November - Pairing NASA Technology with a Creative STEM Engineering Challenge

Apollo 17 - Return Landing
 Many a youth has been asked the probing question "What would you like to be when you grow up?"

Although there were many answers (i.e. Vet, Police, Fireman, Doctor...) one that always put a smile on my face was when a little called out ASTRONUT! 

Yes, even some of us adults still ponder what it would be like to have climbed NASA's stairs to the capsule, entered the control module, and waited to hear the countdown for takeoff and a chance to see the stars, moon, and earth from a completely new angle!

Although very few of us have ever had (or will have) the opportunity to do a space walk, for a youth interested in STEM Careers, the space program (past and future) has created numerous avenues for creative and innovative career pathways that are STEM approved and still give space seekers a chance to 'Shoot for the Stars" with their career pathway.

History of the Command Module Parachutes!

Parachutes were first imagined in the 14th century.  Leonardo Da Vinci is credited for some of the first designs, however there were several who were working on similar designs at the time.  They were crafted from numerous materials (even parasols!) and tested from various heights and sites!

Jumping ahead, it was 1961 when President John F. Kennedy first called for the United States to become the first nation to land a man on the moon and then safely return them to earth.  To successfully accomplish this huge goal, NASA engineers worked over the next 5 years to develop the Apollo Earth Landing System (ELS) - or the combination of the landing gear, timing equipment, and the nine parachutes that successfully slow down the Command Module (CM) from 26,000 MPH to 22 MPH upon landing...all within 24,000 feet of re-entry space.  

The first designs were tested in May of 1963, with 25 test drops taking place between then and 1968, and the first real use being only 3 months after the final test drop.  The final ELS system included 9 parachutes, deployed at different times during the re-entry process, with the final 3 parachutes being over 85 feet large to commence the final splash down sequence.  

The parachutes themselves were put together by large teams of seamstresses during the 1960's.  Who knew sewing could lead into a NASA Career?!

Watch this video to learn more about the men and women who helped develop the ELS system to bring our astronauts safety home!


How Can we Connect this to STEM in the Classroom?

After learning about the history behind NASA's parachute system, our class was challenged to create a Command Module and ELS System to safely bring home an EGGstronaut from a high drop distance.  

Youth were teamed up in 2's and 3's and given free reign of my STEM Maker Materials to create their CM's and parachute systems from scratch.  They were able to drop test on site at about 4ft while preparing their vehicles to be dropped from about 15ft as the final test.








The goal was to protect the EGG, but by means of crafting a working and useable parachute system.

Out of the 6 teams that created CM, all 6 saved their EGGstronauts, HOWEVER only 2 teams really created a useable and working ELS design that slowed the CM's decent and allowed a softer landing.






It was a really fun challenge for the group and was a lot of fun for me to see the unique designs each team came up with (or how far they were willing to go to pad their CM for impact!). 


That's a wrap for now! We hope you have a great Holiday Season and I look forward to STEMing with you in 2024!

References:
> https://engines.egr.uh.edu/episode/1316
> https://www.nasa.gov/history/60-years-ago-apollo-parachute-development-and-testing/#:~:text=The%20first%20parachute%20test%20using,the%20first%20crewed%20Apollo%20mission.




I am a STEM/k12 Educator with Colorado State University Extension. I love working with youth and encouraging them to participate in many forms of hand on education! Overall, our goal is to promote positive youth development and encourage youth to pursue higher education after high school.

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