| EXPLORATIONS I & II Table of Contents |
| The materials available from this Table of Contents must be downloaded and opened with an Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have a copy of that software, you can download it now for free from the Adobe Acrobat Download Home Page. Select your computer platform (Windows 3.x/95/NT, Macintosh, or others) and follow directions carefully. |
- Hyperlinks to the LTAs are in the left-hand columns. The terms accompanying the LTA and Spinoff descriptions in the right-hand columns denote the level or levels of mathematics appropriate to that particular section and the engineering technology or technologies appropriate to that section. Do not bother to click in those columns; they are not designed to take you anywhere. There are two additional outlines of Mathematics Explorations I & II:
Cross Reference by Mathematics Courses
Cross Reference by Related Engineering Technologies<>
Links to the LTAs, Spinoffs, and Faculty Notes
|
LTA 1 __ Spare Parts for the Space Shuttle |
College Algebra | Precalculus |
| Industrial & Management | Manufacturing | |
| Section One | College Algebra | Precalculus |
| Section Two | Elementary Algebra | Intermediate Algebra |
| The availability of hardware is vital to launching Shuttles successfully and on-time. There are 250,000 unique parts on a Shuttle. Some are considered repairable line replaceable units (LRUs), and some are used only once or twice and then are replaced. The first Section of this LTA examines the Probability of Sufficiency (POS) for a fuel cell in detail. Information to find the POS for aft primary thrusters and mass memory units is given in the Faculty Notes. The second Section deals with a non-repairable part, the main landing gear tire. | ||
| Spinoff 1A - How the Change in the Number of Flights Per Year Affects the Probability of Sufficiency | College Algebra | Precalculus |
| Spinoff 1B - How Number of Flights Per Year Changes the Total Projected Operating Time | Elementary Algebra | Intermediate Algebra |
|
LTA 2 __ NASA Aquatics Lab | College Algebra | Precalculus| Civil | Industrial & | Management Overloading on the second floor of an existing building due to an extra water tank is investigated. Students are expected to develop a function for the load and use it to determine adequate support. Graphing, algebra, numerical analysis, and written responses are required. The LTA involves the analysis of an elementary rational function at a precalculus level. | Spinoff 2A - Cost Analysis for NASA Aquatic Lab | College | Algebra Precalculus | Finite Math | Spinoff 2B - Aquatic Lab Loading | Calculus | Differential | Equations | |||
|
LTA 3 __ The Doppler Radar Wind Profiler: Vector Analysis of Wind Changes Affecting Shuttle Launch at The Kennedy Space Center | College Algebra | Precalculus| Trigonometry | Aeronautical | Space | This LTA applies vectors and the equations for rotation of axes to determine whether wind conditions would endanger a Space Shuttle if it were launched. The analysis of wind conditions leads to a recommendation that the Shuttle launch proceed, be delayed, or be scrubbed. | Spinoff 3A - A Cost Benefit Analysis of the DRWP at Kennedy Space Center | Probability & Statistics | Spinoff 3B - The Lognormal Distribution Based on an analysis Of Wind Change at the Kennedy Space Center | Probability & Statistics |
| |||||
|
LTA 4 __ Just Say "No" to Cracks in the Space Shuttle | Elementary Algebra | Intermediate Algebra College | Algebra Precalculus | Materials | Mechanical | LTA 4 uses algebra and functions to analyze cracks in a structure and to make decisions about whether they imperil the structure. The LTA makes use of algebraic operations and of functions represented by graphs, tables, and algebraic formulas. | Spinoff 4A - Measuring Cracks in the Space Shuttle | Foundations | Spinoff 4B - Calculating Cracks in the Space Shuttle | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra | |||
|
LTA 5 __ Toxic Waste Remediation at The Kennedy Space Center
| Elementary Algebra | Intermediate Algebra Environmental | Geology Industrial & | Management Materials |
The LTA will lead the students through the process a risk assessor uses to determine if a hazardous waste site poses a threat to human health. Students will use their knowledge of dimensional analysis and scientific notation to determine if a hazardous waste site should be cleaned up. Part 3 of the LTA asks students to do a similar analysis from the perspective of linear functions. | Spinoff 5A - Functional Risk Assessment | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra Spinoff 5B - Slugging It Out | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra Probability & Statistics | Spinoff 5C - Calculating the Reference Dose | Foundations | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate Algebra | Spinoff 5D - Using the Wide Web to Do Risk Assessment | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra Internet Assignment | | ||||||
