Bears In Space!
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Earlier this week, Two cuddly teddy bears MAT and KMS (named using the first initials of the kids that build their spacesuits), each strapped with a friend, made history by becoming the first stuffed animals to fly to Space.
The bears, dressed in spacesuits designed by middle school kids, were strapped to a helium weather balloon, and 'launched' to outer space from Churchill College in Cambridge , UK. Attached to them, was a web camera, which sent the amazing pictures back to Earth. Temperature sensors affixed to the spacesuits, transmitted the exact temperatures to the mission control down below.
After a successful launch, the space pioneers drifted 100,000 ft. above the ground, where they conducted their space walk, which was caught on camera, right before the helium balloon burst. The bears parachuted back down safely, landing north of Ipswich , about 50 miles away from their launch pad. The entire adventure lasted 2 hours and nine minutes.
While seeing the bears go to space was thrilling, the bigger purpose behind the space mission, arranged in collaboration with Cambridge University's spacecraft club, was to get middle-school students excited about science and see how some of the theory they learn can be applied to real-life situations.
The main aim of the experiment, spearheaded by 21-year old Cambridge University student, Henry Hallam, was to monitor weather conditions in space and determine which materials provided the best insulation in the temperatures that dip as low as -53 degrees Celsius.
The kids who designed the spacesuits had to consider not only the insulation, but also take into account convection, conduction and radiation, of the materials used. And this wasn't enough-even the best insulated suit would be worthless if it was too heavy. They therefore had to take into account material buoyancy and the pressure and composition of the atmosphere, before designing the suit. The fact that the bears had a radio connection to the computer below, brought in real-life uses of computer control and radio communications.
Funnily enough, none of the kids thought of this as learning science - to them it was just a fun project and seeing it succeed, made it all the more awesome. The Spacecraft club's next project is to try devise a cheaper sub-orbital space flight. We wonder who will be the lucky passengers on that flight.
Sources: Guardian.co.uk, Telegraph.co.uk
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72 Comments
adroit_avimimusabout 2 yearsOoooh! The fact that the space suits were designed by middle school kids is so adorable!- massive sketalmost 7 yearswow a 3 year old conversation
- Wonder Womenalmost 7 yearsI do not believe this.
- Wonder Womenalmost 7 yearsI don't really believe this.
- manalmost 7 yearswhos watching this right now
- manalmost 7 yearswhats up
b3astalmost 9 yearsits so funny but so weird but GO teddy explore the universe
animefan3almost 10 yearsWhat so weird
happypug12almost 10 yearsGo teddy bears! I have this little teddy bear that I named Pincushion, because every day that I wear jewelry, when I'm done wearing my jewelry, I put it on Pincushion! I put my earrings on Pincushion's ears, my bracelet's on Pincushion's waist, and my rings on Pincushion's arms. You will need a small Teddy bear to this, though. It's so fun!
nikukyualmost 10 yearsPincushion is a great name!!! He-I'm think pincushion is a he- sounds so cute! I wish I can have my ears pierced! In Japan it's not normal for kids to wear ear rings... I wanna have a cat one!
frankiebabyalmost 10 yearsYou live in Japan?- nikukyualmost 10 yearsYeah I'm Japanese! I've went to Hawaii when I was a baby, but that's all... I wanna go to America!!!
sparkle12almost 10 yearsAmerica is awesome! You should really visit Ohio, they have the best and biggest zoo, the Columbus Zoo and they have the best water parks!- nikukyualmost 10 yearsHey, if you say " Ohio" to a Japanese person, they'll say it right back! Why? Cuz Ohio means good morning in Japanese! What a coincidence!
- happypug12almost 10 yearsHa-ha! That is so funny, nikukyu!
- happypug12almost 10 yearsI have a book that tells you the best things about EACH state. Go ahead, ask me about any state.
- nikukyualmost 10 yearsUm, what's the state bird of Hawaii?
- happypug12almost 10 yearsThe State bird of Hawaii is the Nene, also known as the Hawaiian Goose. Thanks for asking! : )
- nikukyualmost 10 yearsThanks a lot happypug!
- happypug12almost 10 yearsYou're welcome, nikukyu! If u or anyone else has a question about a state, I can hopefully answer it. : )
peacheslaruealmost 10 yearsAwww Pincushion sounds great! (i am also a big fan of stuffed animal even though i am a 2003 girl!- nikukyualmost 10 yearsMe 2!! Does that mean we're the same age? AWESOME
- peacheslaruealmost 10 yearsi guess we r fellow 6th grader! i wonder if happypug is around our age?
- happypug12almost 10 yearsI am in fifth grade.
- peacheslaruealmost 10 yearsWOW! You sound so much older when you write but it not a big age difference!
- happypug12almost 10 yearsThanks! People say I'm actually pretty tall for my age. : )
- frankiebabyalmost 10 yearsIm in sixth!
- peacheslaruealmost 10 yearsCool! it seems that a lot of 6th graders r on Dogo! Especcially girls!
kell-bellalmost 10 yearsIm seventh. just ahead of u all :)- peacheslaruealmost 10 yearsYAY!! We r all close to each others ages!
- peacheslaruealmost 10 yearsStuffed animals, toys not taxidermy UHhhh
- nikukyualmost 10 yearsCute!