Array ( [0] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 923 [parent] => 23 [order] => 2 [lang_id] => 7269e2431d4f64d4ffa2781791581d2a [title] => How About a Vacation in the Solar System? [subtitle] => 07.18.2023 [header_img] => 0 [list_img] => upload/media/vacation-in-the-solar-system.jpg [summary] => Hey there, future space explorers! Get ready for an out-of-this-world journey through our solar system, where planets come alive with amazing facts and cool comparisons. [content] =>

While the average temperatures in the world broke records 3 times in a row in the same week, July 6, when the global average temperature was 17.23 degrees, was recorded as the “hottest day on record”. What is the situation on other planets? Let's take a look together.

On Which Planet Would You Like to Vacation?

Let's start with the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury. Mercury is about 58 million km from the Sun.

That's hotter than an oven! But when the sun sets, Mercury becomes chilly, dropping to a freezing temperature, -180°C.

Mercury has an extremely thin and tenuous atmosphere called an exosphere, composed mainly of atoms blasted off its surface by the solar wind.

Next up is Venus, known as Earth's sizzling-hot neighbor. Venus is about 108 million km from the Sun.

Venus is a real hot spot in our solar system, with an average temperature of 464°C all around the planet.

That's because Venus has a runaway greenhouse effect, contributing to its high surface temperature making the atmosphere dense. Imagine being on a planet where it's always like a boiling sauna!

Venus has a thick atmosphere composed mainly of Carbon Dioxide with clouds of Sulfuric Acid.

Now, let's visit our own beautiful planet, Earth. Earth is about 150 million km from the Sun.

We have a comfortable range of temperatures here, from freezing cold in some places, like -89.2°C, to quite hot in others, reaching up to 56.7°C.

Earth has a predominantly Nitrogen (78%) and Oxygen (21%) atmosphere with traces of other gases such as Carbon Dioxide and water vapor. It supports life and provides a protective layer that regulates temperature and shields from harmful radiation.

Mars, often called the 'Red Planet', is next on our adventure list. Mars is about 228 million km from the Sun.

While it's a bit colder than Earth, with temperatures ranging from -87°C near the poles to -5°C at the equator, it still has a lot of potential for future exploration.

Mars has a thin atmosphere composed mostly of Carbon Dioxide. It also has traces of Nitrogen and Argon, but the atmospheric pressure is much lower compared to Earth.

Now, let's journey to the mighty gas giant Jupiter. Jupiter is about 778 million km from the Sun.

Jupiter doesn't have a solid surface like our Earth. Instead, it's covered in massive swirling clouds. Even though it's far from the Sun, Jupiter's cloud tops are chilly, averaging around -145°C.

Jupiter has a thick atmosphere primarily composed of Hydrogen and Helium. It also contains traces of water vapor, Methane, Ammonia, and other compounds. It exhibits colorful cloud bands, including the famous Great Red Spot, a giant storm system.

Next, we have Saturn, famous for its beautiful rings. Saturn is about 1.4 billion km from the Sun.

Like Jupiter, Saturn doesn't have a solid surface either. Its cloud tops are even colder, with an average temperature of -178°C.

Saturn's atmosphere is predominantly composed of Hydrogen and Helium. It also has traces of other gases, such as Methane and Ammonia.

Now, let's venture to the icy giant Uranus. Uranus is about 2.9 billion km from the Sun.

This planet is really chilly, with an average temperature of -195°C. It's so cold that it's often called an 'ice giant.'

Uranus has a thick atmosphere mainly composed of Hydrogen and Helium, with traces of Methane. Its atmosphere is known for its unique blue-green color.

Last but not least, we have Neptune, another icy giant in our solar system. Neptune is about 4.5 billion km from the Sun.

Neptune is even colder than Uranus, with an average temperature of -200°C.

Neptune's atmosphere is composed of Hydrogen, Helium, and traces of Methane. It has a striking deep blue color and experiences powerful winds and storms.