|
LTA 6 __ Surviving in a Lunar Base Station
| College Algebra | Precalculus | Agricultural | Bioengineering | Industrial & Management | The students will determine the growing area of food sources that will be used to generate and recycle the food, oxygen, and water needed for crew survival in a lunar base station. Students will use graphic, algebraic, and numeric methods to build mathematical models and solve this problem. | Spinoff 6A - Design of a Lunar Base Station Biomass Production Chamber | Foundations | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate Algebra | Spinoff 6B - Developing a Biomass Production Chamber | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra Spinoff 6C - Correlation and Regression Applied To Biomass in a Lunar Base Station | Probability & Statistics | Spinoff 6D - Analysis of Biomass Production in a Lunar Base Station | Calculus | Differential Equations | | |||||
|
LTA 7 __ Houston, We Have a Problem! __ Curve Fitting for the Spacelab | Elementary Algebra | Intermediate Algebra College | Algebra Precalculus | Electrical | Systems | The students will experience a day in the life of a NASA engineer whose job is testing experiments that will be preformed in the Spacelab. This particular application involves monitoring the temperature of a power supply for a computer that will record and transmit the data from the experiments. The process of measuring the temperature involves a few steps that need to be modeled with mathematical expressions. The students will obtain data from graphs and use equations of lines to model the situation. | Spinoff 7A - Orbits Vs. Altitude Regression with TI Graphing Calculator | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra College | Algebra Precalculus | Probability & Statistics | Spinoff 7B - Houston, We Have a Problem! - Curve Fitting for the Spacelab for Calculus III | Differential Equations | | ||||
|
LTA 8 __ Space-Age Cleaning | Elementary Algebra | Intermediate Algebra College | Algebra Precalculus | Chemical | Materials | Systems | Sensitive instruments sent into space must often be kept clean before lift off by a process called purging. This process involves sending a continuous flow of air over the instruments so that no contamination from such things as dust, pollution, and chemicals can occur. Part of the purging process involves the use of portable bottles of compressed air. This LTA explores the method of determining how many of these bottles are necessary under certain conditions. | Spinoff 8A - Exploring Shuttle Preparations Crawler and VAB | Internet Assignment | Spinoff 8B - Unit Analysis | Foundations | Spinoff 8C - Pressure And Volume | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra College | Algebra Precalculus | Spinoff 8D - At What Cost? High Versus Low Pressure K- Bottles for the Space Shuttle | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra College | Algebra Precalculus | | |||||
|
LTA 9 __ Work Sampling at the Kennedy Space Center
| Foundations | Probability & Statistics Liberal Arts | Math Industrial & | Management The LTA presents a simplified example of a work sampling study performed by the NASA engineers at the Orbital Processing Facility, Kennedy Space Center. Certain steps in the process are explored: data collection, random sampling, data presentation, determining sample size, estimating levels of accuracy, refining estimates of accuracy level and sample size. The given example is used to motivate the class discussions and to understand this type of statistical study. | Spinoff 9A - Mean, Median, Mode, Histogram, and Scatterplot with Actual Data | Probablity & Statistics | Spinoff 9B - Mean Time Spent in ihe OPF | Probablity & Statistics | Spinoff 9C - Standard Deviations of Time Spent in the OPF | Probability & Statistics | | |||||
|
LTA 10 __ Exploring NASA's Automated Window Inspection Device (AWID)
