Cleaning up space | Teach with space PR52
In this set of activities, students will start by discussing their initial ideas for helping ESA and Paxi to remove space debris; then go on to plan initial designs for a debris capturing tool. They will investigate the implementation of unfurling ‘tentacles’, as well as comparing the effectiveness of various sticky materials. The students will then amend and enrich their designs, based on what they have learned.
Learning objectives
- Understand what satellites are and how they help life on Earth
- Be familiar with different methods of debris removal, and have a basic understanding of their mechanisms
- Be able to draw inspiration from the world around them to approach scientific problems
- Be able to recognise when and how to set up comparative and fair tests, and explain which variables need to be controlled and why
- Understand that there can be multiple ways to approach the same problem, and that each method should be tested before implementation
Resource available in:
Subject:
- Mathematics, Physics, Science, Technology
Age:
- Age 6-12, Age 6-9, Age 9-12
Time:
- Up to 3 hours and above
Space theme:
- Space Debris, Space Technology
English