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 SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGE 1.  TOPIC FORCES     

As part of Science Year  various challenges will be put forward by the famous Professor Mc Arrone each month for the scientists in year 6&7. Similar  challenges will be carried out all over the UK and International Schools within Europe. The first practical problem  ties in well with the present topic of forces and  involves the safe transportation of an egg. No prior testing should be carried out at home!

Problem.1

When spacecraft visit different planets, they often send something to investigate the surface of the planet. This is called a Lander. The Lander then makes measurements on the surface of the planet, takes photos, works out what metals and minerals make up the surface and tries to find out whether life exists on the planet.

The challenge is to make a Mars Lander that can get a medium size, uncooked egg to the surface of Mars safely.

Mission Requirements

It costs 20,000 Euros to launch 1kg into space, so the lighter your Lander is, the cheaper the mission will be. This mission has a budget of 2000 Euros so the Lander must weigh less than 100g. Space is also limited on the space shuttle and the Lander must be no bigger than a shoe box.

When the Lander enters the upper atmosphere of Mars it travels at speeds of several miles per second and the surface of Mars is rocky and hard. The Lander must survive the journey from the spacecraft to the Martian surface. Of course, the payload must not be damaged in any way when it lands!

Any good scientist or engineer keeps a notebook containing their designs, descriptions of any tests carried out and any modifications made. You should record on computer how you made your Lander.

Marks will be awarded for the Lander's size and weight, successfully landing the egg with no damage and the design sheet.

  1. The Lander must be no bigger than a shoebox (15 X 20 X 35 cm).
  2. The Lander must weigh less than 100g.
  3. The Lander and payload must survive at least a 10m descent to the Martian surface.
  4. The egg must be upright when it reaches the surface.
  5. The Lander design and testing notebook must be presented to the space agency judges.
  6. Good teamwork essential.

The payload will be one medium sized egg, supplied by the judges at the test site.

  Gerry Rafferty