| College Algebra | Precalculus| Trigonometry | Civil | Materials | Mechanical | Polarized light motivates the study of vectors and provides an example of how vectors can be used to better understand a real world situation. The LTA addresses the problem of locating and evaluating defects in the Space Shuttle's windows. The LTA describes a demonstration that shows the properties of polarized light, examines the properties of vectors and vector components; and uses vectors to explain the properties of polarized light. | Spinoff 10A - Exploring How NASA's Automated Window Inspection Device Uses the Rectangular Coordinate System to Track Defects | Foundations | Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra Spinoff 10B - Analyzing The Cost Effectiveness of NASA's Automated Window Inspection Device | Foundations |
| ||||
|
LTA 11 __ Helium Transport and Usage at the Kennedy Space Center
| Elementary Algebra | Intermediate Algebra Chemical | Materials | Industrial & Management | Kennedy Space Center uses helium in a variety of different activities, including, but not limited to purging and cleaning the hydrogen system and the engines in the Space Shuttle Orbiter. Based on the system used for delivery and storage of helium at the Kennedy Space Center. this Activity poses questions that involve the Gas Laws, converting units, and working with proportions. The main aspect of this Activity that makes it intriguing is the transformation from gaseous helium to liquid helium. This requires students to calculate the volume of liquid helium for normal Kennedy Space Center usage. | Spinoff 11A - Newton's Law of Cooling and Heating: Vaporization of Liquid Helium
| Calculus & | Differential Equations Spinoff 11B - The Combined Gas Law
| Elementary | Algebra Intermediate |
Algebra | ||||
|
LTA 12 __ Mission Control: We Have Energy Savings
| Liberal Arts Math| Industrial & Management | Recent developments have led NASA to examine energy savings at their Cape Canaveral Air Station facilities. Study of energy use and savings depends on knowledge of numerous energy measurements including kilowatt hours and window to wall ratios. Agreement is needed between the contractors performing the energy projects and the government paying for the projects. Establishing baseline data for energy use is an important step in reaching agreement. | Spinoff 12A - Finding the Rate of Return for Energy Saving Investment
| Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra Calculus & Differential Equations | Liberal Arts Math | Spinoff 12B - Fitting a Sine or Cosine Curve to NASA Energy Use Data
| College | Algebra Precalculus | Trigonometry | Liberal Arts Math | Spinoff 12C - Rocket Spies: Codes and Rockets in the 1950s and 1960s
| Liberal Arts Math |
| ||||||||
|
LTA 13 __ It Ain't Heavy, It's my Crawler
| Elementary Algebra | Intermediate Algebra Civil | This project will allow students to apply what they have learned about using formulae, calculating volumes, and conversion of units in order to solve an actual application on which NASA engineers worked. | Spinoff 13A - Don't Tread On Me
| Foundations | Spinoff 13B - Wait a Moment for the Shear fun of it all
| College | Algebra Precalculus | Calculus & |
Differential Equations | |||||
|
LTA 14 __ Space Vehicle Hold Down and Release Mechanism Design
| College Algebra | Precalculus| Mechanical | This LTA describes controlled release mechanisms, CRMs, used during launch at the Kennedy Space Center. Restraining force vs. displacement curves are investigated. CRM designs are illustrated and compared to their respective force/displacement profiles. (The drawing of the CRM and the force/displacement profiles were done by Eric Thaxton and others at the Advanced Systems and Analysis Division at Kennedy Space Center.) A polynomial curve fitted to typical data provides an example of a CRM force/displacement Profile. | Spinoff 14A - NASA Launch Vehicle Calculations
| Foundations | Spinoff 14B - Force Versus Displacement
| Calculus & | Differential Equations Spinoff 14C - Analyzing Graphs
| College | Algebra Precalculus |
| |||||
|
LTA 15 __ Population Size Matters: Formulating a Mathematical Model for Scrub-Jay Population at the Kennedy Space Center
| College Algebra | Precalculus | |||||||||||||||||||
Probability & Statistics| Environmental Science | As part of NASA's policy to "protect, preserve, and enhance Kennedy Space Center's unique natural environment," the population of the Florida Scrub-Jay is continually being monitored. This LTA uses that population as a basis for describing methods of developing a mathematical model that can be used to represent the behavior of a real phenomenon. Specific methods include visual inspection of graphs, the use of calculators or computer software to obtain the coefficient of determination R2, and the feasibility of future forecast values. Specific models include linear, quadratic, exponential, power, and logistic regression equations. | Spinoff 15A - The Capture-Recapture Method
