Space Exploration

Escape velocity Geosynchronous Satellites ISS GPS Probes Rovers OUTCOME QUESTION(S): S1-4-09: What is the purpose of the various objects humans put in space? S1-4-11: What are some current goals in Canadian and International Space exploration? Vocabulary & Concepts  Escape velocity Geosynchronous Satellites ISS GPS Probes Rovers

Escape velocity – speed a rocket needs to overcome the pull of gravity moving into space. Smaller rockets attached to the spacecraft make minor changes in the direction once in space No atmosphere in space – so shuttle must carry an oxygen supply for the rocket fuel to combust and burn

Satellite: any body that orbits around another body in space Satellites Satellite: any body that orbits around another body in space

Earth orbit satellites exist as two types: 1. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites (1963) Canada’s first satellite - Alouette 1 Traveling very fast – so it doesn’t get pulled in Telescopes, Space Stations LEO objects must move fast enough to orbit Earth every 90 minutes or they will lose speed by the pull of gravity and crash

100%“opacity” means it doesn’t reach ground Ground Telescopes vs. Space Telescopes: Ground telescopes have many issues: Air pollution/light pollution affects clarity - poor Atmosphere scatters light waves - inconsistent Atmosphere absorbs most other waves- limited 100%“opacity” means it doesn’t reach ground

Hubble: First Optical Space Telescope Launch: April 24, 1990 from shuttle Discovery Name: American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble Dr. Hubble confirmed an "expanding" universe by noticing red-shift, which provided the foundation for Big Bang theory Optical Capabilities EMS capabilities: Infrared, visible and ultraviolet Equipment: 3 cameras, 3 spectroscopes Data Statistics: transmits 120 gigabytes every week Images sent to us by the Hubble Space Telescope are from some stars 8 billion light years away

International Space Station (ISS) Sputnik MIR Yuri Gagarin

First satellite – Sputnik – Soviet (1957) Space Race Facts: First satellite – Sputnik – Soviet (1957) First manned spacecraft – Soviet (1961) First space station – Salyut 1 – Soviet (1971) Second space station – MIR – Soviet (1986) Russian astronauts are called “cosmonauts” – Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space MIR space station was used until 1998 when it was converted into the much larger: International Space Station (ISS) A cooperative venture of the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia and Japan

High Earth Orbit Satellites

(Moving with Earth’s rotation – always over the same spot) 2. High Earth Orbit (HEO) satellites Higher so it can travel much slower With the right speed, can be geosynchronous (Moving with Earth’s rotation – always over the same spot) (1972) Canada’s 1st geosynchronous - Anik 1 Used for telecommunications Global Positioning System (GPS) ~30 satellites at a distance of ~20 000 km above the Earth Not geosynchronous

Space Probes and Rovers

Space Probes and Rovers Robotic explorers – lots of advantages for use Less expensive (Pro) Farther distances (Pro) No possibility of fatalities (Pro) Limited experimentally (Con) Limited skill set (Con) Probe/Rover Names: Voyager Pioneer Cassini Galileo Pathfinder Lunar prospector Mars Sojourner

Rovers: probes designed specifically to land on the surface and experiment

Manned Space Activities

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin Apollo 11  First humans on the moon - July 20, 1969 Armstrong was first (“one small step…”) Collected 47.5 pounds of lunar material Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin

Canada's Involvement In Space

Canadarm Used on the ISS A robotic arm that allows astronauts in the space shuttle to move large cargo in space Not permanently attached to one spot – it can move around the Space Station on tracks

Astronauts and Astronomers: Chris Hadfield Roberta Bondar Marc Garneau Julie Payette Bob Thirsk Dave Williams Canadian astronauts are usually scientists or “payload specialists” - in charge of satellites and equipment (1989) Canadian Space Agency

S1-4-09: S1-4-11: CAN YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS? What is the purpose of the various objects humans put in space? S1-4-11: What are some current goals in Canadian and International Space exploration? Vocabulary & Concepts  Escape velocity Geosynchronous Satellites ISS GPS Probes Rovers