Today we did a lab about Recovery Systems. We had to make a parachute that could safely carry at least one sand bag or other object. Our group made two parachutes and tested them both.
The first parachute was supposed to be a hexagon but it came out more circular. It was about 14' by 10". the first launch it carried one sandbag and the parachute opened and slowed it down a bit, but to me it didn't seem like a safe speed. I think the parachute was not made to carry that much weight. The second parachute we built was much longer, about 3' by 3' (this is shown in the above picture). It had a small hole cut out in the center and had four strings attaching it to three sandbags. It took longer than the first parachute to open up but by the end it was working perfectly. I think it would have been even more successful if it had more space to drop (instead of over the stairwell).
I think it is important to learn about using Recovery Systems because for Mission to Mars we may need to send packages to tools to Mars with parachutes we design so it can land safely and still intact. I think it would be interesting to try this same experiment with more space to drop them and different materials. Something that may be fun to do is have a contest where you have to design a parachute in your group and see how it stands up against challenges.
1 comment:
Anja, your descriptions are very complete. Nicely done. Don't forget to tie back to your key point which is Newton's 3rd law.
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