Week 1

The first week we were assigned to bring case studies that we are interested in, so I came up with Space Shuttle, Cable Car and Airport Conveyor Belt.

1. Space Shuttle Columbia : I'm interested in the launching, docking and landing sequence of the space shuttle. They need to be precise on calculating the launching time of the shuttle, so when the shuttle is released, it could exactly meet the space station in the space. When the shuttle dock to the space station, it can not just randomly park like we park cars, the ports on both shuttle and station must be fit. And when the shuttle finished its mission, it has to fly back to earth, and the landing is very important due to the gravity.

2. Cable Car : I'm interested in this because it is different from other kind of transportation, e.g. bus, train, plane etc. This works in steady speed and doesn't stop, even there is no one in the car, the system continues to run. Unlike bus or train that they have departure and arrival time and they could go in any speed.

3. Airport Conveyor Belt : I'm interested in how all bags travel on these belts, because it goes very complicated behind those nice and tidy check-in counters.




International Space Station

The ISS is a modular structure whose first component was launched in 1998. It consists of pressurized modules, external trusses, solar arrays and other components.
I find that the sequence of how space shuttle brings those components up to the space, and how each unit assembly together is very interesting.

Canadarm2

It is a robotic arm which plays a key role in statin assembly and maintenance; it moves equipment and supplies around the station, supports astronauts in working space, and services instruments and other payloads attached to the space station.

Canadarm2 is 17.6 m (58 ft) when fully extended and has seven motorized joints. It has a mass of 1,800 kg (4,000 lb) and a diameter of 35 cm (14 in). The arm is capable of handling large payloads of up to 116,000 kg (260,000 lb) and was able to assist with docking the space shuttle. Officially known as the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), it is self-relocatable and can move end-over-end to reach many parts of the Space Station in an inchworm-like movement. In this movement, it is limited only by the number of Power Data Grapple Fixtures (PDGFs) on the station. PDGFs located around the station provide power, data and video to the arm through its Latching End Effectors (LEEs). The arm can also travel the entire length of the space station truss using the Mobile Base System. 
(Source: Wikipedia)