Final Project

Jonathon D.

Legislator:  David Bernsen, Senator

(Click on the image above to enlarge.)

For my final project, I expanded the concepts covered in the math portion of Units 9-11. In the concluding math assignment, shown in chapter 11 (Mission Possible), the text described equations, such as the Vis-Visa, used to calculate the velocities of a space shuttle needed for interplanetary travel from Earth to Mars by means of the Hohmann Transfer maneuver. Using the same equations, I wrote a program using Borland C++ 5.02 that allows a user to input any two planets for travel, and the program calculates the departure and arrival velocities needed. To do this I needed to research every planet's average distance to the sun, which are displayed in the array below initialized as "planets". I learned to program over the last two years, however, this project required much effort because the high level mathematical equations needed to be implemented into the code. As shown below, the coding for the mathematics alone took numerous lines of code.

Also, in the picture, I submitted a 3d image I created in LightWave 3d, a 3d program I have spent much time mastering over the last 3 years. The main object of my final project dealt with my personal goals of incorporating my skills in the computer field with my interest in space science.

//NASA FINAL PROJECT, BY JONATHAN DELGADO

#include<iostream.h>

#include<iomanip.h>

#include<conio.h>

#include<math.h>

#include<stdlib.h>

typedef array[9];

//void Display_Distances();

void Calculations();

void Title();

int main()

{

Calculations();

return 0;

}

void Title()

{

clrscr();

 

cout<<"***********************************************************************

*********";

cout<<" Delgado's Interplanetary Departure/Arrival Velocity

Calculator"<<endl;

 

cout<<"***********************************************************************

*********"<<endl<<endl<<endl;

}

void Calculations()

{

Title();

cout<<" Welcome to my final project. I wrote a program that allows a

NASA engineer"<<endl;

cout<<"to input a starting planet location, and an ending planet location.

My program"<<endl;

cout<<"applies the Vis-Visa equation to calculate the velocities of the

ship at"<<endl;

cout<<" departure and arrival, with the preliminary condition and

assumption that"<<endl;

cout<<"the interplanetary travel will utilize the Hohmann Transfer

maneuver"<<endl;

cout<<endl<<endl;

cout<<"press any key to continue...";

getch();

array planets;

array masses;

array diameters;

planets[0] = 58;//mercury

planets[1] = 108;//venus

planets[2] = 150;//earth

planets[3] = 230;//mars

planets[4] = 778;//jupiter

planets[5] = 1427;//saturn

planets[6] = 2869;//uranus

planets[7] = 4497;//neptune

planets[8] = 5900;//pluto

int again = 2;

int p1, p2;

float v1, v2;

float a, r1, r2;

do

{

Title();

cout<<"Please select a starting planet code number, followed by the ending

planet"<<endl;

cout<<"code number seperated by a space (example: earth to mars, input: 3

4)"<<endl<<endl;

cout<<"[1]..........Mercury"<<endl;

cout<<"[2]..........Venus"<<endl;

cout<<"[3]..........Earth"<<endl;

cout<<"[4]..........Mars"<<endl;

cout<<"[5]..........Jupiter"<<endl;

cout<<"[6]..........Saturn"<<endl;

cout<<"[7]..........Uranus"<<endl;

cout<<"[8]..........Neptune"<<endl;

cout<<"[9]..........Pluto"<<endl<<endl;

cout<<"Planet codes: ";

cin>>p1>>p2;

p1 = p1-1;

p2 = p2-1;

a = ((planets[p1]+planets[p2])/2);

r1 = planets[p1];

r2 = planets[p2];

v1 = ((1/r1)-(1/(2*a)));

v1 = (((v1/1000)/1000)/1000);

v1 = pow(v1, .5);

v1 = (v1*16000000);

v2 = ((1/r2)-(1/(2*a)));

v2 = (((v2/1000)/1000)/1000);

v2 = pow(v2, .5);

v2 = (v2*16000000);

Title();

cout<<"DEPARTURE: "<<v1<<" MKm/sec"<<endl<<endl<<"ARRIVAL "<<v2<<"

MKm/sec";

getch();

}while(again==2);

}

Sources:

www.nasa.gov (info on Hohmann Transfer maneuver)

www.windows.ucar.edu (planet distances from sun)

www.aerospacescholars.org (idea for project)

Last Updated:  09/07/01