Skip to Main Content
Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale Community College Library

AST111: Spacecraft Research

Research Mission

AST111 banner

Assignment: Your group will research "Venus Express", identify its instruments, and the results found by the use of each instrument. You will use NASA.gov, ESA.int, library databases and Google to research.

Step 1: Find the Official Mission Website

The official mission website from NASA.gov and ESA.int provides a great starting point for your research. These sites provide background information, keywords, and important dates that will help you search for in-depth information.

Go to each site and search for your spacecraft to find the official mission info.

Step 2: Identify Instruments and Important Keywords

  • Read through the official mission websites
  • Identify the instruments.
  • Identify important keywords for finding additional information. Specific words that describe the purpose of the mission or an instrument can be helpful for finding information about discoveries or results.
  • Take note of the mission date

Example: Identify keywords from background articles

"Venus Express, on the other hand, was a Venus orbital spacecraft designed to measure the atmosphere below, within and above the clouds virtually continuously over two sidereal Venus days of 243 days each. As Venus had no significant magnetic field, the top of its atmosphere interacted directly with the solar wind. Venus Express was designed to observe this interaction which was expected to result in the solar wind depleting the top of Venus’ atmosphere."

Except from: Venus express. (2013). In D. Leverington, Encyclopedia of the History of Astronomy and Astrophysics (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Step 3: Create Search Statements

Search statements tell the database what to find. Combine your keywords strategically to find specific information. You may need to create a few different search statements to find all the information you need. 

Example search statements:

  1. "Name of mission" AND instrument
    • "Venus Express" AND "Planetary Fourier Spectrometer"
  2. "Name of mission" AND important keyword
    • "Venus Express" AND "solar winds"

Tips:

  • Keywords should be single words or specific phrases.
  • Join each keyword or phrase together using AND
  • Use quotation marks around specific phrases 
  • Try different combinations of keywords if needed
  • Read the search statement. Does it include the relevant terms for what you are looking for? 

Step 4: Find Articles & Images

Use the library databases to search for specific information about the instruments and the scientific discoveries.

Use the filter options on the results page.

  • Available Online
  • Resource Type
  • Publication Date  

Use the citation and email tools in the databases.

Find Images

The NASA.gov and ESA.int websites are good places to find images.  Keep track of the specific page where you find each image so you can properly cite it.

Find News Articles via Google

  • Select the News tab
  • Enter your search statements
  • Use the Tools option to search within a specific date range

Step 5: Cite Sources

  • View the Citation Guide to assist with your references.
  • Use citations from the database, but be sure to check them as they may contain formatting errors.
  • Use NoodleTools to assist with your citations.