The

Exploration

of Space

Rocket Program

Mercury Rocket

•Robert Goddard is the

“Father of Modern Rocketry”.

•National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA)

formed in 1958. Combined all

the separate rocket programs

into one program.

•Mercury was one of the

earliest rockets.

Artificial Satellites

Launch of Satellite

•An artificial satellite is

any human-made object

placed in orbit around a

body in space.

•Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

satellites orbit Earth very

quickly.

Artificial Satellites

Satellite

•Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO)

satellites travel around the

Earth at a speed that matches

the Earth’s rotational speed.

•GEO satellites will remain

positioned about the same

spot at all times.

•An example would be

communication satellites.

Hubble Space Telescope

Not all satellites look down on Earth. Among

the most important satellites to astronomers

is the Hubble Space Telescope which looks

out toward the stars.

The Galaxy 28 million light years

from Earth has 800 billion suns and

is 50,000 light years across.

The Ant Nebula lies with our galaxy

between 3,000 and 6,000 light

years from Earth.

The Eskimo

nebula because

it looks like a

face surrounded

by a furry hood.

The hood is a

ring of comet-

shaped objects

flying away from

dying star. It is

5000 light years

away from Earth.

The Cone

nebula is 2.5

light years in

length

(equivalent

to 23 million

round trips to

the Moon.

This section of the Swan Nebula is known as the

Perfect Storm is described as a bubbly ocean of

hydrogen and small amounts of sulphur, oxygen,

and other elements.

Starry

Night is a

halo of light

around a

star in the

Milky Way

galaxy.

Two merging eye from 114 million

light years away are the cores of

two merging galaxies.

The Trifid

Nebula is a

nursery

where new

stars are

born. It is

9,000 light

years from

here.

Space Shuttle

Launch of Space Shuttle

•A space shuttle is a

reusable vehicle that

takes off like a rocket

and lands like an

airplane.

•First shuttle was

launched in 1981 and

was followed by two

dozen successful

missions.

Space Probes

Magellan Probe

•A space probe is a

vehicle that carries

scientific instruments

to planets or other

bodies in space.

•Space probes travel

away from the Earth

and give us our first

encounters with other

planets and moons.

Space Probes

Voyager 2 Probe

•Space probes are usually

sent on one-way missions.

They do not return to

Earth.

Space Probes: Viking Mission

Viking Probe picture of

Mars’s surface.

•In 1975, space probes were sent to Mars to

look for signs of life.

•The Viking probes did find evidence that

Mars was once much warmer and wetter

than it is now.

Space Probes: Pioneer Mission

The Pioneer 10 and 11 space

probes were the first to visit the

outer planets.

They sent back information

about the rings around

Jupiter.

Today they are near the

edge of the solar system

and still sending back

information.

Space Probes: StarDust

•Launched in 1999 as the first probe to focus

only on a comet.

•Arrived at the comet in 2004 and gathered

samples of the comet’s tail.

•Material arrived back to Earth in January,

2006.

•First time that material

beyond the orbit of the

moon has been brought

back to Earth.

Space Stations •A space station is a long-term orbiting

platform from which other vehicles can be

launched or scientific research can be carried

out.

•The US and Russia

launched the first parts

of the International

Space Station in 1998.

•People have been

working and living

on the ISS since 2000.

Benefits of the Space Program

• Smaller radios, computers, and televisions

made for use in space are now used on

Earth.

• Freeze-dried foods were first developed

for use by astronauts.

• Lightweight, fireproof clothing, nonstick

cookware, and sunglasses are all space

benefits.