Wow, our solar system is full of incredible diversity! From blazing-hot temperatures to freezing cold, and from thin atmospheres to thick ones, each planet has its own personality.

Remember, there's always something amazing to learn about the universe, so keep your curiosity alive and keep exploring!

[description] => Imagine you have the opportunity to take a vacation to one of the planets in our solar system. If you could pick any planet for your cosmic adventure, which one would you choose and why? Let's think about the unique features of each planet and consider what makes them exciting destinations. We have prepared a great blog for you on this topic! Read our blog first, then share with us your choice and why you want to visit that special planet! [keywords] => the temperatures of planets, temperature differences in the solar system, brief info about planets, the highest and the lowest temperatures in the solar system, mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune, the distaces of planets to sun, atmospheres of planets, planets, the hottest day [extra] => [{"key":"","value":""}] [created_date] => 2023-07-17 17:00:22 [updated_date] => 2023-08-25 08:56:47 [lang] => en [active] => 1 [search] => 1 [facebook_piksel] => ) [1] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 765 [parent] => 23 [order] => 4 [lang_id] => 7d819c1776e97cf787fbf4e5d6e53fca [title] => Why Do Astronauts Wear Space Suits? [subtitle] => 09.13.2020 [header_img] => 0 [list_img] => upload/media/25.jpg [summary] => Why do astronauts wear space suits? Is the space environment dangerous for humans? In this article, we examined astronaut suits. [content] =>

WHY DO ASTRONAUTS WEAR SPACE SUITS?

Astronauts must be wearing their spacesuits when they get out of their spacecraft and are exposed to the "space environment," but why?

So what could be done to avoid these and similar dangers?

If you are going to go to space one day, perhaps the most important thing to take with you may be the spacesuit. Spacesuits are like a small spacecraft and protect astronauts from dangers in space. The Primary Life Support System (PLSS), which looks like a backpack, provides the suit with pressurized oxygen and ventilation while removing carbon dioxide, water vapor, and trace contaminants.

The spacesuits used on the International Space Station today remain there all the time. In other words, astronauts do not have their own space suit. The same spacesuit can be worn by several astronauts, according to the assignments from the Mission Control Center. 

So can every astronaut wear the same spacesuit?

As you can imagine, the physical structure of every astronaut is not the same. Some astronauts may be tall, some are short, some may be a little leaner or overweight than others. It is precisely for this reason that astronauts have space suits in three different sizes (small, medium and large) that they use on the International Space Station. Since the connection points of these spacesuit are the same, an astronaut can make a special combination from these three different sizes if needed.

What does the spacesuit protect us from?

First of all, it can eliminate the oxygen deprivation that we mentioned at the beginning for a certain period of time. Each spacesuit has two oxygen tanks that work with a carbon dioxide removal system to allow a 6 to 8.5 hour spacewalk. Afterwards, the astronaut must return to the space station in order to refill the empty oxygen tanks. Another danger is related to the temperature in space.

Is space hot or cold?

Unfortunately, the temperature in space is either too high or too low for the human body to stand. For example, ,if an astronaut would go on a spacewalk without a spacesuit when the sun is shining brightly, he or she would suddenly encounter a temperature of about 120 degrees Celsius with the effect of radiation.

Without the sun, the temperature suddenly drops to about -120 degrees Celsius. This situation happens very, very suddenly because there is no atmosphere in space. Here, the only thing that keeps the astronaut safe in these difficult conditions is again the spacesuit. Another important item on the spacesuit is the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment (LCVG), which incorporates clear plastic tubing through which chilled liquid water flows for body temperature control, as well as ventilation tubes for waste gas removal. Thus, the astronaut can always work comfortably in the spacesuit.

In addition to all these, the astronaut must wear a spacesuit to be protected from pressure, radiation and meteor dust.

Is there pressure in space?

