Ottawa-Carleton Educational Space Simulation
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The Ottawa-Carleton Educational Space Simulation (OCESS), unofficially known as "Spacesim", is a student-run organization within the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board that operates primarily out of Lisgar Collegiate Institute. The chief activity of the club is to educate youth about the sciences with relation to space.
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[edit] Mission Statement
The Ottawa-Carleton Educational Space Simulation (unofficially referred to as Spacesim) is a non-profit organization that promotes a greater understanding of space exploration and research in students of all ages. By conducting a 96-hour mission to a chosen planet, moon, or asteroid each year, Spacesim strives to foster initiative and responsibility in its members, while instilling love and respect for space and science.
[edit] Mission
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This section documents a scheduled or expected simulated spaceflight. Details may change as the launch date approaches or more information becomes available. |
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The most important activity conducted by Spacesim is its annual 96-hour simulated space mission. This mission is conducted in a simulated spacecraft, or Habitat, designed and built by the organization. The current habitat was built in the year 2001 after the previous habitat was controversially deemed unsafe by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
Accompanying the Habitat is an array of custom-made software written by the current Teacher-Advisor of the organization, Dr. James Magwood. This software handles everything from environmental conditions to the navigation and piloting of the Habitat.
The 2008 mission will be to Mars. Crew will be Nevin Hotson (Habitat Commander), Anthony Xing (Pilot), Maclean Rouble (Copilot), Matt Farkas-Dyck (Chief Engineer), Daisy Wong (Payload Specialist), Ben Paul (Payload Specialist), and Andy Chen (Payload Specialist, Exchange astronaut from the Richmond Hill High School Aeronautics and Space Association). The mission is scheduled to launch 26 February 2008.
In 2007, the OCESS astronauts traveled to Borrelly, a short-period comet with a remarkably low albedo, on Mission Coronis. The astronauts for this mission were Stefan De Young (Habitat Commander), Nevin Hotson (Chief Engineer), Jonathan Scothorn (Pilot), Anthony Xing (Copilot), James Cooper (Payload Specialist), and Lauren Delrio (Payload Specialist).
[edit] Habitat
The Habitat is the simulated living space for astronauts during missions. The latest incarnation of the Habitat, nicknamed the Hawking II, is made up of six modules: the Longhouse, Interlock, Interconnect, Washroom, Hotlab, and Airlock. The Longhouse is where the astronauts sleep and prepare meals during the mission. It contains bunk beds, a refrigerator, cooking appliances, and an auxiliary airlock. The Interlock is the flight deck of the Hab; in it are the four computers and miscellaneous equipment essential to the operation of the mission. The computers run the simulation programs software such as EECOM (Emergency, Environmental & COnsuMables), AUXCOM (AUXiliary COMmunications, a text-based program used to communicate with Mission Control), ORBIT (the piloting software), and the Power Distribution Software, which is used to control the Hawking's engineering systems. CAPCOM (CAPsule COMmunicator) is implemented with a two-way radio system and a telephone line. The Washroom contains a mothballed shower, chemical toilets, and an exercise bicycle. The Interconnect connects the Washroom, the Interlock and the Longhouse to each other. The Hotlab is a laboratory in which tests are conducted on samples collected during the mission, and contains an isolated work area or 'Hotbox' to handle potentially dangerous substances. Finally, the Airlock enables astronauts to enter and exit the Hab without venting the atmosphere inside the other five modules.
[edit] Education
Aside from the mission, SpaceSim also conducts several programs to educate youth outside the club. The organization offers two programs: a hands-on learning experience, known as the Elementary Education Program (EEP), and a planetarium program. The OCESS is one of two organizations in the Ottawa area to offer planetariums, the other being the Canada Science and Technology Museum.
[edit] Elementary Education Program
EEPs are offered to every elementary school within the Ottawa-Carleton District school board every year, although only one has been performed in the last four years due to a decline in interest. These entail transporting the class or classes of students to the OCESS's facilities and providing them with science demonstrations in such fields as Electrostatics, Classical Physics, Rocketry, and special characteristics of the planets of the solar system.
The best-loved demonstration of the EEP is the Neptune demonstration, which involves freezing marshmallows in liquid nitrogen as a treat for the visiting classes.
Complete details regarding the EEP are available on the OCESS Website.
[edit] Planetarium Program
The Planetarium Program involves transporting the OCESS's inflatable planetarium to elementary or high schools across the Ottawa region and delivering a presentation involving constellations, luminosity, temperature of stars, and a discussion about light pollution. The standard presentation is designed to complement the Grade 9 Ontario Science Curriculum, but the experience is equally suitable for a younger audience.
Complete details regarding the Planetarium Program are available on the OCESS Website.
[edit] Leadership
One of the most important facets of the OCESS is the leadership experience it gives to its members. The club is entirely student-run by four commanders: the Mission Commander, the Sub-Commander (who acts as an executive officer to the Mission Commander), the EEP Commander, and the Planetarium Commander. The EEP and Planetarium Commanders are assisted by Lieutenant-Commanders. Ranked below these are the Directors of various activities such as Public Relations and the Spacesim Website. On the same level as Directors are the various leaders of the Task Forces within the OCESS, which accomplish the various projects undertaken every year.
Commanders are chosen every June for the following year, as most of the Commanders are usually in Grade 12, and thus graduate at the end of their term in office.
This Year's Commanders are:
- Mission Commander: Nevin Hotson
- Sub-Commander: Anthony Xing
- Education Commander: Jeffrey Gao
- Planetarium Commander: Jen Li
A complete list of the OCESS's leaders through the years can be found on their Wiki.
