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Sunita in Space (Smart Zero-Gravity Gyroscope & Space Station Simulator)

Source: Stemoto Original

Simulate life aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with astronaut Sunita Williams. Construct a 3-axis MPU6050 gimbal gyroscope rig that simulates floating in microgravity and tracks orbital speed.

Categorisation

Stage 3: Innovator (9-11)Spatial & Abstract ReasoningSystemic & Design ThinkingTabletop & Physical PropsSTEM Experiment

Props & Materials Required

  • 3-axis gimbal ring frame (simulated space station microgravity)
  • MPU6050 3-axis accelerometer/gyroscope sensor
  • Toy astronaut figure with LED spacesuit
  • ESP32 controller board
  • 0.96-inch OLED display screen
  • DFPlayer Mini MP3 module + 3W speaker

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Mount Astronaut in Gimbal Rig

Place astronaut figure inside 3-axis gimbal rings.

2

Spin Gimbal Rig in Free Rotation

Spin gimbal rings. MPU6050 gyro reads 0-g acceleration on all axes!

3

Observe Weightless Floating

OLED displays 'Microgravity State: 0.00 G | ISS Speed: 28,000 km/h'.

4

Sunita Williams Space Story

Speaker plays Sunita Williams audio recording describing watching 16 sunrises a day from space!

Why It Works & Notes

Sunita in Space explores Earth's gravity vs zero-gravity aboard the ISS (floating food, floating water drops, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes). A 3-axis gyro gimbal rig showing weightlessness physics turns space science into reality.

Parent Note:

Looking Around Class 5 Chapter 11: Sunita in Space | STEM Tech: 3-Axis Gyroscopic Inertial Measurement & Microgravity Simulation Physics — ISS space station orbital mechanics.