Up arrow key: move forward Down arrow key: move backward Left arrow key: rotate left Right arrow key: rotate right [space bar]: shoot Shoot the asteroids to gain points. Big = 10pts, Small = 5pts If an asteroid hits you, you lose a life. You have three lives.
A physics project for a physics class created by Project Satellite. ........................................ Inspired by Atari's Asteroids, this game is an exploration of the physics behind satellites through 3 significant satellites - the Vanguard-1, Jason-1, and Explorer-1. Read on to learn about each satellite. Choose one and use their physics "power" to destroy the asteroids and obtain the highest score! ........................................ Vanguard-1 used solar power instead of battery power to function longer and send more data. Solar technology uses silicon, the chemical composition of which allows it to produce electrical currents when struck by light. It's also a semiconductor, making it a good medium for control of electrical currents. By using the properties of silicon, silicon solar cells are able to produce energy from the sun, which in turn powered Vanguard-1. However, too much exposure to solar radiation over time caused malfunctions in its various instruments, causing Vanguard-1 to stop working in 1964. ........................................ Jason-1 was created to measure ocean circulation and the relationship between atmosphere and ocean currents. Built into Jason-1 are an altimeter instrument, used to measure altitude above sea level and a radiometer instrument, which is commonly known as sonar. It measures the change in wave height per year by measuring the change in global sea level. These measurements helped provide more accurate climate predictions and monitor water conditions and currents. ........................................ The purpose of Explorer 1 was to measure the amount of radiation present in Earth’s atmosphere. This was done through a Particle Detector, which detects particles based on the amount of energy they lose as they traverse a material. Explorer-1 detected much less radiation than expected. This was due to over-exposure to multiple hidden radiation belts that were held in place by Earth’s magnetic field. ........................................ Resources: https://www.nasa.gov/content/vanguard-satellite-1958 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/worlds-first-solar-powered-satellite-still-there-after-59-years-180962510/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-does-solar-power-work/ http://www.physics.org/article-questions.asp?id=51 https://www.nasa.gov/centers/jpl/missions/jason.html https://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/jason1/ https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/explorer-1/ https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/explorer/explorer-overview.html http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~korytov/tmp4/lectures/note_A11_detectors.pdf ........................................ Sound Effects are from the original 1979 Atari Asteroids game ........................................ Music - Welcome to Terran Station from user Lost-In-Space
