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[[image]] Activity 6.2 Flat Map Orbit Projection Overview Imagine the Earth is shaped like a soda can. Students will draw an orbital ground track on a map which has been wrapped around a soda can, and then unwrap the map to see what the ground track looks like on a flat map. A trace of the shuttle's orbit on the soda can looks like a circle slicing through the center of the can. When you flatten out the can, the orbit track looks like an S-curve. [[image]] Time 1 class period Materials Soda Can (one for each pair of students) Tape Rubber band Scissors Orbit Map 6.2 (one per student) Student Worksheet 6.2 Getting Ready Have your Earth model from Activity 6.1 available. Assign the students to work in pairs or small groups. Procedure 1. Remind the students about the shuttle's orbit from the Earth Model Activity (Activity 6.1) and that the orbital plane is inclined 51.6° relative to the Equator. 2. Have the students cut out the world map along the borders and tape it around the soda can (so that the top of the can represents the North Pole). 3. Have the students place a rubber band (representing the orbit) around the can, as directed. 4. The students will trace along the rubber band, then unwrap the map. 5. Have students complete the exercises on Student Worksheet 6.2. Discussion The shuttle's orbit is a near-circle around the Earth. On STS-81 (and in this activity), the inclination of the orbit is 51.6°. When the circular orbit is shown on a flat map, it looks like the ground tracks illustrated in Chapter 6. The shuttle travels toward the East (from left to right on a flat map); the ground track crosses the Equator twice (at the nodes), and goes between latitudes 51.6° N and 51.6° S. Helpful Hints, Variations, and Extensions Have one student hold a wire, representing the orbit, around the can, while the other student rotates the earth counterclockwise, if viewed from the top. What happens to the ground track? 10/03/96 Page 6.23
