Space Exploration
Animation of spaceship in space
In this presentation you will:
 investigate the history and future of space
exploration, including space transportation
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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.
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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.
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Very Early Space Exploration
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.
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Early Rockets
The principle of the
rocket has been around
for a long time.
The earliest were used
as weapons, hundreds
of years ago.
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Early Rockets
A rocket produces
movement by burning
fuel. This shoots hot
gases out one end,
sending the rocket in the
other direction.
Courtesy NASA
Direction of travel
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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First Life In Space
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.
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First Life In Space
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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.”
The rocket propelled
spacecraft that made the
journey to the Moon was
Apollo 11, as part of NASA’s
Apollo project.
Courtesy NASA
Courtesy NASA
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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.
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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.
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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
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Mars Landing?
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.
Courtesy NASA
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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 specific
impulse magnetoplasma rocket)
NASA
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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
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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
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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
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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.
Courtesy NASA
Scientists use the station to conduct experiments
in an environment different to that of Earth.
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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
blurred by the Earth’s
atmosphere.
Space telescopes are able
to capture clearer images.
Courtesy NASA
The Hubble Space Telescope,
launched in 1990, has become one of
the most important tools used in
astronomy.
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Space Exploration
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 unsuitable
for human exploration.
Courtesy NASA
The Voyager 1 probe was
launched in 1977 and is still
traveling through space.
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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 travel.
Voyager 1 is traveling at 62,000 km/hr.
At this speed it would take 17,000 years
to reach the nearest star.
So while it is technically possible, it is not likely to
happen in the near future.
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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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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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Summary
In this presentation you have seen:
 a history and the future of space exploration,
including space transportation
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