Spacecraft must have a rocket attached to give it the thrust needed to send it into space.

Thrust must be enough to reach escape velocity.

Escape velocity – speed a rocket needs to overcome the pull of gravity.

Small rockets attached to the spacecraft provide any minor changes in the direction.

No atmosphere in space - must carry its own oxygen supply for the small rockets to function.

Earth Orbit Satellites

Earth orbit satellites exist as two types:

Low orbit satellites • (1963) Canada’s first satellite - Alouette 1• Had an altitude between 200 km and 1000 km.• Traveling at speeds of 28 000 km/h• Orbits the Earth in about 90 minutes.

High orbit “Telecommunications” satellites• Travel much more slowly. • With the right speed, can be geosynchronous.(Move with speed of Earth – always over the same spot).

(1972) Canada’s 1st geosynchronous - Anik 1.

24 satellites at a distance of 20 000 km above the Earth's surface.

These form a Global Positioning System (GPS) that is used for navigation. (not in geosynchronous)

Manned Space Activities

• First satellite – Sputnik (1957)• First manned spacecraft – Soviet (1961).• Yuri Gagarin was the cosmonaut.

• First space station – Soviet (1971) – Salyut 1.

Since that time the Soviet Union used the MIR space station until 2001.

Currently - International Space Station (ISS). A cooperative venture of the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia and Japan.

Sputnik

MIR

Yuri Gagarin

International Space Station

Space Probes

Space probes• Various robotic explorers. • Much less expensive than manned spacecraft.• Travel distances much farther than manned craft.• Don’t need to get them back – no death.

Probe Names:VoyagerPioneerCassiniGalileoPathfinderLunar prospector Mars Sojourner Rover

Hubble Space Telescope

(1973) - NASA began designing a space telescope. (1985) - Telescope was finished construction.(1990) - Hubble Space Telescope was launched

Fixes:(1993) – Crew fixed faulty lenses. (1997) – Crew added instruments and did repaires.

Images sent to us by the Hubble Space Telescope are from some stars 8 billion years ago.

Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST):• Launch in 2010.• Significant advances over the HST. • Bigger and lighter with better range.• Include infrared camara.

Canada's Involvement In Space

Canadarm• A robotic arm that allows astronauts in the space

shuttle to move large cargo in space.

• Used on the International Space Station.

• Not permanently attached to one spot – it can move

around the Space Station on tracks.

Astronauts and Astronomers:Roberta Bondar Marc Garneau Chris Hadfield Julie PayetteBob Thirsk Dave Williams

• Canadian astronauts are usually scientists or “payload specialists” - in charge of satellites and equipment.

(1989) Canadian Space Agency.

May 1, 1969. Commander Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.