Today we used flight data from a space shuttle launch to create graphs to investigate the motion of the shuttle in ascent. We investigated the relationship between its altitude, velocity, and acceleration and found that the shuttle’s altitude changed based on its velocity and its velocity changed based on its acceleration.
When Computational Scientists are developing a computer model of a phenomenon, they start by investigating the phenomenon. This is the value of investigating the altitude, velocity, and acceleration of an ascending shuttle. As our computer models improve, we can better monitor the progress of a shuttle and determine whether the flight is going according to plan.