Even though we can't feel it, air is constantly pressing down on us with a tremendous force. We cannot see this force with our eyes, but we constantly experience the results of this effect, especially when driving on steep hills or getting off an airplane. This pressure created by the air and the internal pressure created by the beat of our heart is constantly in balance. As we just explained, there is no air in space. This means that there is no air pressure in space. Therefore, spacesuits are inflated with a certain amount of air, just like a balloon, to apply the necessary external pressure to the astronaut. Thus, the body fluids of astronauts can remain in liquid form during a spacewalk.

Radiation in space

There is a special layer of atmosphere in the world that protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. For this reason, the sun does not affect us that much as long as we don’t fall a sleep under it on a summer day. However, since there is no atmosphere layer in space, the sun's harmful rays, also called radiation, can cause great harm to astronauts. Space suits have layers to protect astronauts from radiation and reflect incoming rays. Also included in the spacesuit is a gold-plated visor section to protect the astronauts' eyes.

Meteor dusts that are faster than a bullet

Meteor dusts are small particles orbiting the earth. You might think; "How could a tiny dust particle hurt an astronaut?". Meteor dusts move in orbit of the Earth at a speed of approximately 24,000 km per hour. Therefore, when any small particle hits an astronaut, it can cause great damage. For this reason, there is a special protection shield in the upper part of the spacesuit and in the area called the Hard Upper Torso, which is similar to the structure of bulletproof vests. Thanks to this shield, the astronaut is protected from the vital damage that a meteor dust can cause.

What do astronauts eat and drink during a spacewalk?

Astronauts may have to take long space walks from time to time. The record belongs to two astronauts, Jim Voss and Susan Helms, who took a spacewalk for 8 hours and 56 minutes. Of course, astronauts can get hungry or thirsty during this long spacewalk. If necessary, you may think that they can go to the space station and have their food. But every minute in space is planned and very important. Taking off a spacesuit, that actually takes 15 minutes to put on with someone's help, can cost the astronaut half an hour, so the astronauts do not prefer to return to the space station and take a lunch break. NASA has found a solution to this issue as well.

Under normal circumstances, menus containing more than 1000 types of food are prepared for the International Space Station astronauts. These menus that include snacks can be consumed by astronauts at the station. There is also a high-calorie chocolate bar, fixed in a space suit helmet close to the mouth, so that astronauts can gain energy on challenging spacewalks. Especially on long spacewalks, astronauts enjoy the meal breaks where they consume these chocolates. Since they cannot use their hands, astronauts consume the chocolate bar by biting on it several times.

The next need of the astronaut consuming a high-calorie chocolate bar is of course water. At this point, a water bag located in the spacesuit helmet and a straw attached to this bag comes to aid. The tip of the straw can be opened and closed using only the mouth.

How much does a spacesuit cost?

The cost of a spacesuit is set at about $12 million. It can be said that this shield is cost-effective considering that a spacesuit is not crafted for every single astronaut and it can be used repeatedly for many years as long as there are no problems with it.

So what is the most expensive piece of a space suit?

Initially, it may look like the most expensive item on the space suit is the Primary Life Support System. This unit, which is responsible for adjusting the oxygen and the temperature levels, contains several electronic devices. However, in terms of cost, the parts that NASA spends the most are the gloves of the astronauts. Spacesuit gloves are the main limiting factor when it comes to working in space. Astronauts usually handle from 70 to 110 tools, tethers and associated equipment for a typical spacewalk. Like an inflated balloon, the fingers of the gloves resist the effort to bend them. Astronauts must fight that pressure with every movement of their hand, which is exhausting and sometimes results in injury. Furthermore, the joints of the glove are subject to wear that can lead to life-threatening leaks. For this reason, the gloves are specially designed to aid astronauts' mobility.

In a nutshell, spacesuits are basically wearable spacecrafts and can not only keep astronauts alive, but also feed them, allow them to communicate, and even be used as a toilet.

