Critical Issues Forum

Benchmark 1

Orinda Academy

Orinda, California

United States of America

Contributors

Editors

Jazzy Carlson

Anna Luber

Writers

Allie Smith

Andrew Kastenbaum

Andy Hurrell

Annie Hobbs

Cody Flowers

Collin Spencer

Danny Harmon

Devin Marcus

Eden Castro

Evan Cushing

Fiona Foster

John Oakley

Jeong Moon

Kiera Jeuitt

Kira Condey

Seung Uk Kim

Kyle Drewes

Matt Bohnsack

Michael Stone

Nic Gracia

Petra Wilkinson

Tae Kim

Aiyana Price

Teachers

Bob Shayler

Starfire

Objective/Activity Page

1/1 4-5

1/2 6

1/4 7-8

1/5 9

1/6 10

1/8 11

1/14 12

2/4 13

3/4 14-16

Bibliography 17-19

Earth and Its Surroundings

AppleMark By: Fiona Foster and Annie Hobbs

Orinda Academy

The above model of the solar system is

the order of the planets but the dimensions

are not to scale. Eight planets are drawn above,

excluding Pluto because it has been demoted

as a planet because of its small size in

comparison to all other planets.

By: Aiyana Price

Orinda Academy

The Earth’s Atmosphere

By: Aiyana Price

Orinda Academy

The Definision of Space

Space:

Space has been defined as the area outside of earth’s atmosphere which ends at 10,000 km above the surface of the Earth.

Objects in Space

First Satellites Launched

Name of the Satellite	Year that the Satellite was launched	Country that launched the Satellite
Sputnik 1	1957	Soviet Union
Explorer 1	1958	United States
Asterix	1965	France
Osumi	1970	Japan
Dong Fang Hong 1	1970	China
Prospero X-3	1971	United Kingdom
Rohini	1981	India
Ofeg 1	1988	Israel
Rockets Launched

Name Of Rocket	Year Rocket was Launched	How well the Launch went
Apstar-2	1995	Destroyed
Beidou-1c	2000	Successful
Yaogan 1	2006	Successful
Beidou	2007	Successful

By: Kyle Drewes

Orinda Academy

Rocket:

A rocket has been defined as a vehicle or missile that is used for transportation in space.

Apstar-2:

“The Apstar-2 was launched in China on January 26, 1995. However, it was destroyed not too long after it was launched. It was meant to provide Russia, Western India, China, Japan, Vietnam, Eastern Europe and Southern Australia with radio, telephone and video transmission.”¹

Beidou-1c:

“The Beidou-1c was launched on October 31, 2000 in China. This satellite gives railroads, highways and marines the location of where they are”.²

Yaogan 1:

“The Yaogan 1 was launched on April 26, 2006 in China. Its launch was successful and is used as a weather satellite. This satellite would provide a better navigation system for people. This satellite is used to keep track of the economy and crop fields.”³

Beidou:

“The Beidou was created by CAST(China Academy of Space Technology). It was launched in China in 2007. This satellite would provide the knowledge of traffic updates, meteorology and other important information.”⁴

France in the Space Industry:

“Charles De Gaulle intended to get France the opportunity to go out on space. In 1962, The CNES(Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) was established. This was a program which coordinated France going to space. Eventually, in 1962, the Diamant rocket was created. The Diamant rocket was also referred to as the Societe d’Etude et de Reaslisation des Engins Balistiques(SEREB). In 1965, the Diamant rocket was launched successfully as a test in Algeria.” ⁵

Redstone Missile

⁶

^{1)http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc_sdat/apstar-2.htm}

^{2) http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/china/beidou.htm}

^{3)http://space.skyrocket.de/index_frame.htm?http://www.skyrocket.de/space/doc_sdat/yaogan-1.htm}

^{4) http://www.sinodefence.com/strategic/spacecraft/beidou1.asp}

^{5) http://www.russianspaceweb.com/diamant.html}

^{6)http://www.myarmyredstonedays.com/Photos/redstone_launch/redstone_launch2.jpg}

Events:

Present Objects in Space In Germany on October 3, 1942, it launches its first V2 Rocket. This rocket is the first ballistic missile to leave earth’s atmosphere.¹

In the former USSR on April 26, 1950, during the R-3 ballistic missile program a multistage version of the rocket capable of launching a satellite is studied.¹

In the United States on May 15, 1957, the first test launch of the R-7 ICBM. This is an inter-continental missile that orbits the earth to deliver a nuclear payload.¹

