Exploring Space Through Math: Geometry

Young mathematicians use their knowledge of geometry and precalculus to study the movement of the robotic arm on the International Space Station (ISS) and the flight pattern of NASA’s C-9 jet. In addition, they use spherical coordinates and vector addition to find position coordinates of the space shuttle and predict the trajectory of the space shuttle as it rendezvous’ with the ISS. Scholars also investigate the communication time lag between Earth and Mars, the relationship between the height of a lunar communication tower and the tower’s communications range, and apply trigonometric functions to the liftoff of the Lunar Lander from the Moon.