Time Schedule:
Robert Holzworth
ESS 205
Seattle Campus
Group development of student experiments to the outer rim of our atmosphere and the beginning of space; investigation of stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, magnetosphere, development of exploration packages; basic electronic fabrication, global positioning, radio tracking, expectations at high altitudes. Open to all disciplines. No previous experience of electronics required.
Class description
This course seeks to provide science majors as well as non-science majors access to space to fully appreciate Earth's upper atmosphere and near space environment and to learn how to accomplish working experiments in these very extreme environments. The course will provide hands-on experience through high-altitude balloon experiments that the students will build and launch. At the same time students will learn basic principles of space sciences as well as basic electronics.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Three lectures/Week plus two labs/week. (5 credits)
Recommended preparation
No prerequisites necessary. Please bring a willingness to try your hand at building, testing and analysing simple space instruments and resulting data.
Class assignments and grading
weekly assignments related to reading and lectures; laboratory writeups, management plans for space instruments; flight experiment data analysis and writeup; midterm.
(preliminary): Weekly Assignments Development of Experimental Apparatus Mid-Term Submission of (1) Management Plan (2) Pre-Flight Calibration and expectations report (3) Analysis of Final Launch Data and Final Report
