User:Sarahelizabethmarcus/Cangineering

Cangineering

Cangineering is the most unique food charity in the world!

Northrop Grumman Space Technology engineers team up with local middle school students to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food.

The results are displayed as magnificent sculptures during Engineering Week, annually held in Feburary.

At the close of the exhibitions, all of the canned food used to create the structures is donated to local food banks for distribution to emergency feeding programs that include pantries, soup kitchens, elderly and day care centers.

Cangineering 2009

The 2009 theme is "Thinking Outside the Can". Students will be split into two teams and coached on how to design a Satellite. Students must pick a Payload, a Body, a Power Supply, and Senser Set, and a Propulsion Source.

Payload

Space Observation Payload

A Radiometer Payload observes radiation from distant stars, galaxies, and other Outer Space objects. An example is the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

An Imaging Payload collects visible-wavelength images of outer-space objects such as the moon, Jupiter, the crab nebula. An example is the Hubble Space Telescope]].

A Deployable Payload releases another object/vehicle from the satellite to more-closely observe objects. An example of a deployable payload is a Mars rover.

Earth Observation Payload

Radiometer Payloads monitor Earth’s weather and climate for reasons such as measuring the effects of clouds on global warming.

Imaging Payloads collect images of earth for purposes such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making, intelligence gathering etc.

Communication Payloads communicate with other satellites and ground stations in reference to intelligence, surveillance, targeting, and reconnaissance.

Body

LCROSS is an example of a Hexagon body.

DSP is an example of a Cylidrical body.

EOS is an example of a Rectangular body.

Power Supply

Solar panels on spacecraft are often used on Earth-orbiting satellites.

RTG is often used on Interplanetary missions such as the Cassini–Huygens space probe.

Fuel Cells are used on the Space Shuttle.

Senser Set

Sun Sensors, Earth Horizon Sensors, Star Trackers, and Gyroscopes are examples of Attitude dynamics and control systems

Propulsion Source

Monopropellant engines are used for pointing control for many spacecraft.
Bipropellant rocketengines are used as the Space Shuttle main engine.
Ion thrusters are used for Interplanetary Missions.

Cangineering Rules

Design

1. No glass containers.

2. No pet food.

3. No alcoholic beverages.

4. No opened or exposed food (attracts vermin).

5. Your Cangineering structure must be structurally self-supporting.

6. Velcro, clear and double faced tape may be used as adhesives.

7. High tension rubber bands and nylon string are permissible.

8. No permanent adhesives may be use on the cans.

9. Foam core, cardboard and similar leveling (but not supporting) materials are permitted.

10. Maximum size of any Cangineering structure is 10' long x 10' wide x 8' high.

11. Aluminum food cans of all sizes may be used

12. Cans must be full, unopened, and with labels intact and legible. Labels MAY NOT be covered for the display.

13.Props are allowed, some boxed foods, etc. Props SHOULD NOT be a dominating feature of the entry. Props should be approximately 30% or less of the structure.

References

http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=114175 retrieved on Dec 15 2008
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2007/jwst_can.html retrieved on Dec 15 2008
http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=136646 retrieved on Dec 16 2008