| Foundations | Spinoff 15B - Florida Sand-Jay Populations & Habitat
| College | Algebra Precalculus | Probability & Statistics |
Spinoff 15C -Population Models with Recursive Equations
| Elementary | Algebra Intermediate | Algebra College | Algebra Precalculus | Finite |
Math Liberal | Arts Math | ||||||
|
LTA 16 __ The Space Shuttle Landing
| College Algebra | Precalculus| Aeronautical | Space | The purpose of this LTA is to produce a mathematical model of the Space Shuttle's runway approach. There are three phases to this approach. The first and last are linear approaches with different slopes. The middle phase must create the transition from one linear phase to the next. Version I models the middle phases with an exponential function; Version II uses a linear function. Students should finish with a piecewise linear function that approximately models the runway approach. | Spinoff 16A - Modeling The Space Shuttle Landing: The Cubic Spline
| Calculus & | Differential Equations Spinoff 16B - Modeling The Space Shuttle Landing: The Circular Pull-Up
| Calculus & | Differential Equations Spinoff 16C - Knots and Machs
| Foundations |
| |||||
|
LTA 17 __ Ground Tests of the Computer Start-Up Systems for the International Space Station
| Finite Math |
Liberal Arts Math |
| Electrical | ||
| Space | Systems | |
| The LTA begins with an introductory section that describes the International Space Station and the importance of hardware and software testing for the computer systems on the Station. The second section of the LTA leads students through the process of setting up a computer systems test using logic and truth tables. Students are required to interpret the results of their truth tables and report the results of their tests in a well-written format. | ||
| Spinoff 17A - The Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) in the United States Lab
| Finite Math | Liberal Arts Math |
| Spinoff 17B - Simulation to Test the Electrical Power System
| Finite Math | Liberal Arts Math |
|
LTA 18 __ Launching into the Future
| Liberal Arts Math | |
| Industrial & Management | ||
| In order to refurbish and redesign the Firing Room (thereafter to be called Operational Control Room or OCR) in the Launch Control Center (LCC), students will participate as members of both a specific Research Team and a Design Team. The Design Teams will be composed of members from each Research Team. Team members will need to participate fully in a creative, dynamic, flexible process. By using mathematical and personal skills, they will create and present: Prototype designs for the System Engineer Consoles, Console Support Modules and Peripheral Housing; Main floor layout; Coordinated color scheme for the OCR; Material cost summary. | ||
| Spinoff 18A - Space Exclusion Versus Inclusion
| Foundations | |
| Probability & Statistics | Liberal Arts Math | |
| Spinoff 18B - Creating a Scaled Room Design
| Foundations | |
|
LTA 19 __ NASA Under the Sea: The Scott Carpenter Space Analog Station
| Elementary Algebra | Intermediate Algebra |
| Space | Bioengineering | |
| The LTA can be used as an introduction to physics topics for students who have little science background. In it the students are given an introduction to the Scott Carpenter Space Analog Station, which is designed to mimic some aspects of space missions underwater. Students are asked to study problems relating to the differences in pressure when building and working in an underwater structure. | ||
| Spinoff 19A -Bubbles
| Elementary Algebra | Intermediate Algebra |
| Spinoff 19B - Designing the Scott Carpenter Space Analog Station
| Foundations | |
| Spinoff 19C - Designing the Scott Carpenter Space Analog Station
| Calculus & Differential Equations | |
|
LTA 20 __ Plants in Space: A Statistical Analysis of Biological Processes at the Kennedy Space Center
| Probability & Statistics | |
| Bioengineering | ||
| A simplified analysis of experiments designed by NASA scientists at the Advanced Life Systems laboratory, Kennedy Space Center is presented. These experiments were performed by middle and high school students in both the United States of America and the Ukraine in conjunction with experiments performed on the Orbiter Columbia (mission STS-87). Examples are used to motivate class discussions and to understand what is involved in the statistical analysis of biological experiments. | ||
| Spinoff 20A - What's the Equation?
| College Algebra | Precalculus |
| Spinoff 20B - What's My Curve?
| College Algebra | Precalculus |
Contents by Relevant Math Courses![]()
Contents by Relevant Technologies![]()