Build a satellite
Engineering & energy
Work at your pace. Take a break between stages; there is no countdown.
You need: paper, a pencil and this lab. A helper is welcome for reading and discussion.Connect to what you know
Solar energy can power a satellite. Design one for a specific job instead of adding every possible part.
Understand it, step by step
- 1
A satellite is an object that orbits another object. Our design is an artificial satellite for photographing forests.
- 2
It needs power, a useful sensor and a communication link to send data. A camera without a radio can collect pictures but cannot send them in this model.
- 3
Design has constraints. Our classroom budget is 10 mass units. These invented units help compare designs; they are not real spacecraft specifications.
A small panel (2) + camera (3) + radio (2) uses 7 units. Adding decoration (4) makes 11 and exceeds the limit without helping forest images.
Pause and predict
Which part would you remove first if the design is too heavy?