In-Class Exercise: The Orbital Payload
Time Limit: 15 Minutes
Tools Allowed: Pen & Paper, Excel, Calculator, Python, AI, or Guesswork.
The Scenario
You are the Lead Mission Engineer for a new CubeSat satellite launch. Your team has developed 5 distinct scientific instruments (Modules), but the rocket has strict limits on Weight and Power Supply.
Your goal is to select which subset of instruments to include on the manifest to maximize the total Scientific Value (Score).
The Data
The Constraints (The Limits)
The satellite bus has the following hard capacities:
Maximum Weight: 60 kg
Maximum Power Draw: 50 Watts
The Candidates (The Instruments)
You can choose to include (1) or exclude (0) each instrument. You cannot take partial instruments, and you have only one of each.
| Instrument Name | Weight (kg) | Power Draw (Watts) | Scientific Value (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Alpha Imager | 30 kg | 10 W | 60 |
| B. Beta Sensor | 20 kg | 20 W | 45 |
| C. Gamma Ray Detector | 15 kg | 15 W | 40 |
| D. Delta Comm Array | 10 kg | 30 W | 50 |
| E. Epsilon Magnetometer | 5 kg | 5 W | 10 |
Your Task
Answer the following questions:
The Manifest: Which instruments are you loading onto the satellite? (e.g., “A, C, and E”)
The Check: What is the Total Weight and Total Power of your selection? (Must be $$ 60kg and $$ 50W)
The Result: What is your Total Scientific Value?
The Method:
Did you try to pick the highest value items first? Did that work?
Did you calculate “Value per kg”?
If you used AI, did it understand that you can only take one of each (Binary constraint)?