So what kind of spacesuits will we see in the coming years?

When NASA sends astronauts to explore near the Moon's South Pole as part of the "Artemis Program", the moonwalkers will wear space suits provided by Axiom Space. NASA selected the Axiom company to develop modern suits for the Artemis III mission and unveiled the first prototype on Wednesday, March 15, during an event at Space Center Houston in Texas.

"NASA's partnership with Axiom is critical to landing astronauts on the Moon. Building on NASA's years of research and expertise, Axiom's next-generation spacesuits will not only enable the first woman to walk on the Moon, but will also open opportunities for more people to explore and conduct more science on the Moon than ever before," said officials.

Artemis III will land astronauts on the Moon, including the first woman, to advance long-term lunar exploration and scientific discovery and inspire the Artemis Generation. NASA has selected Axiom Space to deliver the moonwalk system, including the spacesuit for the mission. The spacesuit, called the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or AxEMU, is based on NASA's spacesuit prototype developments and includes cutting-edge technology, enhanced mobility and additional protection against lunar hazards.

NASA experts defined the technical and safety standards to which the spacesuits would be built, and Axiom Space agreed to meet these essential agency requirements. AxEMU has the range of motion and flexibility needed to explore more of the lunar landscape, and the suit is designed to fit a wide range of crew members, which includes at least 90 percent of the US male and female population. Axiom Space will continue to apply modern technological innovations in life support systems, pressurized suits and avionics as development continues. The company will test the suit in a space-like environment before the mission.

Following Artemis III, the agency will compete with future Artemis mission services under the Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) contract. NASA is using the contract to fulfill the agency's spacewalk needs for both the Moon and the International Space Station. The agency recently issued a task order to Collins Aerospace, which is also competing under the xEVAS contract, to develop new spacesuits for astronauts to wear during spacewalks on the space station. Both firms will compete for future spacewalk and moonwalk services mission orders.

By landing the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon via Artemis, NASA will pave the way for a long-term, sustainable lunar presence to explore the lunar surface more than ever before and prepare for future Mars astronaut missions.

Would you like to be an astronaut? If you were an astronaut, what kind of spacesuit would you like to wear? You can share your comments with your friends on the following social media channels.

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Here we are sharing the most special moments of Moon Landing back in 69' and dreaming of a settlement on the lunar surface which can be observed with naked eye from earth within the third issue of our Astro Newsletter.

"Last 5%"  the words of Buzz Aldrin, pilot of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing Module, echoed in the mission control center on July 20, 1969, at 8:16 PM in Houston.

Two astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, were only 30 meters above the surface of the Moon. But they only had 5% of their fuel left. Buzz Aldrin checked the gauges once again and he said "last 22 meters" to Neil.

When the clocks showed 8:17 p.m., the Lunar Lander Eagle seemed to be reborn in a dust cloud on the Moon's surface with two astronauts inside. This new achievement of mankind echoed throughout the universe with the words of mission commander Neil Armstrong who remained silent till then, “Houston, Tranquility base here, Eagle has landed!".

About 2 hours later, at 10:56 p.m. (EDT), the first human trace to be left on the lunar surface was made by Neil Armstrong as follows;

Now, exactly 53 years later, another rocket is making its final preparations for the same target on the ramp where the Saturn V rocket, which took mankind to the Moon for the first time, was launched. The rocket, called the Space Launch System (SLS), aims to take humanity back to the Moon. But this time, it is planned to establish a permanent settlement there rather than just visiting.

NASA's unmanned Artemis 1 mission has been successfully completed in the past months. The Orion spacecraft used in the mission safely landed in the Pacific Ocean after a historic mission around the Moon.

Artemis I projected flightpath | Source: NASA

Of course, the Orion capsule's return to Earth was not easy. Because while the capsule was coming towards the Earth, it reached a speed of 39,422 km / h (24,500 mph) per hour, while at the same time the heat shield of the vehicle reached a temperature of 2760 °C (5000 F). Orion traveled a total of 1.4 million miles (2,253,082 km) in space over 25.5 days.

