Make an Astronaut Lander Experiment
- JS
- Mar 8, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 21, 2021
Age: 4+
My parents had visited NASA (Houston) over winter and got these cute kits for the kids to make their own Lander. The materials used are what you can find in your own home. Feel free to use other materials around the house as well (marshmallows, cotton balls, string etc.)
Another resource for Older Kids to do the experiment with more in-depth questions: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/touchdown/
Materials: (from NASA Kit)
-3 flashcards
-1 small paper cup
-3 rubber bands
-4 plastic straws
-1 small square shaped carboard
-tape
-small lightweight toy to act as an astronaut (we used a tiny dinosaur)
Instructions:
Create a landing craft for the astronauts to land safely on the moon. Keep in mind, parachute cannot be used as the moon has a thin atmosphere. The small cup will acts as a cabin where the astronaut will be. The goal is to create a landing craft that when dropped for a height, the astronaut will remain inside the cabin (cup). If the astronaut does not come out of the cup, the landing is successful. Try this at various heights. We did it till 4 feet.
Questions to consider:
What materials can be used on the Lander to create a cushion for the fall?
What can be used to act as a spring?
Till what height does your lander work?
What we did:
We created a simple data sheet with the name of the Lander, Heights tested, Hypothesis, and Results (taken 3 times). We then talked about the results and came to a conclusion. A simple approach for younger kids to introduce them to the scientific method.
Our Results:
Space Comet at 1 foot
Space Comet at 2 feet
Space Comet at 3 feet
Space Comet at 4 feet
Space Comet at 4 feet (part 2)
Space-Ron at 1 foot
Space-Ron at 2 feet
Share Your Results on Instagram!
Tips to stay environmentally conscious:
-Use back of your old printouts/worksheets to write out the results.
-Use carboard boxes or even used flashcards.
-Recycle all paper products! If you can use them for another project, save them!
-Keep the rubber bands and straws for other projects.
There are MANY ideas for D.I.Y to help kids enjoy learning about the Solar System. If you liked the ideas above, do share with your friends! Don't forget to subscribe to our website and like us on Instagram (@kishmishkidz): https://www.instagram.com/kishmishkidz/?hl=en
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