celestial Navigation and Positioning • Testing and helping to edit a NASA test plan for the Wireless Interference research • Sitting in on a teleconference with NASA regarding the Wireless Interference Research

5. Mini-AERCam A free-flying robot for space exploration

6. AERCam Concept • AERCam = Autonomous Extravehicular Robotic Camera • Free-flying robotic platform for visual and non-visual sensing in support of human space activities • Emphasis on “small” and increasingly “intelligent”

7. AERCam Roles in Human Space Flight: • Enhance extravehicular activity (EVA) crew productivity • Provide better camera views for berthing and maintenance operations • Provide telepresence inspection • Provide platform for sensor positioning in areas potentially inaccessible to EVA crew

8. Anticipated AERCam Mission Scenario for ISS • Mission scenario under either teleoperation or autonomous control: • Deploy from home base • Maneuver to region of interest while avoiding obstacles • Perform desired inspection or viewing • Return to home base • Recharge power and propulsion

9. AERCam Sprint

10. Mini AERCam Docking Station Testbed Electromagnet Proximity Test

11. Electromagnet Proximity Test- Purpose • Define the requirements of electromagnet use as a component of a docking mechanism design. • Measure the magnetic force exerted on a test specimen by the electromagnets as a function of distance. • Collect sufficient empirical data to define the maximum distance at which a force could be measured from a representative electromagnet • Define the general force vs. distance profile up to as close as possible to the electromagnet surface. • Collect this data as a function of voltage for each electromagnet.

13. The Lesson • uses NASA’s Mini-AERCam as a ‘hook’ to illustrate uses of electromagnets in space. • will be part of a unit on electromagnetism. • may be used to introduce electromagnetism or as a culminating activity for the unit. • is designed for two 90 minute class periods.

14. DAY 1 • Introduce Mini-AERCam. • Illicit ideas from students on how to dock the AERCam to the ISS. • Allow students discovery time with the Vernier Magnetic Field Sensors • Have students conduct the instruction–driven investigation, Electromagnets– Winding Things Up

15. DAY 1, continued… Electromagnets– Winding Things Up • Determine how electromagnetic field strength varies with the number of wire coils around an iron nail. • Build an electromagnet • Use TI-83 graphing calculator, CBL, and magnetic field sensor to measure magnetic field strength • Make a graph of the data • Draw conclusions about the number of wire winds and magnetic field strength Purpose/Objectives

16. DAY 1, continued… Electromagnets– Winding Things Up • A direct relationship exists between the number of winds and the magnetic field strength. The graph of magnetic field vs. number of coils is linear. • Students can predict the magnetic field strength for various numbers of coils by interpolating from the graph or by multiplying the slope by the number of coils. Students could perform an experiment to confirm their predictions. Results/Conclusion

17. DAY 1, continued… Electromagnets– Winding Things Up Sample Results

18. DAY 1 Exit Ticket • How does the number of coils affect the magnetic field of an electromagnet? • What application does NASA have planned for electromagnets on the International Space Station?

19. DAY 2 • Review Day 1 conclusions. • Have students conduct the inquiry-driven investigation Electromagnetism—Going the Distance.

20. DAY 2, continued… Electromagnetism– Going the Distance • Design and conduct an experiment to determine quantitatively how the magnetic field strength varies with distance • Build an electromagnet • Use TI-83 graphing calculator, CBL, and magnetic field sensor to measure magnetic field strength • Design a data table and graph of the data • Draw conclusions about the distance from the detector and magnetic field strength Purpose/Objectives

21. DAY 2, continued… Electromagnetism– Going the Distance • An inverse relationship exists between magnetic field strength and distance. As the distance increases, magnetic field strength decreases. The relationship models an inverse cubic function where the field approaches zero and remains there for any distance greater than the threshold. Results/Conclusion

22. DAY 2, continued… Electromagnetism– Going the Distance Sample Results

23. DAY 2 Exit Ticket • What is the relationship between magnetic field strength and distance? • How does the space environment complicate experimental design for engineers?

24. ISS Wireless Interference

25. Contents • Overview • Tasks • Interference • Development • Radiation • Headset housing design • Status / Progress • Future Work

26. Overview • Objective: • To develop a Wireless headset for the crew aboard the shuttle and the ISS. • Wireless Cable Replacement for the ISS (WCRISS) • research and enhancement of commercially available wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 for use aboard the International Space Station and other space. • Research how interference affects wireless technologies.

27. Tasks: Interference Testing • Evaluate interference effects between different wireless technologies. • Effects of coexistance between Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11b • Evaluate performance of wireless signals. • How range affects bandwidth

28. Test Plan Full functional test has 176 steps. • Testing shall be conducted in closed setting and open setting. (Electromagnetic Interference Room, EMI and outdoors) • Setup and configuration of the testing equipment. • Testing of the 802.11 wireless technology independently. (2 computers) • Testing of the Bluetooth wireless technology independently. (2 computers) • Testing of both wireless technologies simultaneously. (4 computers)

29. Status / Progress • Signal Testing • Produced Map showing contours of bandwidth for 802.11a, 802.11b, and Bluetooth. • Interference Testing • Obtained interference effects on bandwidth on a controlled environment and outdoors. • Preliminary Results (see graphs and averages)

30. Conclusion • Wireless headset replacement is a significant upgrade that will keep space technology updated. • Wireless research helps JSC by evaluating alternatives to the legacy products in space. • By implementing a comm infrastructure on ISS compatible with modern earth based systems, NASA will gain important future enhancements by enabling the next generation of space engineers to think in terms of technologies directly similar to the ones they use in their day-to-day activities.

31. Special Thanks to… National Science Foundation Spacecraft Technology Center at Texas A&M University (STC) • Dr. David Boyle • Ms. Diane Hurtado • Mr. Joe Perez • Pedro Davalos Maria Puente • Amanda Coots Ian Horbaczewski Damaris Sarria E3 Teacher Summer Research Program