NASA also experimented with a new planetary penetration testing technique on Orion's landing. This technique makes it easier for the spacecraft to land at the designated location. When Orion enters the upper atmosphere of the Earth, it makes a short jump for maneuver, thus reaching the desired target or range. NASA likens this technique to bouncing a stone over water in a river.

Now that Orion is back on the ground, NASA will begin collecting data from sensor-equipped dummies on board to prepare for future missions involving humans. NASA's second Artemis mission, scheduled for 2024, will send a group of astronauts around the Moon.

Artemis II projected flightpath | Source: NASA

On Monday, April 3, 2023, NASA announced the names of the astronauts who will take part in the Artemis 2 mission. Flight specialists on duty; It will be Christina Hammock Kock and Jeremy Hansen. Victor Glover will take the pilot seat, while Reid Wiseman will take command of the mission.

Artemis 2 crew: (left to right) Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman (seated), and Jeremy Hansen.

The crew of four astronauts will take off for an approximately 10-day mission from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, shining beyond Earth's gravity scope above NASA's mega Moon rocket. For about two days, they'll check Orion's systems and conduct a targeting test relatively close to Earth before starting the move towards the Moon.

Artemis 2 astronauts in the Orion simulator at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston

Orion's European Space Agency-built service module will provide the spacecraft with the massive thrust needed to evade Earth orbit and set its course to the Moon. This extralunar injection burn will send the astronauts on a nearly four-day outbound journey and take them to the far side of the Moon, where they will eventually form a figure-eight that extends more than 230,000 miles from Earth. The crew will fly about 6,400 miles beyond the Moon at their maximum distance. During the approximately four-day return journey, the astronauts will continue to evaluate the spacecraft's systems.

The crew will be met by a rescue team of NASA and Department of Defense personnel, who will withstand and retrieve high-speed, high-temperature reentry through Earth's atmosphere before landing in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.

Proposed mission plan for the Artemis III mission | Source: NASA

NASA then plans to land humans on the Moon surface again with the Artemis III Mission. However, this mission is expected to be completed in 2025 or 2026 at the earliest.

Although one of the main goals here may seem to be to establish a permanent settlement on the lunar surface, the goal is actually much larger.

A rocket launched from Earth needs to consume tons of fuel to get rid of the Earth's gravitational force and reach orbit. According to Newton's third law of motion, the thrust emanating from a rocket engine is called "effect" and the resulting rise of the rocket is called "reaction". But since Earth's gravitational force is so great, the effect must be much, much larger than the rocket weight for the reaction to occur.

Manned missions to Mars in the future will also consume a lot of fuel due to this gravitational force. If an object is thrown into space from a celestial body with 6 times less gravitational force, it will be possible to travel much farther using much less fuel. That's why plans are being made to establish a base on the lunar surface and reach Mars or other celestial bodies from there.

In addition, if the missions are accomplished, NASA is preparing to blaze a trail by sending the first woman to Moon. Since all 12 astronauts who walked on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972 were men, this time, NASA is working on sending the first female astronaut to walk on the Moon with the Artemis program.

What do you think how the Moon, shining like a golden disk in the sky especially during the full moon, will look like after all these missions?

Will we one day be able to sit and watch the launches from the lunar surface with our telescopes while today it is necessary to go to the rocket launch site to watch the launches into space?

We are holding our breath for it!

