Exploring Space Radiation from Space

Energy travels through space in the form of waves. Mechanical waves cannot travel through empty space. A sound wave is a mechanical wave.

Microwaves, radio or visible light waves are electromagnetic waves. 2. EM waves travel at a speed of 300,000 km/s.

4. As the length of a wave decreases the frequency increases.

5. Refracting telescope – light passes through a convex lens to form an image at a focal point.

5. Reflecting telescope – light is reflected off of a concave mirror to form an image at a focal point.

5. Radio telescope - radio waves strike a large, curved dish and are reflected to a receiver.

6. An observatory is a large building that houses a telescope – has a domed roof that opens up.

7. The Hubble Space Telescope is a reflecting telescope. It was launched on April 25, 1990.

Hubble did not produce clear images because the mirror was not shaped correctly. In Dec astronauts on the space shuttle replaced the mirror.

8. Telescopes that orbit in space produce better images because Earth’s atmosphere absorbs and distorts energy from space – telescopes should be above the atmosphere.

9. Galileo Galilei perfected the telescope in 1608.

21.3 Artificial Satellites and Space Probes

1. A satellite is an object that revolves around another. The first artificial satellite was Sputnik I. It was launched by the former USSR in It remained in orbit for 3 months.

2.Earth’s natural satellite is the moon. It takes about 1 month for the moon to complete 1 orbit around Earth.

3.A space probe is an instrument that gathers information and sends it back to Earth.

4. They carry equipment such as cameras, radio transmitters & receivers, weather instruments, collectors, earthquake detectors, etc.

5. Viking I (1975) – mapped Mars – lander searched for life. Magellan (1990) – mapped Venus – probed atmosphere.

Voyager 1 & 2 – passed outer planets – now in deep space. Galileo (1989) – studied Jupiter - probed atmosphere.

6. The first human to orbit Earth was Yuri Gagarin, from the former USSR in The flight lasted 108 minutes.

8. Alan B. Shepard was the first U.S. citizen in space in The main goal of Project Mercury was to orbit a piloted spacecraft and bring it back safely.

9. John Glenn, Jr. was the first U.S. citizen to orbit Earth in 1962.

10. The main goal of Project Gemini was for two teams of astronauts to meet and connect their spacecraft in space. This was essential for the return trip from the moon.

11. On July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the moon. The astronauts were Neil Armstrong Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Michael Collins

21.4 The Space Shuttle and the Future

1. The space shuttle is a reusable spacecraft that transports astronauts and materials to and from space.

2. 4 ways shuttle is different from previous spacecraft: 1. It is almost completely reusable. 2. It has a self-contained lab. 3. It has a large cargo area w/mechanical arm. 4. It can land like an airplane.

3. A space station has living quarters, work and exercise space and equipment to allow humans to live and work in space.

4. 1 st space station: Skylab – 1973 In 1979 it was abandoned. It fell out of orbit and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere.

5. The space station MIR was launched in 1986 by the former Soviet union.

On March 21, 2001 Mir was abandoned and burned up in the atmosphere. Parts fell over the South Pacific.

6. The International Space Station is currently in orbit.

It is being built by Russia, USA, Europe, Japan, Canada, & Brazil. Each country is building a section. US & Russian shuttles carry them to space where they are assembled.