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Outer Space Lecture

The document explores the history and future of space exploration, highlighting key milestones such as the launch of Sputnik 1, the first human in space Yuri Gagarin, and the Apollo 11 Moon landing. It discusses advancements in rocket technology, the challenges of space travel, and future aspirations for Mars exploration. Additionally, it covers modern methods of exploration using telescopes, probes, and the International Space Station.

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Janice Bagnes-Maramot
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© © All Rights Reserved
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12 views

Outer Space Lecture

The document explores the history and future of space exploration, highlighting key milestones such as the launch of Sputnik 1, the first human in space Yuri Gagarin, and the Apollo 11 Moon landing. It discusses advancements in rocket technology, the challenges of space travel, and future aspirations for Mars exploration. Additionally, it covers modern methods of exploration using telescopes, probes, and the International Space Station.

Uploaded by

Janice Bagnes-Maramot
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Space Exploration

In this presentation you


will:
 investigate the history
and future of space
exploration, including
space transportation
Introduction
Man has always aspired
to explore the
unexplored, and to
understand what is not
understood. Paul Haslam

The Earth, our Sun, our


Solar System, even our
galaxy, is tiny in
comparison to the known
universe.
Space has therefore been a fascination to
explorers and scientists alike for many
years.
Very Early Space Exploration

Before space travel was


possible, space exploration
was performed by studying
the sky with the naked eye.

Ancient scholars developed


an understanding of the
stars, the planets and their
movements based on
observation.
With the development of the
telescope in the early 17th
century, astronomical
observations became more
detailed and accurate.

However, it was the dramatic technological


advances of the second half of the 20th century
that enabled us to substantially increase our
knowledge of space.
Early Rockets
The principle of the rocket
has been around for a
long time.
The earliest were used as
weapons, hundreds of
years ago.
A rocket produces Courtesy NASA

movement by burning
fuel. This shoots hot gases Direction of travel

out one end, sending the


rocket in the other
direction. Exhaust gases
In order for burning to
take place, there must be
fuel and oxygen.

Since there is no air in space, rockets must have


their own oxygen source. This allows them to be
used for space travel.
First Rockets In
Space
The first rocket that was
able to fly high enough to
be considered ‘in space’
was the V-2 missile.
This was a weapon developed
by German scientists in the
Second World War.

The technology was used


for rockets in early space
exploration.
First Rocket In
Orbit
In 1957, the Soviet Union
launched a rocket that sent
the first man-made satellite
into orbit around the Earth.

The satellite, named


Sputnik 1, orbited for
57 days before burning
up upon re-entry into
the Earth’s atmosphere.
First Life In
Space
The next question was;
could a human travel into
space?
Some scientists had
believed that life would
not be able to function
during space travel.
It was decided that an
animal would be sent first
to ensure the safety of the
journey.
Just a few weeks after the
successful launch of
Sputnik 1, the Soviet
Union launched another
satellite, Sputnik 2.

Sputnik 2 had a
passenger for its journey;
a dog named Laika.
Unlike Sputnik 1, Sputnik 2 had to
support life, therefore it needed:
 An oxygen generator for air
 A fan to keep Laika cool
 A harness to keep her safe
 Enough food for the trip
 A way of collecting
waste
Unfortunately, Laika did not survive the trip. However she
has her place in history as the first living thing to orbit the
Earth.
Question 1
How was Sputnik 1 upgraded to Sputnik 2 in
order to sustain life?
A) An oxygen generator was installed

B) A fan was installed

C) A safety harness was fitted

D) All of the above


First Human In
Space
On April 12 1961, Russian
astronaut Yuri Gagarin
became the first human in
space, orbiting the Earth once.

Gagarin traveled in a
spacecraft named Vostok 1.

It was unknown how humans would react to


being in space, so the flight was controlled
from the ground.
Yuri’s Trip
Once the spacecraft had
been successfully
launched, the rocket part
dropped off the craft, and
returned to Earth.
Only the capsule containing
Gagarin was sent into orbit.

Upon re-entry into the Earth’s Atmosphere,


Gagarin ejected from the craft and parachuted
safely to the ground.
Race To The
Moon
In 1969, American astronaut Neil
Armstrong became the first man
to set foot on the Moon,
proclaiming:
“That’s one small step for man,
one giant leap for mankind.” Courtesy NASA

The rocket propelled


spacecraft that made the
journey to the Moon was
Apollo 11, as part of NASA’s Courtesy NASA

Apollo project.
Question 2
What did the Sputnik and Apollo spacecraft have in
common?
A) They both had the purpose of orbiting the Earth.

B) They both used rockets to propel the craft.

C) They both had human passengers.

D) They both traveled to the Moon.


Mars Landing?
In 2010, U.S. President
Barack Obama made the
following statement:

“By the mid-2030s, I


believe we can send
humans to orbit Mars and
return them safely to
Earth. A landing on Mars
will follow.” Courtesy NASA
The distance between Mars and Earth is about
55 million kilometers.

Using current technology, it


is estimated that a journey
of that distance and back
would take over a year.

The biggest obstacle to


space travel is the
extremely large distances. Court
esy
New Spacecraft
Technology
Scientists are looking to improve spacecraft technology.
Could a rocket be made that does not require the
burning of fuel?
New technologies that have
been researched include:
 Solar sails
 Nuclear power
 Ion thrusters
 VASIMR technology (variable
NASA

specific impulse magnetoplasma


rocket)
Ion Thrusters
Ion thrusters use electrical energy to create
thrust. This removes the need for burning fuel.

A small acceleration is produced


but for a very long time.
Ion thruster power is used in
missions that do not require
much power…
…or missions that are going to
take a long time.
NASA
Question 3
Which of the following missions would be
suitable to be powered by ion thrusters?
A) A research mission to the Moon

B) A repair mission on one of Earth’s satellites

C) A deep space exploration mission

D) All of the above


The International Space
Station
The ISS is a research
facility built in a low Earth
orbit.
It is the largest man-
made satellite ever
built, and can be seen
from Earth with the
naked eye.
Scientists use the station to conduct
experiments in an environment different to that
of Earth.
Space
Exploration
Today, space exploration is mainly carried out
using powerful telescopes, probes and satellites.

A space telescope is a
telescope that orbits the Earth
above the atmosphere.

Images seen through


telescopes on Earth are Courtesy NASA

blurred by the Earth’s The Hubble Space Telescope,


launched in 1990, has become one
atmosphere. of the most important tools used in
astronomy.
Probes are robotic spacecraft sent into
space to send back data and images.

Probes are able to stay in


space much longer than
humans.

This means that research


can be conducted on
planets and moons Courtesy NASA

unsuitable for human The Voyager 1 probe was


launched in 1977 and is
exploration. still traveling through
space.
Traveling to the
Stars
Our nearest star system is
over 4 light years away.
This means that it takes
light 4 years to travel this
distance.
Time constraints and
expense are the main
drawbacks of interstellar Voyager 1 is traveling at 62,000 km/hr.
At this speed it would take 17,000
travel. years to reach the nearest star.

So while it is technically possible, it is not likely


to happen in the near future.
Question 4
If light travels at 300,000,000 meters every
second, and takes 4 years to travel to the nearest
star, how long would it take in years to drive there,
if you were traveling at 30 meters a second?

A) 400 years
B) 4,000 years
C) 400,000 years
D) 40,000,000 years

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