NASA & Constellation Program

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NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration  was created in 1958 by the signing of the National Aeronautics and Space Act by  President Eisenhower to start the space race against the Russians in response to the launch of Spudnik I. Formally known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, NASA has been in charge of space exploration for over 50 years. Our team is working specifically with the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. It is the center for human spaceflight. NASA supervises US space exploration and all space programs, including the Constellation Program.

The Constellation Program was created by the NASA Authorization act of 2005 by President George Bush. Its purpose is to promote new manned space exploration programs to expand human presence beyond our world. Specifically, the Constellation Program first objective is to create a working settlement on the Moon, then on Mars. Currently, the settlement should be launched by 2020.

(photo from:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation_Program )

The Moon

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  The Moon has many different environmental properties then the earth. Key differences in the lunar habitat include the pressure, temperature, gravity, and percent oxygen in the air.   Pressure in the lunar habitat is calculated to be roughly 8.1 psi, the temperature will be the same as it is here on earth, averaging 72 degrees Fahrenheit , gravity on the moon is 1/6 the gravity of earth and the percent oxygen in the air will range between 29%-36%.  These will drastically affect the design of the washing machine.

(Photo from http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/starchild/solar_system_level1/moon.html)