= NASA Exercise: Survival on the Moon

Scenario:

You are a member of a space crew originally scheduled to rendezvous=

with a mother ship on the lighted surface of the moon. However, due to

mechanical difficulties, your ship was forced to land at a spot some 200

miles from the rendezvous point.

During reen= try and landing, much of the equipment aboard was damaged and, since survival depends on reaching the mother ship, the most critical items available must= be chosen for the 200-mile trip.

Listed are = the 15 items left intact and undamaged after landing. Your task is to rank order them in terms of their importance for your crew in allowing them to reach t= he rendezvous point.

Place the number 1 by the most important item, the number 2 by the second most import= ant, and so on through number 15 or the least important.

Good Luck!<= o:p>

Your Ranking / NASA Ranking - TEAM ________________________

_______ Box of matches _______

_______ Food concentrate _______

_______ 50 feet of nylon rope _______

_______ Parachute silk _______

_______ Portable heating unit _______

_______ Two .45 caliber pistols _______

_______ One case of dehydrated milk _______

_______ Two 100 lb. tanks of oxygen _______

_______ Stellar map _______

_______ Self-inflating life raft _______

_______ Magnetic compass _______

_______ 5 gallons of water _______

_______ Signal flares _______

_______ First aid kit, including injection needle _______

_______ Solar-powered FM receiver-transmitter _______

TOTAL _____= ______________________

A 1= 5th Cheltenham (SHURDINGTON) Scouts Resourc= e

Ranking

Answ= ers to the Survival on the Moon Exercise

Item NASA Ranking NASA's Reasoning

Box of matches 15 V= irtually worthless -- there's no oxygen on the moon to sustain combustion

Food concentra= te 4 Efficient means= of supplying energy requirements

50 feet of nylon rope 6 Useful in scali= ng cliffs and tying injured together

Parachute silk= 8 Protection from= the sun's rays

Portable heating unit 13 Not needed unle= ss on the dark side

Two .45 calib= re pistols 11 P= ossible means of self-propulsion

One case of dehydrated milk= 1 2 Bulkier duplica= tion of food concentrate

Two 100 lb. tanks of oxygen 1 M= ost pressing survival need (weight is not a factor since gravity is one-sixth of the Earth's – each tank would weigh only abou= t 17 lbs. on the moon)

Stellar map 3 Primary means of navigation – star patterns appear essentially identical on the moon a= s on Earth

Self-inflating life raft 9 CO2 = bottle in milit= ary raft may be used for propulsion

Magnetic compass 14 T= he magnetic field on the moon is not polarized, so it's worthless for navigation

5 gallons of w= ater 2 Needed for replacement of tremendous liquid loss on the light side

Signal flares<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> 10 Use as distress signal when the mother ship is sighted

First aid kit, including 7 Needles connect= ed to vials of injection needle vitamins, medicines, etc. will fit special apertu= re in NASA space suit

Solar-powered FM receiver-transmit= ter 5 F= or communication with mother ship (but FM requires line= -of-sight transmission and can only be used over short ranges)<= /p>

Scoring:

For each item, mark the number of points that your score differs from the NASA

= ranking<= /span>, then add up a= ll the points. Disregard plus or minus differences. The

= lower the total, the= better your score.

0 - 25 excellent

26 - 32 good

= 33 - 45 average<= o:p>

46 - 55 fair

56 - 70 poor -- suggests use of Earth-bound logic=

71 - 112 very poor – you’re one of the casualtie= s of the space program!

A 1= 5th Cheltenham (SHURDINGTON) Scouts Resourc= e

SURVIVAL
Simulation Game 2

=

= Northern Canada: Plane Crash in Winter<= /p>
=

Scen= ario:

You and your companions have just survived the crash of a small plane. Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash.

It is mid-January , and you are in North= ern Canada. The daily temperature is 25 below zero, and the night time temperature is 40 below zero.

There is snow on the ground, and the countryside is wooded with sev= eral creeks criss-crossing the area. The neare= st town is 20 miles away.

You are all dressed in city clothes appropriate for a business meeting. Your group of survivors managed to salvage a few items.

Before taking off, a pilot has to file a flight plan which contains vital information such as the course, speed, estimated time = of arrival, type of aircraft, and number of passengers. Search-and-rescue operations begin shortly after the failure of a plane to appear at its destination at the estimated time of arrival.

