SPACE COLONY WEBQUEST STUDENT NOTE SHEET The United Federation is worried. In the past few years, we have found fifty-four "Near Earth Asteroids" in orbit around the sun that cross the orbit of the earth. According to N.A.S.A. the "Earth orbits in a cosmic shooting gallery subject to occasional random hits by comets and asteroids. Impacts by objects a mile or more across can devastate the planet's environment." If one strikes, will the fate of humans be the same as the fate of dinosaurs -extinction? THE TASK Your team has been asked to make a proposal to put a colony of 600 humans somewhere in our solar system (sorry - not on Earth or our moon) as a test of whether it might be possible to someday do large scale colonization. The colony is to be self sufficient - you will only be allowed to bring enough materials to start your colony. This means that, once your colony is built and working, it must provide everything the colonists need. Other than what you brought, whatever is in the station must be made new, fixed easily, grown or recycled. It is a long way to Earth. Replacement parts, food, etc. cannot be shipped due to the high costs, $100,000 - $1,000,000 per pound, depending on your location. So - once your colony is operational, you are on your own. You will have limited ability to travel close to your location in space (2,000,000 miles or 3,225,800 Km round trip) using shuttles, but remember you cannot supply your colony from earth or any place more than 1,000,000 miles or 1,612,900 Km away. The colony may be put on any other planet or moon, or may be put in orbit around the sun or a planet or moon in our solar system. You will present your proposal to a United Federation Commission made of other teams who will then help the High Commissioner (the teacher) pick the best proposal by questioning your proposal. PRODUCTS Products will begin a written proposal describing the colony. It will include the answers to the questions provided below. The answers will be put on the sheet given to you by the High Commissioner. You will give an oral presentation to the Commission which must include a visual of the settlement , such as a model, diagram, web page, Power Point, play, puppet show, video, or any combination of these. A brochure must be done describing why someone may wish to settle in that particular part of the solar system you chose. Include descriptions of points of interest to tour. THE PROCESS ROLES Everyone in the group will share the role of Interplanetary Surveyor. After that, decide what responsibilities your group members should have from the other roles below. Some team members may have more than one role. INTERPLANETARY SURVEYOR Make decisions on the site of your colony. In particular, consider: 1. Where will be the location of your colony? Be specific! __________________________________________________________________ Will it be on a surface, under an ocean, in an atmosphere or in orbit? __________________________________________________________________ If in orbit, how far from the sun, planet or moon is it? __________________________________________________________________ 2. How far away from the sun will your colony be? (Average Solar Distance) ____________________________ ml/km (Circle one) Source: __________________________________________________________ 3. If it is on a surface of a moon or a planet, what is the revolution period and rotation period, in Earth days, for the moon or planet? Rev. __________________ Rot. ______________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 4. If your colony is in orbit around the sun, a planet or moon, what is it revolution period? ________________________________________ 5. At a speed of 40,323 Km per hour (the speed needed for your pace ship to escape Earth's gravity), how long will it take to get to your colony? _________________________________________________________________ ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER Make decisions on factors that will determine environment around your colony. In particular, consider: 1. What will the sun look like from your colony? _________________________ If you have to, how will you handle radiation from the sun? ________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 2. How much gravity exists now on your colony's site? _____________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ How will you deal with this gravity, or the lack of it? _________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 3. Should you create artificial gravity If so, how? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 4. How much will you weigh? ______________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 5. Will the gravity be enough to grow plants, or even hold water in a pool? Explain ____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 6. What is the exterior (outside of your colony) atmosphere and weather like in the place you will put your colony? __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ What protection from these elements do you need? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 7. If your colony is in orbit, will it run into anything in the environment? What? __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 8. Is there a solid surface you can use to build your colony on? _______________ Source: __________________________________________________________ If so, then what is the surface made of? Describe the surface. Be specific! __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 9. If you place your colony on or near a surface, is your planet or moon stable? __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ Are there quakes, geysers or volcanoes? How active are they? __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 10. If you place it in orbit, is there a ring or asteroids nearby? __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ Could these be a danger? How? ____________________________________ 11. What are comets? _____________________________________________ Where do they come from? _________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ What is the chance that comets could endanger your colony? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 12. What else in the environment near your colony (such as radiation) can hurt your colonists? _________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ How can you shield them from these dangers? ______________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 13. Can people from your colony obtain any raw materials from your location for the things you need? If so, describe this process. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ LIFE SUPPORT ENGINEER Make decisions on how you will keep the colonists alive. In particular, consider: 1. What energy source will you use? ______________________________ Explain why it is the best. ______________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 2. What alternate energy source will you need if conditions make the first one not usable? ____________________________________________ Explain why is a good source to use. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 3. Into what kinds of energy will these first energy sources be changed into in order for your colony to succeed? ________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 4. What living conditions will you need for the people in your colony? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Will you simulate "seasons" or periods of "day" or "night" or will everything be the same, all the time? _______________________ How will people adapt to this? ___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 5. How will you obtain food? _____________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ If you mention plants, what kind of plants? Why would they be good? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ Will you use soil or water for your plants? (Don't forget, some trees grow down as far as they grow up.) _______________________________ What environment in your colony can you produce to make these plants productive? ______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 6. How will you obtain clean water for people? _____________________ __________________________________________________________________ Is it renewable or recyclable? ____________________ And if so, what is your plan to do this? ___________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ Will you use water for food production? _____________ How can you get enough? ______________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ How can you stop water from being a problem (such as condensation or fog or frost) in your colony's internal atmosphere? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 7. How will you obtain an internal atmosphere, including oxygen? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ Will your plan produce more oxygen than it consumes? __________________________________________________________________ 8. How will artificial or natural day and night (or the lack of it) affect your plants' growth? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 9. What will happen to garbage and waste materials? ______________ __________________________________________________________________ What kinds of pollution or health hazards will your colony produce? __________________________________________________________________ How will you deal with them? _________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 10. What is the exact size of your colony? Be specific about the dimensions of all the various parts and pieces your colony needs to survive. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 11. What transportation system will your colony need? ____________ _________________________________________________________________ Will it hurt the environment? _____________________________________ Why?_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR Make decisions on the kind of occupations essential to your colony. In particular, consider: 1. What technical occupations are essential to your colony? Make sure you know what a "technical occupation" is! __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 2. What number of people will be allocated to each occupation? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Why? _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 3. Make a detailed list of the job descriptions of four (4) of these technical occupations. What is occupation #1? _______________________________________________ What is occupation #2? _______________________________________________ What is occupation #3? ______________________________________________ What is occupation #4? _______________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ Include the following: 4. What basic skills must they have? #1 _______________________________________________________________ #2 _______________________________________________________________ #3 _______________________________________________________________ #4 _______________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 5. What thinking skills must they possess? #1 _______________________________________________________________ #2 _______________________________________________________________ #3 _______________________________________________________________ #4 _______________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 6. What personal qualities must they exhibit? #1 _______________________________________________________________ #2 _______________________________________________________________ #3 _______________________________________________________________ #4 _______________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 7. What educational qualifications must they possess? Be specific! #1 _______________________________________________________________ #2 _______________________________________________________________ #3 _______________________________________________________________ #4 _______________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 8. What experience must they have? #1 _______________________________________________________________ #2 _______________________________________________________________ #3 _______________________________________________________________ #4 _______________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 9. What other occupations or team members help them do their job? #1 _______________________________________________________________ #2 _______________________________________________________________ #3 _______________________________________________________________ #4 _______________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ RECREATION DIRECTOR Make decisions on the kind of recreation necessary to your colony. People are not machines. We have emotional and psychological needs that must be met to help us relax. In particular, consider: 1. What spectacular natural places (such as a volcano, a moon or a ring) within two million miles of your colony will you bring your colonists for tours? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 2. How can you describe these places? What makes them so special? Be specific in describing the wonders and beauty of these natural areas! Include photographs (be sure to give credit to the source) or sketches of the areas. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ 3. What activities do your colonists do in their leisure time? List those especially that take advantage of your colony's location and environments, both internally and externally; in other words, "going to the mall" for recreation is not acceptable. Describe these in detail. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Source: __________________________________________________________ IMPORTANT: The decisions you make must depend on the place you put your colony. What makes sense in one part of the solar system will not make sense in another. Also, the decisions you make for one part of your colony might affect other parts of your colony. For example, if you say that your colonists need an artificial "night" and "day" for them to do best, then will plants do best with this decision also? PROGRESS CHECK: After four days of research, give the High Commissioner a copy of the results of your research, including the exact location of your colony, and a list of your decisions so far.