Space Technology and Early Space Missions The Space Race Space Technology and Early Space Missions

Race for Space Early on – race was between Russia (USSR) and the USA. Cold War competition for superiority. Russia puts the first artificial satellite into space – Sputnik - October 4, 1957 the size of a beach ball - 22.8 inches in diameter weighed only 183.9 pounds took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments.

First Man in Space Yuri Gagarin – Russian cosmonaut April 12, 1961

First American in Space During Project Mercury (1959-1963) – America’s 1st Space Travel Mission Alan Shepard – May 5, 1961 Objective was to orbit a man in space safely Shepard orbited Earth in the Freedom 7 capsule for 15 minutes.

America’s 2nd Project Project Gemini – roughly ran from 1962-1966 Objectives To subject man and equipment to space flight up to two weeks in duration To link two spacecrafts in space All objectives were precursor for the moon landing project in the works

To the Moon Project Apollo – America’s 3rd Space Travel Mission Objectives (1968-1972) To establish the technology to meet other national interests in space; To achieve preeminence in space for the United States; To carry out a program of scientific exploration of the Moon; To develop man's capability to work in the lunar environment.

Apollo 11 – First Successful Manned Mission to the Moon July 16 – 24, 1969 Men aboard Neil A. Armstrong – 1st Man on the Moon "THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR A MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND." Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. (also walked on the moon) Michael Collins (piloted the command spacecraft around the moon while Armstrong & Aldrin were on moon)

Neil Armstrong – 1930 - 2012 Died at the age of 82 on August 25, 2012 Buried on August 30th, the day of a blue moon. Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin are still alive

Main Technology Used by World Space Agencies Rockets Satellites Probes Shuttles (retired) Space Stations

Rockets Used as propulsion system to get satellites, probes, capsules (earlier in space program), and shuttles into orbit and/or space. Will once again be turned to for space travel after shuttle retirement in 2011 Redstone rocket with Mercury capsule

Artificial Satellites Man made object launched into orbit… stays in the orbit of Earth. Examples include: Sputnik Hubble Telescope Military Satellites Used for weather forecasting, observations of space (space telescopes), military, GPS (global positioning system), mapping Earth’s surface, etc.

Probes Un-manned craft that leaves Earth’s orbit to travel deeper into space to study other bodies in space. Gave us our first close encounter with far away planets and their moons Delivered to locations via high powered rockets Examples include: Voyager I & II – traveling out of solar system Galileo – traveled to Jupiter Viking – Mars Magellan - Venus ESA's Huygens – on Saturn’s moon Titan Stardust – Comet Wild 2 Importance to space program – collect planet, moon, comet, asteroid information…without risking human life.

Probe to Mars Animation

Space Shuttles 1st Re-usable space craft created. 1st launch in 1981. Is unable to leave Earth’s orbit… cannot go to the moon Examples include: Columbia (2003 explosion) Discovery Challenger (1987 explosion) Pathfinder Atlantis Importance to Space Program - Starting with Columbia and continuing with Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, the spacecraft has carried people into orbit repeatedly, launched, recovered and repaired satellites, conducted cutting-edge research and built the largest structure in space, the International Space Station. ~Retired in 2011—Last shuttle flight ended July 21, 2011.

Space Stations Living quarters for people in space with own environmental controls – orbits Earth (artificial satellite) Examples include: International Space Station (current) Skylab (out of commission) Mir (Russian – out of commission)

Now – To Mars! The Curiosity Rover landed on Mars on August 5th, 2012 Will use an on-board chemistry lab to analyze Mars rocks, and send HD photos. http://distancetomars.com/