Place the number 1 by the most important item, the number 2 by the second most important, and so on through number 15 or the least important.

http:= //scoutingweb.com/scoutingweb/SubPages/SurvivalGame.htm

Your Ranking     /        Experts Ranking - TEAM ________________________

_______ A ball of steel w= ool _______
_______ A small ax _______
_______ A loaded .45-caliber pistol _______
_______ Can of Crisco shortening _______
_______ Newspapers (one per person) _______
_______ Cigarette lighter (without fluid) _______
_______ Extra shirt and pants for each survivor _______
_______ 20 x 20 ft. piece of heavy-duty canvas _______
_______ A sectional air map made of plastic _______
_______ One quart of 100-proof whiskey _______
_______ A compass _______
_______ Family-size chocolate bars (one per person) _______

= RANKINGS

1. Cigar= ette lighter (without fluid)
The gravest danger facing the group= is exposure to cold. The greatest need is for a source of warmth and the second greatest need is for signaling devices. This makes building a = fire the first order of business. Without matches, something is needed to produce sparks, and even without fluid, a cigarette lighter can do that.

2. Ball of steel wool
To make a fire, the survivors need a mea= ns of catching the sparks made by the cigarette lighter. This is the best substance = for catching a spark and supporting a flame, even if the steel wool is a little wet.

3. Extra shirt and pants for each survivor
Besides adding warmth to the body, clothes can also be used for shelter, signaling, bedding, bandages, string (when unraveled), and fuel for the fire.

4. Can of Crisco shortening
Many= uses. A mirror-like signaling d= evice can be made from the lid. After shining the lid with steel wool, it w= ill reflect sunlight and generate 5 to 7 million candlepower. If they had= no other means of signaling than this, they would have a better than 80% chanc= e of being rescued within the first day.
Other uses for this item. It can be rubbed= on exposed skin for protection against the cold. When melted into an oil, the shortening is helpful as fuel. When = soaked into a piece of cloth, melted shortening will act like a candle. The empty can is useful in melting snow for drinking water.   Water is important because dehydration will affect decision-making. The can is also useful as a cup.

5. 20 x 20 foot piece of canvas
The cold makes shelter necessary, and can= vas would protect against wind and snow. Spread on a frame made of trees,= it could be used as a tent or a wind screen. It might also be used as a ground cover to keep the survivors dry. It’s shape, when contra= sted with the surrounding terrain, makes it a signaling device.

6. Small ax
Survivors need<= /span> a constant supply of wood in order to maintain the fire. The ax could be used for this as well as for clearing a sheltered campsite, cutting tree branches for ground insulation, and constructing a frame for the canvas ten= t.

7. Family size chocolate bars (one per person)
Chocolate will provide some food energy. Since it contains mostly carbohydrates, it supplies the energy without making digestive demands on the body.

8. Newspapers (one per person)
These are useful in starting a fire. They can also be used as insulation under clothing when rolled = up and placed around a person’s arms and legs. A newspaper can also be used as a verbal signaling de= vice when rolled up in a megaphone-shape. It could also provide reading material for recreation.

9. Loaded .45-caliber pistol
The pistol provides a sound-signaling device. (The international distress signal is 3 shots fired in rapid succession). The butt of the pistol could be used as a
hammer, and the powder from the shells will assist in fire building. = The pistol also has some serious disadvantages. Anger, frustration, impatience, irritability, and lapses of rationality may increase as the gro= up awaits rescue. The availability of a lethal weapon is a danger to the group under these conditions. Although a pistol could be used in hunting, it would take an expert marksman to kill an animal with it

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10. Quart of 100 proof whiskey
The only uses of whiskey are as an aid in= fire building and as a fuel for a torch (made by soaking a piece of clothing in = the whiskey and attaching it to a tree branch). The empty bottle could be used for storing water.

The danger of whiske= y is that someone might drink it, thinking it wou= ld bring
warmth. Alcohol takes on the temperature it is exposed to, and a drin= k of minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit whiskey would freeze a person’s esophagus= and stomach. Alcohol also dilates the blood vessels in the skin, resulting in chilled blood being carried back to the heart, resulting in a rapid loss of body heat.

11. Compass
A compass might encourage someone to tr= y to walk to the nearest town. Not a good idea! It= 217;s only redeeming feature is that it could be used as a reflector of sunlight.=

12. Sectional air map made of plastic
This= is also among the least desirable of = the items because it will encourage individuals to try to walk to the nearest t= own. It’s only useful feature is as a gro= und cover to keep someone dry.

Teacher:

1.    <= /span>Split your group into 2 survival teams.

2.    <= /span>Put an = 8^th grader in charge of each team.

3.    <= /span>One team gets the Moon Scenario, the other the Northe= rn Canada Plane Crash Scenario.

4.    <= /span>Each team gets a ranking sheet, specific to their scenario!

5.    <= /span>Each team gets a set of images of their supplies= .

6.    <= /span>The Students should work as a team to rank the i= tems by importance.

7.    <= /span>When they’re done, hand them the Official Ranking sheet with the a= nswers, so they can see how they did!

8.    <= /span>If you still have time, the teams can share what= they learned with the group!

Please collect the Official Ranking sheet with the answers, so the next group can start fresh!=

Thanks, Good Luck!