[description] => NASA aims to launch manned missions to the Moon again in 2024. Although one of the main goals here may seem to establish a permanent settlement on the lunar surface, the real goal is actually much bigger. [keywords] => artemis program, what is artemis program, new moo missions, when we will go to moon again, moon colonization, artemis moon missions, NASA artemis, NASA artemis moon mission, One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind, what did neil armstrond say, moon landing, first moon landing, next moon landing, SLS, space launch system, orion space capsule, who to go to moon, what action reaction, newton's third law of motion, apollo 11 moon landing, when did they set foot on moon, lunar lander eagle, which rocket is used during moon program, satrun v rocket, space launch system, what is SLS, what is wet dress rehearsal, wet dress rehearsal, orion, orion space capsule, artemis 2, artemis 3, Artemis III Mission, Artemis 2 astronauts [extra] => [{"key":"","value":""}] [created_date] => 2022-03-31 17:06:01 [updated_date] => 2023-09-18 11:12:04 [lang] => en [active] => 1 [search] => 1 [facebook_piksel] => ) [3] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 913 [parent] => 23 [order] => 6 [lang_id] => c64d8d05eb3f1915cb5162e69c2ac6a6 [title] => Spring Equinox [subtitle] => 03.21.2023 [header_img] => 0 [list_img] => upload/media/spring-equinox1.png [summary] => The equinox is the moment when the circle of illumination passes through the poles as a result of the Sun's rays hitting perpendicular to the Equator. [content] =>

During the Spring Equinox on March 21, which heralds spring, day and night are actually equalized. This happens twice a year, in spring and fall.

In the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the Sun's rays fall at an angle of 90° to the Equator at noon. At that moment the shadow length is zero at the equator. From this date, the Sun's rays begin to fall perpendicular to the Northern Hemisphere. From this date, the days begin to be longer than the nights in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite happens. This date is the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. The circle of illumination is tangent to the poles, and the Sun is visible at both poles on this date. On Earth, the duration of day and night is equal to each other. This date is the beginning of six months of night time at the South Pole and the beginning of six months of day time at the North Pole.

Every year there are two equinoxes on Earth: one on March 21, called the vernal equinox, and the other on September 22, called the autumnal equinox, with different dates in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The March equinox is the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumnal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. Likewise, the September equinox is the fall equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.

SPRING EQUINOX

There are many more effects that we can all notice at the time of the March equinox. In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox allows the sun to rise earlier, set later and plants to sprout.

South of the equator, it is the opposite season - later sunrise, earlier sunset, colder winds, drying and falling leaves.

Equinoxes and solstices are caused by the tilt of the Earth on its axis and the relentless motion of its orbit. You can think of the equinox as an event in the imaginary dome of our sky, or as an event in the Earth's orbit around the Sun.

SOLSTICES AND EQUINOX DATES

March 21 (equinox): Day and night become equal, spring begins in the northern hemisphere, while the southern hemisphere enters autumn.

June 21 (summer solstice): The longest day and shortest night of the year.

It is also known as the summer solstice. Summer begins in the northern hemisphere while winter begins in the southern hemisphere.

September 23 (equinox): Day and night become equal. In the northern hemisphere, summer ends and fall begins. In the southern hemisphere, it is the transition to spring.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPRING AND FALL EQUINOXES?

1- The Sun's rays come perpendicular to the Equator.

2- The Sun's rays come at the same angles to both hemispheres.

3- Tidal amplitude increases in stagnant waters on Earth.

4- From March 21 to September 23, the days are longer in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere as the rays are perpendicular to the points north of the Equator. From September 23 to March 21, the days are longer in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere.

5- March 21 is the start of 6 months of daylight at the North Pole and September 23 is the start of 6 months of daylight at the South Pole. At the equinoxes, the Sun rises exactly in the east and sets exactly in the west.

6- Although the amount of energy coming from the Sun to both hemispheres is equal, the temperatures are not equal due to different temperature accumulation.

7- Since the Sun's rays pass tangentially to the poles, the circle of illumination is formed over the poles. Twilight is experienced at the poles.

8- Day and night periods are equal all over the world (Equinox).

9- The Sun rises and sets at the same time at all points on the same meridian.

