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Summary

There is increasing interest in human space exploration beyond the Moon’s orbit, such as venturing to Mars. However, the effects of radiation are still a major concern for such travel. Astronauts need shielding from certain types of harmful radiation emanating from the sun and deep space.

One cheap way to test radiation shielding is with high-altitude balloons, which ascend into near space (i.e., the upper atmosphere) where radiation levels are higher than at the ground. Teams of scientists and engineers on such projects must be aware of design constraints, costs, material and payload limitations, and public support. Through role playing and problem solving, this activity prompts a mock “space race” competition between two teams of students to build and test a radiation shielding device.

The instructor presents the students with a space agency scenario. After being assigned to a team and given a specific role, students begin working on their missions. The computer scientists learn about Arduinos and basic computer coding, the engineers learn about shielding materials, the economists learn about budgets and cost-benefit analysis.

Each student will have the opportunity to contribute to their team in one way or another. Throughout the activity, each agency designs and builds an Arduino radiation payload with a shielding apparatus to block certain types of ionizing radiation from reaching their radiation sensor. They then fly these payloads to near-space with a high-altitude balloon, measuring changes in radiation as a function of altitude.

After the flight, each team analyzes their radiation data to assess the effectiveness of their shielding apparatus. They then communicate their findings with the rest of the class. Finally, the instructor uses a set of metrics to determine which agency did the best job throughout the activity and declares them the winner of the space race!