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NASA’s BEST Students: Grades 6-8

Build a Satellite to Orbit the Moon

Use the engineering design process to build a satellite that can orbit the moon.

Middle school learners will be guided through a series of challenges that follow the engineering design cycle. Join NASA on an adventure through solving an engineering challenge to design and build a satellite to orbit the moon using simple materials.

OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate an understanding of the Engineering Design Process while utilizing each stage to successfully complete a team challenge.

DESIGN CHALLENGE

To design and build a satellite that meets specific size and mass constraints. It must carry a combination of cameras, gravity probes, and heat sensors to investigate the Moon’s surface. The satellite will need to pass a 1-meter Drop Test without any parts falling off of it.

PROCESS SKILLS
Measuring, calculating, designing, evaluating

MATERIALS

  • General building supplies
  • Bag of various sized buttons
  • 1 Mailing tube, oatmeal canister or other container (used as a size constraint)

STUDENT PAGES

  • Design Challenge
  • Ask, Imagine and Plan
  • Experiment and Record
  • Quality Assurance Form
  • Fun with Engineering at Home

MOTIVATE

  • Spend a few minutes asking students if they know what engineers do, then show the NASA’s BEST Students video titled, “What is Engineering”: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?10515
  • Using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) graphic on the previous page, discuss the EDP with your students:
    • Ask a question about the goal.
    • Imagine a possible solution.
    • Plan out a design and draw your ideas.
    • Create and construct a working model.
    • Experiment and test that model.
    • Improve and try to revise that model.

SET THE STAGE

ASK, IMAGINE, & PLAN

  • Share the Design Challenge orally with the students.
  • Have students brainstorm ideas, solve the given problems and then create a drawing of their satellite. All drawings should be approved before building begins.

CREATE

  • Distribute materials for students to build their satellites based on their designs and specifications.
  • Ask teams to double check mathematical calculations, designs and models. Visit each team to make sure their model can fit within the size specification of the cylinder or box you are using.

EXPERIMENT

  • Have students test their satellites by dropping them from a 1-meter height and to record their observations.
  • Emphasize the importance of experimenting with a new design and receiving feedback for optimizing success in engineering.

IMPROVE

  • Have students evaluate their satellite and rework their designs if needed.

CHALLENGE CLOSURE

Engage the students in a discussion with the following questions:

  • List two things you learned about what engineers do through building your satellite today.
  • What was the greatest difficulty your team had today while trying to complete the satellite challenge?
  • How did your team solve this problem?

PREVIEWING NEXT SESSION

Ask teams to bring back their satellite models for use at the next session. You may want to store them in the classroom or have one of the club facilitators be responsible for their safe return.