10- It is the beginning of the spring seasons in both hemispheres. March 21 is the spring of the Northern Hemisphere and the fall of the Southern Hemisphere. September 23 is the spring of the Southern Hemisphere and the fall of the Northern Hemisphere.

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PI DAY

This is because 3.14 is the first digits of Pi. Math enthusiasts around the world love to celebrate this infinite and never-ending number. Pi Day, which was first celebrated in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium by Larry SHAW, a famous physicist, was first celebrated in our country in 2007. 

We Celebrated Pi Day With Our International Campers

Pi, named after the symbol π, the first letter of the Greek word for circumference, is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. No matter how big or small a circle is (from the size of our universe to the size of an atom or smaller), the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter is always equal to Pi.

Pi is usually rounded to 3.14 for simplicity, but its digits go on forever and do not have any repeating pattern.

Calculating the digits of Pi is one of the greatest joys of mathematicians. Until 1900, these calculations were done manually, but with the introduction of computers, it became a festival. In 2019, Emma Haruka Iwao, a Google developer in Osaka, Japan, set a world record by calculating the lower digits of the infinite number Pi to 31 trillion digits with the help of Google's cloud computing systems.

Since its discovery, Pi has been in our lives in many fields such as engineering, construction, GPS, simulation, radio, TV, telephone and energy production. Some historians are even debating whether Pi was used in the construction of the ancient Pyramids of Giza, as the structures are almost geometrically perfect.

Pi is also very important for space exploration. Let's take a look at some of its uses.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PI IN SPACE EXPLORATION

• Scientists study the physical structure of planets and asteroids by determining their volume, density and mass using Pi.
• Space explorers use Pi to search for exoplanets orbiting stars other than the Sun. Powerful ground- and space-based telescopes monitor how much light distant stars emit. When a planet passes in front of its star, the telescope sees a drop in the amount of light emitted. Scientists can determine the size of the planet using the percentage of this decrease and the formula for the area of a circle in Pi.
• To put a spacecraft into orbit around a planet, the spacecraft must be slowed down by the planet's gravity just enough and at exactly the right time to be pulled into orbit. Engineers determine how much this gravity will pull the spacecraft, how fast the spacecraft goes and the details of the new orbit. Using these numbers together with Pi, they can calculate exactly how much they need to apply the brakes.
• The Cassini spacecraft spent 13 years orbiting Saturn, observing the planet's majestic rings, moons and surface features. Twice during this mission, engineers used a technique called Pi transfer to change Cassini's orbit. Cassini's orbit was flipped 180 degrees to the opposite side of the planet in a directed pass. This allowed Cassini to see the planet and Titan in a whole new light.
• While no two Mars landings are exactly the same, they all share one thing in common: parachutes. Just like the Perseverance spacecraft that landed on, the surface of Mars on February 18, 2021, the spacecraft must be slowed down for a soft landing on the Martian surface. When designing a parachute, engineers have to take into account all kinds of factors such as the mass of the spacecraft, its speed, and the height of the landing site. The number pi helps engineers determine the size of the parachute to create the drag needed to slow the spacecraft down.
• Engineers use Pi to estimate the amount of uncertainty in the location where a Mars lander or rover will land. Landing on Mars is uncertain for many reasons, including winds, air density, the initial speed and position of the spacecraft as it approaches Mars from Earth. Prior to the Mars landing, many of these uncertainties can be modeled using mathematical distributions that include Pi in the calculations. When simulated together, the result is potentially kilometers of location uncertainty surrounding the intended landing spot. Engineers take this uncertainty into account and are careful where they aim, as was the case with the Perseverance rover that landed in the Jezero crater.
• Engineers use Pi to communicate with spacecraft in the deep space network to send messages and process what is sent back. Sending and receiving messages to and from distant spacecraft requires a network of massive antennas placed around the world. Together, these antennas make up NASA's Deep Space Network, or DSN. Engineers communicating with the spacecraft through the DSN use Pi in the math equations needed to send messages and process the ones sent back.
• The Mars rovers do not have joysticks or a steering wheel that can be used to steer them. Instead, the rovers receive commands from operators on Earth telling them when and how to move forward, take photos, turn their wheels and use their robotic arms. Some of these functions are measured in degrees and others in radians (circle slices), so Pi is regularly used to convert between the two.
• When scientists discover new exoplanets, one of the most important things they want to know is whether these worlds can support life as we know it. A "potentially habitable" area is a location at a safe distance from the star, close enough for water to turn into gas and not so far away that water turns into ice. Scientists use Pi to find the inner and outer edges of the habitable zone around a given star. And they use Pi, together with Kepler's third law, to calculate how long it takes an exoplanet to reach the orbit of its star, thus revealing its position and whether it is in the habitable zone.
• Pi is critical in calculating how much fuel is in spacecraft tanks and how fast the fuel travels through fuel lines.
• Just like Earth's ancient explorers, when spacecraft visit other planets and worlds, they make a map. Scientists use Pi in the surface area formula to work out how many images it would take to map the entire planet.
  

