Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Space Explorers Chapter 12

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Sputnik I The race to space began in October 1957, when the Russians launched the first satellite called Sputnik I. Weighing only 183 lbs, Sputnik I was about the size of a beach ball. Nonetheless, the launch of this tiny satellite marked the dawn of the space age.

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Explorer Frightened by the Russian’s success, the U.S. moved quickly to launch its own satellite, Explorer, in Jan Another space milestone occurred during the summer of 1958— NASA was created.

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Animals in Space Before the 1 st humans traveled to space, a variety of animals made the voyage. A dog named Laika flew aboard Sputnik 2. Enos, a chimp, flew inside a Mercury capsule.

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Humans Enter Space Yuri Gagarin, a Russian cosmonaut, was the first man to reach space on April 24, Alan Shepard became the 1 st American in space on May 5, His historic flight lasted only 15 minutes. John Glenn was the 1 st American to orbit Earth. Launched Feb. 20, 1962, Glenn orbited Earth 3 times.

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Project Mercury manned flights 1 astronaut/mission Objectives: –To orbit Earth –To recover the space- craft & astronaut –To study human abilities in space

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Project Gemini 1965 – manned flights 2 astronauts/mission Objectives: –To remain in space longer –To dock (connect) 2 spacecraft in orbit –To perfect atmosphere re-entry and landing methods

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Project Apollo 1966 – manned flights 3 astronauts/ mission Apollo 1 blew up on the launch pad, killing 3 astronauts Objectives : -To explore the moon -To establish the U.S. as the world’s space exploration leader

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Apollo 11 July 16-24, 1969 Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, & Michael Collins 1 st manned mission to land on the moon Retrieved 44 lb. of lunar rock and dust

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science A Different Space Vehicle The space shuttle was created to conserve money and resources. Unlike the giant rockets of the 60’s and 70’s, a space shuttle can be reused many times. Another benefit is the shuttle’s ability to carry 7 astronauts per flight. The space shuttle also has a cargo bay for transporting satellites, space probes, and even parts of the space station. Finally, the shuttle lands like a plane on the ground, not in the ocean.

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science New Astronauts Sally Ride, the first female astronaut, flew aboard the Challenger in The 1 st African American in space, Guy Bluford, was also launched in John Glenn returned to space in 1998 when he was 77.

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Shuttle Tragedies ChallengerColumbia Jan. 28, 1986 Feb. 1, 2003

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science A Return to Space Launch of Discovery on July 26, 2005 Delivered important supplies to space station Dramatic repair to underbelly of orbiter

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Living in Space: ISS Work of 16 nations Orbits 220 mi above Earth Powered by solar panels Weighs over 1 million lbs. Robotic arm stretches 55 feet Objectives: –To solve problems in medicine, ecology, & other areas of science –To study the formation of the universe, galaxies, etc.

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Unmanned Explorers Space probes are used to study planets and distant parts of the solar system. Space probes do not carry astronauts and are not designed to return to Earth. Voyager I & II are space probes from the 1970s that still transmit data today from outside our solar system! The Cassini probe recently reached Saturn after a 7 year journey. Cassini

Mrs. Neigel 6 th grade Science Credits Images: