Audience
Educators
Grade Levels
Grades 9-12
Subject
Mathematics, Space Science, Algebra, Problem Solving, Space Radiation
Type
Lesson Plans / Activities
In 1958, Dr. James Van Allen discovered a collection of high-energy particle clouds within 40,000 kilometers of Earth. These belts have long been known as “bad news” for satellites and astronauts, with potentially deadly consequences if too much time is spent within them. Apollo astronauts travelled through some of these belt regions because the orbit of the moon lies along the fastest line-of-travel from Earth. A one-page teacher guide accompanies the one-page assignment.
Problem 7, The Deadly Van Allen Belts? [139KB PDF file]
This mathematics problem is part of Space Math III.