Activity Pages
Can SpaceShipTwo
fly up to space?
Vocabulary
• Parabola: The graph of a quadratic equation, which for this
project is in the shape of an upside-down capital “U”
• Quadratic Equation: The equation that creates a parabola when
graphed
• Vertex: The maximum (or Minimum) point on a parabola
Narrative
If a baseball is thrown into the air to another ball player, it will continue
moving upward after it leaves the ball player’s hand. The ball will
eventually reach a maximum height (which we can calculate), and
then drop back down to the other player’s glove.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (SS2) follows a flight profile very similar
in nature. Can we figure out how high the spacecraft went? Why, I’m
glad you asked!
Image: Virgin Galactic
For a more in-depth treatment of this high
school project by Joe Maness & Rich Holtzin
visit www.stemfortheclassroom.com.
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www.RocketSTEM.org