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE NUMBER PI

• Pi has been known and used by civilizations for about 4,000 years. The cute symbol for pi was introduced in 1706 by William Jones, an Anglo-Gaelic philologist (linguist) and has been in our lives for over 250 years.
• The exact value of pi can never be calculated, so we can never clearly express the circumference of a circle numerically.
• Many mathematicians believe that it is more accurate to say that a circle has infinite vertices than to say that it has none. They think it is reasonable to assume that an infinite number of vertices in a circle is related to the infinite number Pi.
• A Turkish mathematician, Gıyaseddün Cemşid Al-Kashi of Samarkand, first calculated the value of Pi to 16 decimals in 1436.
• People compete to calculate more Pi digits in a never-ending contest. In 2010, a Japanese engineer and an American computer wizard set the record for the most Pi digits, calculating Pi to 5 trillion digits. They used only desktop computers, 20 external hard disks and their brilliant minds for the calculations.
• The record for reading the most decimal places of Pi was set by Rajveer Meena at VIT University in Vellore, India, on March 21, 2015. Rajveer was able to read 70,000 decimal places and it took 10 hours!
• The pyramids, enigmatic structures declared as one of the seven wonders of the world, were built with Pi calculations.
• There is a language made of the number Pi. Some people loved Pi enough to invent a dialect. In "Pi-lish", the number of letters in each word matches the corresponding number Pi. The first word has three letters, the second has one letter and the third has four letters. This language is much more popular than you might think.
• Calculating Pi is a stress test for a computer. The graph showing the level of activity in the computer's processor works just like a digital cardiogram.
• Pi is an irrational number, meaning that the digit after the comma has no limit. Since this unbounded sequence of numbers never repeats itself, the numbers have always been arranged in different ways. Pi is literally infinite. But the number 123456 appears nowhere in the first million digits of Pi. This is a bit shocking because if one million digits of Pi does not have the sequence 124356, it is certainly the most unique number.
• Albert Einstein, one of the world's most famous scientists, was born on March 14, 1879.
• Even though we know trillions of pi digits, it's not really needed; even engineers at NASA round Pi to 15 decimal places when calculating interplanetary orbits.

In the past, we have celebrated Pi Day with various activities at Space Camp Turkey. Participants from the international camp program from the American School in Lahore, Pakistan, learned the meaning of Pi Day, the importance of the number Pi and its place in mathematics with a special lesson, as the 14th day of the 3rd month (3.14) is accepted and celebrated as "World Pi Day" on March 14 every year. Students learned that Pi (the Greek letter "π") is a constant in mathematics and is the symbol used to represent the ratio of approximately 3.14159. They celebrated Pi Day at Space Camp Turkey with various math games and fun activities, and took a "Pi Day Souvenir Photo".

Happy Pi Day!

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