In the United States on July 9, 1962, one of the first recorded high altitude atomic bomb tests. The test caused a giant EMP shockwave which crippled a third of the Planet’s satellites.²

In Japan on June 5, 2006, the Japanese sign a bill allowing the Japanese Military to go into space in self defense of China and N. Korea.³

In the United States on October 18, 2006, President Bush signs a New National Space Policy that allows the US to govern who goes into space.⁵

In China on January 11, 2007, the Chinese destroyed one of it’s own satellites, displaying its ability to take down satellites from any other country.⁴

^{1) http://www.russianspaceweb.com/chronology_XX.html}

^{2) http://cndyorks.gn.apc.org/yspace/articles/nuclear_explosions.htm}

^{3) http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Japanese_Military_Going_Into_Space.html}

^{4) http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/01/18/china.missile/index.html}

^{5)http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101701484.html}

Space Weapons Space Weapons:

Space Weapons are defined as any man made weapon that are in space near the Earth with the power to attack Earth or other orbiting structures. They are also weapons located on Earth that have the power to attack orbiting objects.

Existing Space Weapons:

² Anti-satellite

² Missiles

² EMP

Possible Space Weapons:

² Particle Beam Weapon – “lasers”

Imagined Spaced Weapons:

² Engine stopping rays

² Planet destroying death rays (i.e. the Death Star, George Lucas’ Star Wars)

^{1) http://www.obh.snafu.de/~madley/starwars/dataimg/death_star1.gif}

Space-Based Defence The specifics of space-based defense may vary, however the fundamentals are collectively shared by those who see space-based defense as a suitable enterprise.

One of the most pertinent reasons for space-based defense in the year 2007 is to protect orbiting assets, such as satellites. On January 11^th, China showed the world that it had the capability of destroying satellites when it used a terrestrial missile to obliterate an old, insignificant weather satellite.[1] Although what China actually did was tactical, its ramifications are very strategic. A terrestrial missile can take out US spy satellites just as easily as an old weather satellite. Such a threat makes space-based defense an acute necessity.

Space-based defense was a popular topic for U.S. presidential agendas in the 2004 elections. President Bush and Senator Kerry both expressed the need for a ballistic missile defense system. In 2001 president Bush announced the US withdrawal from the soviet anti-ballistic missile treaty of 1972, or ABM, which was a treaty that both nations would not have long range missile defense systems in space.2 With the ABM withdrawal, the US has pushed itself into space-based defense. Since the withdrawal, the US military has extensively researched space-based interceptor systems for boost-phase ballistic missiles.

Although there has been considerable activity in space-based weapons defense research, there is no objective space-based defense currently existing. The majority of existing long-range ballistic missile defense is terrestrially based, whether by sea, air, or land. 3 Contemporary definition of space-based defense is largely based on ballistic missile defense. In the future, as nations push space-based missile defense, the definition may change to allowing counter-attacking satellites, to eliminate the defensive systems of hostile enemies.

^{1) http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/01/18/china.missile/index.html}

^{2) http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/040216.htm}

^{3) http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/bmd.htm}

Why is Space Interesting?

There are many reasons on why people consider space to be so fascinating. For many people it’s the curious fact that there are so many unknown things about it that even with years of work we will never be able to understand. Examples are whether or not there is a limit to how far space really is, or whether it’s just limitless. Whether there are more planets to be discovered and galaxies similar to ours. The fact that there is so much out there but little available information drives a lot of us crazy from curiosity.

Also for others, they find it interesting to see whether our future will be in space and whether it is actually possible to live up there. Along with the unknown, we want to know if there is another planet similar to ours that can actually sustain life or even come close. This is a major issue right now in today’s world because our planet’s resources are running out quickly and if we are thinking of looking up for the answer then we need to act quickly. There are so many things going up in space that can actually have potential to hold life. Such as for Mars has just been seen having ice on its poles. So we may quickly have an answer to all of our problems.

But there is always the one reason that is on everyone’s mind. And that is whether or not there is actually some other kind of life up there. People throughout their whole lives think about whether we are alone or whether somewhere up there, there is actually a different life form that we have yet to discover. Even if it is plant life, or even the alien creatures we grew up watching on the sci-fi channels or in movies. Whether we will have peace with them, or have some kind of new enemy. People are also interested in whether they carry new forms of technology that we can use and share our ideas with them as well.

So many reasons come to mind when you think of space, and we believe that this is why people find space so fascinating. Because to be honest, it could really be our home pretty soon, and it’s always good to be happy or interested in your home.

