Traveling in Space

1. The Space Agency2. Unmanned Space Vehicles3. Manned Space Vehicles4. Equipment needed in Space5. The Future of Space Exploration

NASA – National Aeronautics & Space Administration

NASA

• NASA is an agency of the United States Government, responsible for the nation's public space program.

• NASA was established on July 29, 1958

• In addition to the space program, it is also responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research.

NASA – National Aeronautics & Space Administration

Unmanned Space Exploration

In the late 1950’s the Soviet Union and the United States of America were competing to be the first to space.

Russia beat the USA by launching Sputnik in 1957.

Unmanned Space Exploration

Unmanned missions are used when theconditions are too dangerous for life.

• Sputnik (Russian and the first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth)

• Explorer (American and orbited the Earth)• Luna (American and traveled to the Moon)• Mariner (American and traveled to Venus)• Pioneer (American and traveled to Saturn)• Voyager (American and traveled to Uranus and Neptune)• Mars Rover

Manned Space Exploration

• Vostok 1 – Russian, 1957 with dog named Laika

• Vostok 1 – Russian, late 1957

• Mercury Missions– Orginally launched in 1961 with Alan Shepard

becoming the first American in space

– Other missions followed with single person crews

Manned Space Exploration• Mercury Missions

– Orginally launched in 1961 with Alan Shepard becoming the first American in space

– Other missions followed with single person crews• Gemini Missions

– Two person crews– Longer flights

• Apollo Missions– Three person crews– Moon missions (1969 Americans were the first to land on the

Moon.)• STS (Space Transport System- The Space Shuttle)

– up to an eight person crew– Allows for an airplane-like landing and is reusable– Began in 1981 with STS1- Columbia– Final mission is scheduled for September 16, 2010 with STS134

Accidents of Space Travel

• Apollo 1- 1967 fire on the launch pad kills crew of three

• STS51- Space Shuttle Challenger explodes at lift-off killing the entire crew of 7

• STS107- Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during re-entry over Texas killing the entire crew of 7

Science Research Mission

• Purify Water for ISS• Student experiments of

spaceflight and insects• Cancer cells/bone cells• Microgravity• Growing flowers• Testing Communication

devices

Transportation in Space: RocketsRockets: Every force/action has an equal and opposite reaction

Action: Rocket engine’s hot gas in one direction

Reaction: Produces an opposite force that moves rocket forward

Rockets were use for space travel prior to shuttle

First Launch: 1942

First man in a rocket: 1961 USSR

Multistage Rockets

•According to this diagram, which stage, or section, of the rocket reaches the destinations?

•What happens to the other stages?

•Why are these rockets needed?

Once the fuel is used up the rocket falls back to Earth.

International Space Station (ISS)

-Large satellite project with 16 countries in which people can live for long periods.

The assembly of the ISS in orbit began in 1998. The ISS has more than 100 components. First crew on it: 2000 (Sky lab 1973)

Artificial Satellites

• Satellite: Any natural or artificial object that revolves around an object in space.

• A few hundred satellites are currently operational.

• Consists of small rocket thrusters to keep it in orbit, thermal shield for protection, etc.

• 1st Artificial – Soviet 1957 Sputnik 1

Uses of satellites

1. Relay telephone calls

2. Measure Earth’s atmosphere

3. Photography

4. Global positioning

Space Probes

• Space Probes are unmanned research crafts sent into space to conduct science experiments.

• Most are designed to land or orbit specific objects. Some fly past the planets taking pictures for scientist to study.

• First Probe – Luna 1 was launched by the Soviets in 1959 to study the moon

• http://www.worldspaceflight.com/probes/• http://www.worldspaceflight.com/probes/other.htm

Space Suit

• Space Suit Video ( 3 min.)

• http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/28/video-nasas-next-gen-space-suit-back-on-track/ 2 min.

• EMU: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/326-nasa_space_suit_emu.html 1 min

Rovers

Rovers: A rover is a space exploration vehicle designed to move across the surface of an astronomical body. Some rovers have been designed to transport members of a human spaceflight crew; others have been partially or fully autonomous robots. Rovers usually arrive at the planetary surface on a lander-style spacecraft. First: 1970http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/gallery/video/animation.htmlMars: Phoenix Mission: http://videos.howstuffworks.com/nasa/3572-hunting-for-habitats-on-mars-video.htm

Robotics

• Athlete Rover: http://robotics2.jpl.nasa.gov/movies/vid1016-71-video.mov (5 min)

• Robotics: http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/media/videos/videos.asp about 3 min for all clips

• Robotic Hand: http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/3952-robotic-hand-video.htm ( 1 min)

•

Telescope

• A telescope is an instrument to search space, planets, moons.

• Galileo made the first telescope in 1609 • Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a space telescope that

was carried into orbit by the space shuttle in April 1990. It is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble.

• http://hubblesite.org/• http://hubblesite.org/the_telescope/where.a.s_hubb

le_now/• Telescope Video (Optional) 6 min

Constellation Program http://videos.howstuffworks.com/nasa/2214-how-the-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter-works-video.htmClick on this link

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/multimedia/funandgames_archive_3.html

then scroll down to the video: Animation: To the Moon • http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/visio

nfeature/Vision.html Informational website about the new mission (optional)

• http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/CxEMM_SITE/index.html in-depth information about Constellation (optional)

NASA Vision

Destination Tomorrow

Future of living in space and space tourism:

Space elevator:

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/sciencentral/2910-space-elevator-video.htm

Space hotel (inflatable space module)

http://science.howstuffworks.com/hotel-orbit-earth.htm

Virgin Galactic: future of space travel:

• http://www.space.com/common/media/video/player.php?videoRef=virgin_galactic01

• http://www.virgingalactic.com/flash.html