Juice Blasts Off

April 27, 2023

On this week's episode: ESA launches the Juice satellite to Jupiter’s moons, a kite that can pull a ship, and a 3-D printed arm.

ESA
Seawing
3-D printed arm

On this week's news update…

Juice Blasts Off

Juice blasts off …

Seawing

…a kite that can help pull a ship…

3-D Printed Arm

…and a 3-D printed arm.

First up…

Juice

ESA, the European Space Agency, has successfully launched the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, known as the Juice satellite.

Juice is traveling to Jupiter to study its biggest moons: Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa.

Scientists are hoping to discover liquid water hidden underneath the icy surface of these moons.

It is thought that one moon, Europa, has a hidden ocean over 10 times as deep as any on Earth.

Jovian system

Juice will use giant solar panels to power its journey through space and is expected to reach its destination, the Jovian system, in July 2031.

The satellite will fly over the surface of the moons but won't land.

Scientists hope to investigate the environment these moons have, so that later missions can look for signs of life.

Up next…

Eco Zone

It’s Eco Zone…

Shipping, which is the transporting of goods on ships, is one of the world’s biggest causes of pollution.

Seawing

So, Engineers at the French company Airseas have created a large kite, called Seawing, that uses wind power to help ships sail across the ocean and reduces the amount of fuel needed by a fifth.

Seawing flies up to 200 meters in the air so it can catch strong winds, giving it as much power as possible to help pull the ship.

The kite is controlled from the bridge of the boat, and takes up a small amount of deck space, so it can easily fit on most ships.

By reducing the amount of fuel ships burn, Seawing can help cut down pollution from shipping.

The engineering team hope that this technology will help shipping to become a more sustainable and greener way to transport goods.

And finally…

3-D printing is becoming one of the world's most useful technologies.

Now, designers and biomedical engineers are using 3-D printing to make prosthetic arms for amputees and people with upper limb differences.

Individuals scan their arms remotely using a 3-D scanner to get a perfect fit.

Then they select a skin tone before designers use a 3-D printer to create their personalized prosthesis.

The end of the prosthesis, that attaches to the arm, has sensors that respond to the user’s muscles—allowing them to move their new limb.

Wearers feel vibrations from the prosthesis which helps to provide a sense of touch.

With practice, users of the arm can drink from a cup of water and, in time, perform other helpful everyday tasks.

That's all for this week, we'll see you next time!

Teaching Overview

Learning Points

ESA has successfully launched the Juice satellite toward Jupiter’s icy moons.
Engineers have created Seawing, a kite that can pull ships and help cut emissions by a fifth.
Designers and biomedical engineers have created a 3-D printed arm for amputees and those with other upper limb differences.

Curriculum Keywords

ESA
Seawing
3-D printed arm

Spark a Discussion

Juice Blasts Off

What does ESA stand for?
Where is the Juice satellite heading for?
What do you think scientists will find on Jupiter’s icy moons?

Seawing

When in use, Seawing cuts emissions from ships by how much?
To catch strong winds, up to what height does Seawing fly?
What else do you think could help reduce pollution from shipping?

3-D Printed Arm

How do individuals get a perfect fit for their new limb?
With practice, what can user’s do with their new limb?
What else do you think this kind of prosthetic technology could potentially help with?

Credits

Juice Blasts Off: ESA / Juice / JMC
Seawing: Airseas / PolRYSE / Ville de Bordeaux, Louis Dreyfus Amateurs
3-D Printed Arm: Unlimited Tomorrow Inc

Discover More About Topics Covered in This Week's Episode

Classroom Resources

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Video Viewing Guide

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Make Your Own Science Episode

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Language and Literacy Activities

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Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS

Immersive Investigations With High-Quality Multimedia

Investigating, designing, building, and understanding phenomena
Hands-on, digital, video, and print investigations
Synchronous/asynchronous distance learning

Explore Now

Juice Blasts Off

Teaching Overview

Learning Points

Curriculum Keywords

Spark a Discussion

More From Twig Science Reporter

Watch This Episode in Spanish

Credits

Discover More About Topics Covered in This Week's Episode

Juice Blasts Off

Seawing

3-D Printed Arm

Classroom Resources

Video Viewing Guide

Make Your Own Science Episode

Language and Literacy Activities

Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS

Immersive Investigations With High-Quality Multimedia

Juice Blasts Off

Transcript

Teaching Overview

Learning Points

Curriculum Keywords

Spark a Discussion

More From Twig Science Reporter

Watch This Episode in Spanish

Credits

Discover More About Topics Covered in This Week's Episode

Juice Blasts Off

Seawing

3-D Printed Arm

Classroom Resources

Video Viewing Guide

Make Your Own Science Episode

Language and Literacy Activities

Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS

Immersive Investigations With High-Quality Multimedia