A Splash of Color

Image Credit: NASA/Sean Smith
SPLASHDOWN!: One of the first things we did this morning was review photos and footage from yesterday's Orion Drop Test 3. Conducted by engineers at NASA Langley the Orion capsule was hoisted about 20 feet above the ground and had a pitch of 17 degrees. Per NASA, it reached a horizontal velocity of about 22 mph before splashing into a Hydro Impact Basin in representing stable seas. I must say, the lovely fall colors make the scene very picturesque.

There is also video of the splashdown. Check it out - it's definitely worth 90 seconds of your time! The kids and I got a huge kick out of the surprise on the top of the capsule. Video: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=119773741

NASA's Orion Crew Exploration was originally part of the Constellation Program, which was cancelled. However, the Orion design was carried forward. Now called the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (Orion MPCV) it's part of NASA’s latest plans to explore beyond low Earth orbit and into deep space. Recently, NASA announced a proposed test flight of Orion in 2014.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?: You should have seen the look on the kids' faces this morning when I said, "How would you like to name two of NASA's spacecraft? They were absolutely gobsmacked by the idea. "Really?!" they both squealed.

Yes, really. Then, I told them about the NASA contest to name GRAIL-A and GRAIL-B - the two robotic spacecraft which are working in tandem to create a gravity map of the moon. I pointed out to CJ and Annabelle that they had just as good a chance as anyone to name the spacecraft, so why not give it a go?

GRAIL stands for Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, and the mission will enable scientists to learn about the moon's internal structure and composition. Having accurate knowledge of the moon's gravity could also be used on future moon landings, be they manned or unmanned.

I suggested a good ol' fashioned brainstorming session in order to generate name ideas. But first, we had to review what a brainstorming session is. ;) After that, I was the recorder of ideas while they talked. Once they hit a roadblock, I suggested CJ go pull a resource off the shelf - "Moon Landing," an amazing pop up book. Leafing through its pages, the kids got all sorts of ideas which led to a little bit of research. They finally came to an agreement on two names, but since the contest doesn't end until Nov. 11, I won't share them here yet.

TOTALLY TUBULAR: In Annabelle's art class today they made sculptures which incorporated tubes. It inspired her to produce this ...

DIRTY WORK: Imagine the glee in science class this afternoon when the kids learned they were going to be able to spill and stain on purpose!

As part of their continuing unit on textiles, each student was given a white swatch of fabric and they were instructed to sully it with six stains: dirt, ketchup, mustard, oil, and chocolate.

Next, they were to try to get the stains out with nothing but their fingers and a tub of water. That didn't work too well, so cleaning attempts escalated. They were given a sponge. And then a scrub brush. And then soap. And then detergent. And last but not least, some Oxyclean (which I really must say worked miraculously well).

COLORFUL: When got back to our neighborhood, the weather was wonderful and we took full advantage. Annabelle jumped around in leaves ...

while CJ was more contemplative. He spent several minutes perched atop pseudo boulders.