Approfondimento: SCHEDE Flashcards
what is NASA?
Since its founding in 1958, NASA has been the centre of our scientific knowledge and our understanding of the Earth and the cosmos.
what is SOFIA?
One of the NASA’s latest creation. SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) is a very unusual telescope. It was not built on the ground, but rather in a Boing 747
why is SOFIA so useful?
thanks to SOFIA we can overcome the problems of clouds, light pollution and the air that blurs the star light so we can better observe the cosmos.
what was discovered thanks to SOFIA?
there’s water on the Moon, in the form of ice. This is a great news for future astronauts.
what are the plans for the future on the moon?
NASA with the Artemis program wants to establish a base there in the 2030s. Also Japan and China and private enterprises such as Blue Origin and Orion x are planning lunar bases.
why is the “lunar” water so important for lunar missions?
Because astronauts will be able to drink ‘lunar’ water instead of bringing water supplies from Earth. Sending stuff into space is expensive – sending a half-litre water bottle, for example, can cost between $9,000 and $44,000!
why spend so much effort and money on
space exploration?
because several studies show that the more a country invests in science and technology the higher its human development.
what is the “Pale Blue Dot”?
In 1990 the Voyager space probe (sent into space by NASA in 1977 to explore the Solar System) took a picture of our planet. In the photo the Earth was smaller than a pixel. This photo makes us reflect on how small we are in the presence of the universe. The photo was named “Pale Blue Dot”.
who is Boyan Slat?
Boyan Slat is a young student that swimming in Greece noticed that : in the water around him there was more plastic than fish. He studied this phenomenon and when he was 18 he started a no profit company, The Ocean Cleanup, which quickly became famous and supported around the world.
what did Boyan learn about ocean and plastic?
He learned that most of the plastic present in the oceans is carried by the currents, and it stops where the currents meet, forming great “garbage patches”. These are like huge floating islands made of billions of pieces of plastic.
what is Boyan’s idea?
Boyan imagined a boat with two long arms that could sweep the Ocean, collecting all the plastic in its path.
what are the results of the Ocean Cleanup Company?
They went to the Pacific ocean to study the Great Garbage Patch. In 2015 they crossed the Patch with 30 ships. They collected information about it and then they build their first ocean cleaner, which they called System 001.
what is System 001?
System 001 is a 600-metrelong, U-shaped barrier that will sail through the Great Garbage Patch. The barrier is three metres deep, so it will trap the plastic close to the surface, letting the fish swim under it, it is autonomous and powered with green energy.
what does the Company hope?
Boyan and his team say that 60 Systems could clean up half of the Patch in 5 years. With enough Systems, 90% of all plastic can be removed from the seas by 2040.
