Reflection
Leaving Earth was centered around exploring space travel and its relation to physics. The purpose of this project was to explore the topics of planets, space travel, and kinematics. We first started to read The Martian by Andy Weir because it contained information about space travel and the science behind it. The class pulled elements of the book to help in the understanding of space travel. To start the project, my partner, Emily, and I did thorough research of the planet we chose, Kepler-452b, to understand how long it would take to get there and how to survive on it. This was important information so that we could base our Flash Fiction stories around it. For the space ship, we created a manifest of items and went through a series of equations to figure out the kinematics of it. The equations included finding the speed up and slow down time of the ship as well as how much power it takes to lift off the ground. Our final product was to create a Flash Fiction story about our planet that included our understanding of the physics and planet while still having an interesting plot. From the project, I learned the relation between kinematics and space travel, and how to properly use the equations. I also learned how much work goes into planning space missions, even small ones, because there is so much to take into account. I am impressed with everything the Private Sector Space Research does to achieve these goals. I think space travel is an incredible feat that humans have done and I find it very interesting how we are able to leave this planet and go to others. Space travel is an amazing way to learn more about the universe and what is exactly out there. It has come a long way within 50 years and it'll be interesting to see what plans there are for the future.