Products for Space Turned Commercial

Products for Space that have been Modified:

² Tang

² Astronaut Ice Cream

² Golf Ball Aerodynamics

² Flat Panel Televisions

² Fogless Ski Goggles

² Hang Gliders

² Composite Golf Clubs

² Portable Cooler/Warmers

² Food Packaging and Freeze Dried Technology

² Scratch-Resistant Lenses

² Athletic Shoes

² Ribbed Swimsuits

² Sports Training ¹

² Trash Compactors

² Dust busters

² Self Adjusting Sunglasses

^{1) http://jeffatwood.typepad.com/atwoodzoo/images/tang.gif}

^{2) http://www.starmagic.com/catalog/1610000P.JPG}

^{3) http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/aerodynamics/sports/sphere-flow-comparison.jpg}

Rockets:

Military Technologies One example of military technology is the rocket. Rockets are used for fireworks, weaponry, launching artificial satellites, human spaceflight and exploring other planets. Rockets have a long history going back almost 1000 years that includes manned landings on the moon.

In military, rockets are very useful as military tools. Rockets serve as the means by which a payload is delivered to a target. Rockets are generally referred to as missiles. Rocket engines make the initial energy for trajectory.

During the Vietnam time, there were air-launched unguided rockets that carried a nuclear payload to attack aircraft formations in flight.

The origin of rockets dates back over 2000 years ago when people in China began experimenting with gunpowder and fireworks. The major figure in the field at the 19^th century was William Congreve. From there, the use of military rockets spread throughout all Europe.

Rockets became extremely important military in the form of ICBMs when it was realized that nuclear weapons carried on a rocket vehicle were not defensible against once launched, and they became the delivery platform of choice for these weapons. In current day, rockets still remain a poplar military weapon. Economically, rockets has enabled access to space and launched the era of satellite communication. Scientifically, rockets have opened a window on our universe.

^{1)
http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/images/rocket.jpg}

Spy Satellite:

A second example of military technologies is the spy satellite also known as the reconnaissance satellite. It is an Earth observation satellite deployed for military applications. From 1970s to 1980s, many reconnaissance satellites took photos and then ejected canisters of photographic film, which would descend to earth and be retrieved in mid-air as they floated down on parachutes. In the U.S., the most information is available on the programs that existed up to the year 1972.

The North Korean’s vigorous missile development has unsettled its neighbors: Japan, China, and South Korea. The United States military in South Korea has begun deploying new Patriot missiles designed to intercept incoming missiles, while Japan has become the 1^st country to agree to work with Washington on its missile defense project. In 2003, Japan launched its 1^st spy satellites in a multibillion-dollar program aimed at monitoring North Korea’s development of long-range missiles. Japan launched new spy satellite on February 24, 1998. It is the last of four spy satellites that Japan decided to put into orbit in 1998. Japan was shocked by North Korea because North Korea fired a missile over Japan’s territory.

LEAD Technologies Inc. V1.01

On August 18^th in 1960, the U.S launched the 1^st spy satellite, Corona spy satellite (Discoverer XIV) with a camera.

^{1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kh-4b_corona.jpg}

The Air Born Laser:

The Airborne Laser is a military Technology used in space. It consist of “consists of a high-energy, chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) mounted on a modified 747-400F (freighter) aircraft to shoot down theater ballistic missiles in their boost phase”.¹This takes a lot of team effort to be able to accomplish operating this technology .What this technology does is that it is able to track missiles in for our safety.

¹^{1) http://stochastix.wordpress.com/tag/technology/military-technology/page/2/}

New B-2 Bomber:

The air force has approved the development of a new satellite communication system for the B-2 stealth bomber. This satellite will let the aircraft send and receive battlefield information up to 100 times faster than it does now. They will soon start the first increment of an extremely high frequency (EHF) satellite communications system for the B-2. The first increment will replace the B-2's management computers with one integrated processing unit. They second increment will let the B-2 send and receive information at EHF, and the last increment will integrate the new EHF communications capabilities into the controls and displays of the B-2. Currently, the aircraft’s satellite communications system operates at ultra high frequencies (UHF). “Upgrading the B-2’s satellite communications capabilities from UHF to EHF will be like going from a dial-up internet communication to broadband”.¹

^{1)http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Key_Phase_Of_New_B_2_Bomber_Communication_System_To_Begin_999.html}

Baczuk, Caitlin and Schauer, Rebecca. “Missile Defense and Space Policy: 2004 Presidential Candidate Positions”, 27 March 2007http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/week/040216.htm

Bibliography Dupont, Daniel G. “Nuclear Explosions in Orbit”, 27 March 2007