The Automated Transfer Vehicle: the truck into space!

The 8.5 m-long Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is the future European truck into space! It will transport cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). This new vehicle will carry 9 tonnes of equipment, fuel, food, water and air for the crew. Its volume is 45 m³.

Let’s use an empty 1-litre plastic bottle to understand the capacity of the ATV.

Material needed: 1-litre plastic bottle, water, lentils, beans, soil, cardboard, kitchen scales.

1st step:
a) Prepare a square box out of cardboard, each side measuring 10 cm.
As 1 dm = 10 cm, the square box has a volume of:

1 dm * 1 dm * 1 dm = 1 dm³

b) Fill the box with lentils and then transfer these lentils into the plastic bottle. Can they all fit at once?

How many bottle(s) of 1L can you fill with 1 dm³ of lentils?

I can fill ____ bottle(s) of 1L with 1 dm³ of lentils

c) In reality, we use litres (l) to measure volumes and not masses of water.

1 dm³ of lentils corresponds to ____ l

This is true for lentils and all other materials!

1 dm³ = ____ l

2nd step:
1000 boxes of 1 dm³ fit exactly in one box of 1 m³. So, we can say that:

1 m³ = ______ dm³ = ______ l

The ATV has a volume of 45 m³.

45 m³ = ______ l

3rd step:
Fill the bottle with water. Weigh it with the scales.

1 l of water weighs ____ kg

1 tonne = 1000 kg

An ATV full of water would transport ____ kg = ____ tonnes

In fact, the ATV will be able to transport up to 9 tonnes maximum. Will it be able to be filled completely with water?

4th step:
The ATV will also carry scientific equipment, general supplies, oxygen and propellant.

1. Fill the 1L bottle with air (to breathe): how much does it weigh?
2. Fill the 1L bottle with beans or lentils (to eat): how much does it weigh?
3. 3. Fill the 1L bottle with soil (to eat): how much does it weigh? (to perform experiments with plants)

Do they all weigh as much as water? Why / why not? Why do you think this activity is called “The Automated Transfer Vehicle: the truck into space!”?